Hinduism is an eternal religion which is known to have
no beginning and no end. It is supposed to be founded somewhere around
3200-2500 BC. According to the great epic Mahabharata, the more
approximate date for this is 3102 BC.
Mahabharata states that at the time of the birth of Lord Krishna on
earth, the exact positions of the stars were recorded. The dates later
than this mention come from linguistic and literary dating of the Rig
Veda -- the oldest of Hindu scriptures.
But, owing to its vastness and riches, the origin of this ancient way
of life, Hinduism cannot be ascribed to a single founder or a single
time. The phrase "Hinduism" is obtained from Sindhu -- a
mighty river flowing in the ancient Indus Valley. Folklore states that
the inhabitants of the Valley were termed Hindus for they dwelled in the
Sindhu (Indus) Valley
Hinduism is more of a coalition of slackly banded conservative
religions and cultures. A non-organizational school of thought, Hinduism
does not seek or encourage communalism.
Vedas -- the binding spiritual laws and the earliest piece of written
Hindu work -- are written by several progressive beings over a long
period of time making the origin of religion even more complex. Hinduism
is believed to have grown out of the religion described in the Vedas.
The oldest of the Vedas, namely, the Rigveda, centers on the worship of
the gods, Indra and Agni, and on the Soma ritual. Believed to have a
disputed age and origin, Vedas are the most sacred Hindu texts believed
to have been transmitted orally for several millennia.
At times, the Vedas are also characterized by sturdy resemblances to the
language and religion of the Avesta believed to have been influenced by
the Saraswati Valley Civilization of 3rd millennium BC.
