Jack and Allie

10/31/14

Per 4.

Ganges River

The Ganges River starts in the Himalayas and flows through India and into the Mouth of the Ganga and into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River is important because it provides the daily needs of water for people who live near it and also leaves sediment for fertile land to grow crops. There were also many imperial capitals on the banks on the Ganga including Pataliputra, Kannauj, Kara, Kashi, and Allahabad. The Ganges is also the most sacred River to Hindus because they think of it as a goddess named Ganga.

Shiva

Shiva is one the primary Hindu gods. Shiva is also referred to as Mahadeva. Shiva is considered the destroyer among the Hindu gods. Vishnu and Ramen are the two gods of creation. There is also a separate religion dedicated to Shiva called Shivaism. Shiva is also considered the God of arts and yoga and is to believed to have different forms and to live on a mountain. Shiva himself is not necessarily important to India alone, but he is extremely important to Hinduism which is important to India.

Hinduism 

Hinduism is the dominant religion, or way of life in India today. There are many different forms of of Hinduism including Shaivism, Vaishnavism,and Shaktism. Karma and Dharma are two of the largest parts of Hinduism. Karma is the belief in that if you do good then good will come to you and if you do bad then bad will come to you. Dharma is the idea of fate that will change depending on your karma. Hinduism is important to India because it has been around for such a long time and is not just a religion, but is truly a way of life.    

Sanskrit 

        Sanskrit was the sacred and literary language of Hinduism. It also served as the philosophical language of Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Most importantly, however, it was the commonly spoken language that connected East and Southeast Asia, giving the region a means of communication. Sanskrit was essential to the communication of Greater India, a region that spread as far as ancient Indian culture. Sanskrit was the primary language used in Ancient India and provided a way of communication.

 Ganesha

         Ganesha, son of Shiva, is one of the most worshipped gods in the Hindu religion. Marked by his elephant head, Ganesha is easily identifiable and has large presence in the Hindu religion. Ganesha is the god of the arts and sciences as well as intellect and wisdom. He is also the god of beginnings. His largest role is as the god of (removing) obstacles. Because of his role, he was prayed to often by those seeking success in their endeavors. Because he had such a frequent and prominent role in the lives of many Hindu people, he became a large part of the Hindu religion, and subsequently, ancient India.