Essays

Romaine Rolland, a French scholar, once quoted "If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!"

India, the land of spirituality and philosophy considers religion as an integral part of its tradition- The worship of various religions and its rituals play a significant role in every aspect of human life in the country.

India is the birthplace of two great religions of the world, namely, Hinduism and Buddhism. India is also home to the followers of one of the oldest religions of the world, Zoroastrianism, and ancient religions like Jainism and Sikhism are also widely practised here. Followers of Islam, Christianity, Bahaism and Judaism exist throughout the world and also form a part of the population of the secular India.

Hinduism is the dominant faith in India. A number of world religions originated in India, and others that started elsewhere found fertile ground for growth here. Buddhism and Jainism/ ancient monastic traditions, have had a major influence on Indian art, philosophy, and society and are followed by a large section of the society even in the late twentieth century, Islam spread throughout South Asia in the early eighth century, and is the largest minority religion in India today. In fact, India has the second largest Muslim population in the world. Sikhism, which started in Punjab in the sixteenth century, gradually spread throughout India and to the other parts of the world, Christianity, represented by various denominations, traces its history in India, back to the time of the Apostles. Judaism and Zoroastrianism, that originally arrived with traders and exiles from the West, are represented by small populations, mostly concentrated on India's West Coast. A variety of independent tribal religious groups are also live carriers of the unique ethnic traditions.

Within this range of differences, Indian religions have demonstrated for many centuries a considerable degree of tolerance for alternate visions of the divine and salvation. Religious tolerance in India finds expression in the definition of the nation as a secular state, allowing all forms of belief equal status before the law. In practice, it is difficult to divide religious affiliations from the life of people. This is probably so because it is impossible to know India without understanding its religious beliefs and practices, which have a large impact on the personal lives of most Indians- Indian religions have deep historical roots that are recollected by contemporary Indians. The ancient culture of South Asia, going back to at least 4/500 years, has come down to India primarily in the form of religious texts which explain alternative ways of attaining salvation- The message of love and brotherhood is expressed by all religions and cultures of India—the bowing in prayer in the courtyard of a mosque, or the rows of lamps that light up houses at Diwali, the good cheer of Christmas or the bonhomie of Baisakhi—the festivals of India are celebrations of a shared emotion that bring people together. People from different religions and cultures of India, unite in a common chord of brotherhood and amity on this fascinating and diverse land.

India is a secular state and probably the only state where so many religions flourish side by side. For many Indians religion exerts a strong motivational influence on their lifestyles, beliefs and culture. Probably, because religion in India is a way of life. festivals are the very mainstay of celebrations in India, and all major festivals are celebrated due to some religious context. Kinship bonding in India is very strong, with an enormous respect for family, community values and traditions. It is but natural that celebration of festivals is not confined to a personal space but a larger cultural context, which readily crosses religious divides. While each religious community has its own pilgrimage sites, heroes, legends and even culinary specialties, yet festivities transcend the invisible barrier between religions and rather become a celebration of the universality of human living.

In fact, religion in India is not merely a set of principles propagated by a propounder. Religion in the Indian context should not only be understood in narrow terms of rules, regulations, traditions and rituals. Religion in India is a way of life, It is not only the art that teaches us to live with dignity and in unity with others but also leads to the salvation of the soul. This does not mean that there are no rituals and rites, in fact religious practice in the true Indian sense does not merely involve hollow and meaningless display of traditions/ but a deep-rooted sense of the way of life.

Thus, we see that religion is very deep-rooted in the culture and heritage of India. The need of today is to develop a healthy attitude of respect and tolerance towards religion and not let anti-social elements, who try to propogate heinous activities in the name of religion, to disintegrate the Indian society. We need to realize that our uniqueness is not in the homogeneity of society and religion but the world knows us through our large-hearted assimilation of different religions, cultures and traditions. We are known not by our uniformity but by our colourful and varied diversity. We need to see religion as a unifying force and an instrument for moral and spiritual upliftment rather than a means of fanaticism, destruction of identity and centuries old rich heritage. We need to cherish our age-old secular identity. instead of labelling individuals as Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Buddhist or Parsi. Let us respect man as man first, which will help us value the uniqueness of religion, class, ethnicity and culture of India.