Hinduism is not a religion or belief system, it is a cultural and geographical identity.  The land that lies between the Sindhu river valleys along the Himalayan mountain ranges and Indu Sagara (Indian Ocean) was referred to as Hindu. Those who lived on this land followed the Sanatana Dharma, which means the “eternal set of truths”. It is believed to have its origins far beyond human history.  They are truths expertly revealed in the Vedas – the most ancient of the world’s scriptures.

The great sages and saints of the Vedic ages had developed a way of life, a life packed with daily routines and rituals, following which, a person could evolve to the maximum that is possible for him. These people developed their spiritual procedure, music, dance, martial arts, health remedies, mathematics, astrology, and astronomy without being interfered with by anyone because the Himalayas in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south protected them from external invasions.

It is the nature of human intelligence to inquire. It is in the interest of the ultimate well-being of humanity that a profound sense of inquiry is to be brought to life. No regulations are enforced upon anyone. One has to seek and discover the path that is most suitable for him. One of the fundamental rules of Sanatana Dharma is that it should never be allowed to get identified with anything.

It has several gods, several customs, and several festivals. Everything in nature, every element and every creature is valued. It believes that anything and everything that supports another being is worthy of respect and adulations, and each of them are identified with a name. So, the Creator – Brahma, the Preserver – Vishnu, and the Destroyer – Shiva are worshipped as Gods; knowledge represented by Saraswati, prosperity by Lakshmi, death and rebirth by Kali are worshipped as Goddesses. Its people worship the five elements in nature, like the fire, earth, wind, water and atmosphere; the elders, the teachers and the parents are venerated; the ocean, the mountains, and the rivers are worshipped; the trees, the plants, and the flowers are treated with respect; almost all the animals are in one way or the other agents of one God or the other, and so are treated with reverence.

Sanatana Dharma doesn’t believe that any one religion is better than the other. You can be a Hindu irrespective of what you worship, be it an idol, a human entity, a tree or a cow. It is not even necessary that one should worship anything at all. In this culture, there has never been any persecution of the non-believer or the different-believer. The biggest persecution was to ask a person who had different spiritual concepts to prove himself in public through debates. If his ideas had essence, he was honoured. All genuine religious paths are respected, tolerated, and accommodated. Sanatana Dharma has no dogmas attached to it. It is a universal law proved effective through thousands of years of living experiences.