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The Vedas is the source of the Hindu caste system.
Castes and Subcastes
*The names of the 4 main castes, or varnas, are the Brahmin (priests), the Kshatriya (princes, warriors, and political
rulers), the Vaishya (professionals, merchants, and farmers), and the Shudra (servants and laborers).
*About 2,000
years ago, the 4 castes were divided into many subcastes.
*Some of these subcastes, called jatis, exist only in
certain regions.
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There are many gods and goddesses in Hinduism.
However, Brahma is the one supreme Godhead.
The gods Vishnu and Shiva are 2 aspects of Brahma.
Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the world. "The One That Is the All".
Lakshmi
is the goddess of well-being and Vishnu's wife.
Shiva is the destroyer of the world. "The God of Time
and Destruction"
Parvati is Shiva's wife and she has many forms including that of the goddess Devi seen below:
Devi is "The Mother of All Creation."
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Many
Indian customs come from Hinduism such as festivals, special excercises, and not eating certain foods.
The government
of India made the decision to end the caste system because it was unfair and limited the opportunities of the citizens of
modern India.
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