Ganesh image at Mumbai temple, © C. Cook

Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions. It is a faith largely practised in India, but also all over the world. It is a rich, colourful, and lively religion. Hinduism is polytheistic, which means that Hindus can worship a number of different gods and goddesses, of which there are thousands.

Images of Hindu gods and goddesses can be found everywhere in India and religious practice forms an important part of daily life. There are temples and shrines on almost every corner to visit and pray to, posters and advertisements depicting popular deities, and many religious songs.

Hindus can choose the way they wish to practise Hinduism. Some people might pray every day and some not at all. When Hindus worship their chosen deity, it is called puja. At home, many Hindus dedicate a space for their own shrine, where they place statues or pictures of their favourite god or goddess. At the temple, offerings or prasada are laid before the god or goddess in the form of flower garlands, fruit or sweets.

Many Hindus are vegetarian, so they do not eat meat. An average meal might include many different types of food: rice, spiced vegetable dishes, yoghurt, pickles and flat round bread called chapatis. Sweets are often made for important religious festivals such as Diwali.

At festival time, important stories and teachings are told. These offer advice about the right way to live and form an integral part of everyday life. Hindus do not follow one particular holy book, but very old sacred texts called the Vedas and the Upanishads. Among these sacred books are two epic poems that tell the stories of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

Ultimately, all Hindus believe in the same core principle of Hinduism: that when you die, your soul continues to live and that you are reborn into your next life. This is called Samsara. You could be reborn as a human or an animal depending on how good you have been in your present life. The effect of your actions in this life is called Karma. Hindus aspire to get to Moksha, the release from the cycle of death and rebirth.