Hinduism is the ancient most religion of the people of India. It forms the basis of Hindu society. Our whole social system is based on it. We derive our sources for our social and religious life from our Vedas, Sastras and such other religious books as Bhagwat Gita, Ramayana and Mahabharata.

To begin with, it was a society in which there was no caste system.

The people believed in simple living and purity of character. Their food habits were very simple and social customs and ceremonies not complex and complicated. With the passage of time many evils crept up in our society. For centuries together, these evils continues to hollow our sound social system.

Shocked by the evils of our social system like caste, dowry, sati and child marriage, our social and religious reformers decided to reform the society without caring for the opposition from the orthodox sections of the society.

Hinduism produced vast literature. The Upnishads occupy a very important place in it. It is in the Upnishads that such complex and complicated questions have been discussed as what is maya, soul, the philosophy of rebirths, kama and mukti (or salvation).

The Upnishads do not encourage unnecessary religious practices and ceremonies. Throughout there is keen desire for probing the problem and finding a solution for the same. The spirit of enquiry is all pervading in these Upnishads.

Truth, knowledge and immortality are the basis round which everything revolves in the Upnishads. These help solving very complex and complicated problems of life.

The other two religious books of Hinduism are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Both these throw a lot of light on the life and society of those days. It tells us how social conditions of those days had changed. In Ramayana age there was no love for power. For the sake of his father Rama will leave his throne and go to the Jungles.

There was immense love among the brothers. Lakshmana will accompany his brother and Bharat will not sit on the throne as according to him it was the trust of his brother. Not only this but there was the highest regard for the women.

In order to keep the morale of his people high, Rama will not mind leaving his wife Sita and sending her to jungles.

But conditions had drastically changed under Mahabharata. There was quarrel among the brothers for getting the throne. The respect for women had come down. She should now be put on dice.

The Vedas and the Sastras however, shine unabated in our religious literature. No other religious piece of work can occupy better religious position than these. Among the Hindus they are great source of inspiration.

Bhagwat Gita tells us about the philosophy of life and death. It contains the sermons which Lord Krishna gave to Arjuna on the battlefield.

These are eternal for every Hindu.