Why am I a Hindu
I am Hindu because I was born one.
Like Shashi Tharoor has mentioned in his book, “Why I am a Hindu,” I am Hindu because I was born a Hindu. I grew up learning Hindu customs and rituals and cherishing Hindu festivals. I have learned a lot about Hinduism from my father. He conferred various beliefs and practices to me till he passed away when I was at the age of 28 years old. After ten years of his passage from this physical world, I started learning about Hinduism last year. After reading Hindu Scripture, Vedas, Vedanta, Itihasa, and Puranas, I started this website to share my understanding.
I grew up in a Hindu household. Our home always had a prayer room where we worshiped different gods and goddesses. I vividly remember paintings of gods and goddesses, all stained by the color of akshata (a colored rice grain made with the mixture of Rice Grain, Ghee, Haldi, and Kumkum for puja purposes) or ash scattered from incense burned daily by my devout parents. My father would stand in front of the prayer room every morning after his bath and chant his Sanskrit mantras, but he never obliged me to do so.
Hinduism is a civilization, not a dogma. It is a faith that respects and even reveres the religious places of other faiths. Hinduism teaches the world not just tolerance but acceptance. This practice of acceptance of difference, the idea that other ways of being and believing are equally valid, is central to Hinduism.
With its openness, respect for variety and acceptance of all other faiths, Hinduism should be one religion that can spread its influence without threatening others.