Hinduism has no founder, one universal reality (or god) known as Brahman, many gods and goddesses (sometimes referred to as devtas), and several scriptures. Hinduism also has no priesthood or hierarchical structure similar to that seen in some other religions, such as Christianity. Hindus acknowledge the authority of a wide variety of writings, but there is no single, uniform canon. The oldest of the Hindu writings are the Vedas. The word "veda" comes from the Sanskrit word for knowledge. The Vedas, which were compiled from ancient oral traditions, contain hymns,instructions, explanations, chants for sacrifices, magical formulas, and philosophy. Another set of sacred books includes the Great Epics, which illustrate Hindu faith in practice. The Epics include the Ramayana, the Mahabharata,and the Bhagavad Gita. The Hindu pantheon includes approximately thirty-three million gods. Some of these are heldin higher esteem than others. Over all the gods, Hindus believe in one absolute high god or universal concept. This is Brahman. Although he is above all the gods, he is not worshipped in popular ceremonies because he is detached from the day-to-day affairs of the people. Brahman is impersonal. Lesser gods and goddesses (devtas) serve him. Because these are more intimately involved in the affairs of people, they are venerated as gods. The most honored god inHinduism varies among the different Hindu sects. Although Hindu adherents practice their faith differently andvenerate different deities, they share a similar view of reality and look back on a common history.
The festival of Gai Jatra, a favorite among the Nepalese people, has its roots in ancient times, when Yama Raj was worshipped as the ruler of the kingdom of death, to which all mortal souls must journey after departing the physical world. All of the families who had experienced a death in the past calendar year would join together and form a procession that made its way through the capital city of Kathmandu. Each family would have a COW on a leash,because the cow was revered by all Hindus as a sacred animal and thus the ideal companion for the deceased on hisor her journey to the underworld. The day of the procession was the only day of the year on which the gates to this kingdom were opened.
