As far as history knows, Indian culture is as much old as 25,000 years to 50,000 years. This is the only culture in the world to continuously survive from from such an ancient period. The world knows only few things about Indian religion and culture. The basic roots of Indian culture is dated back to at least 25,000 years. Here I can use the term culture rather than religion. Because, religion has very narrow meaning. People who worships or believes one God belongs to that religion. But in case of India, God is worshiped in many forms. It may be in male form, female form or some thing which is simply abstract form. So I cannot use the word religion in this instance. Rather, using the word of "Dharma" is more opt as the substitution of religion. I can explain about "Dharma" in my next postings. Here I wish to explain only the greatness of Indian culture through out the years from ancient times.
There is no word referring to the rituals, practices, spiritual activities involved in the name of God in India. No body can narrow the wide range of above said practices with one single name. The first culture of the world had flourished in the Indian sub continent.some thousands of years ago. Many dwellers and creators of Indian civilization had resided over the banks of river Sindhu. At present, the river Sindhu is in Pakistan. At that time it is Arab business man who had very good business and cultural relation with native people, used the first word "Hind", as they can spell Sindh as Hind. In return they had taken back the culture and civilization to western nations like Europe along with their business commodities. In western world, the word "Hind" became "Ind". So this country became India. The rituals practiced in Indian subcontinent are commonly referred as "Hinduism". In fact the word "Hinduism" does not refer to any single particular religion or practice or deity.
Many thousands of years ago, when world knows nothing about culture or civilization and even do not know wearing cloths, in India, there flourished a bright culture. Indian thoughts are very broad in nature, seeking the common good of entire mankind. It neither established a single form of God nor forced everyone to believe some one who are unknown to mankind. Indian school of philosophy gave every individual free of thought and questioning nature. So any body who wants to know something about God, must first question himself. If he could not find the answer then he can approach to a "Guru" who can guide him to the path of knowledge.
Indian culture often referred as the "Anadi" means there is no starting point. No body can tell the starting point of Indian culture. It is lasting for over many thousands of years. When we take into account the Hindu religious texts, it can be more than thousands of years but even hundreds of thousands of years. Hindu texts describes the world as the most ancient dated back to 360 millions of years ago. Most surprisingly Hindu texts or Puranas supports the evolution theory. The God "Vishnu" himself first came to earth in the form of "Fish" or Matsya Avatar". The second Avatar is Kurma Avatar or Tortoise. Third one is Varaha Avatar or Pig. Fourth one is Narasimha Avatar which means Half Lion and Half Man. Finally full form of Man as Rama Avatar. As per the Hidu texts, it took hundreds of thousands of years to God to came in the above said Avatars. It can be easily understood that, God need not be a human being. He can be in any form in the universe. That is the reason, why Hindu culture saw purity and divinity in each every form of living being in the universe.
