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Kerala Religion

Kerala houses all major world religions. From early recorded days ,Kerala had been forthcoming towards newer faiths from alien cultures. According to the 1991 census, 60% of the state population is Hindus. Muslims and Christians constitute 20 % each.

Though all communities are spread across the state Muslims are concentrated on Malabar region, where as Christians are on Travancore . Both foreign religions have assimilated a lot from Hinduism. Members of a community actively participate in a festival of another religious group.

A microscopic community in Kerala is Jewish Diaspora with a population of less than hundred. They have a 10 centuries-back history to boast.

Hinduism originated from religious practices of the dravidians and Aryan Brahmins. Vedic scriptures documented circa 1000 BC form the substratum of Hindu faith. Hinduism has a rich philosophical tradition with vedas forming its ideological foundation. Upanishads, another sacred scripture, delves into the metaphysical nature of the universe and soul.

Hinduism believes in rebirths that lead to moksha, the spiritual salvation that frees human beings from the clutches of the world. Each rebirth helps human beings move closer to the divinity. Bad actions during our lives result in bad karma, which ends in a lower reincarnation. If actions are righteous, incarnation will be on a higher level. Hinduism has tens of thousands of pantheon deities.

Brahmav, the Absolute, is seen as the creator of the universe. The creator has three incarnations: Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver and Shiva, the destroyer. Sakthi is represented by goddess power in the forms of Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvathi.