Hinduism

Hinduism is the main religion of the Indian subcontinent. In Toaru Majutsu no Index, Hinduism and Hindu mythology are used as a base for Magic, primarily by Indian cabals.

Principles
Called the oldest religion in the world, Hinduism encompasses a wide range of beliefs and is not bound by a single doctrine. So it is difficult for the entirety of Hindu beliefs be summarized, as it is easily the most complex religion in the history of the world. For example, there is no one leader of the religion, equivalent to the Pope or the, so there are different sects and schools of thought of the religion with different dogmas. But generally, followers of the Sanātana Dharma (the Sanskrit name for Hinduism, literally "the eternal tradition" or the "eternal way") believe in ' (the cycle of birth, death and rebirth) and ' (liberation from that cycle), and all regard the four (collections of rituals, and rules of life and society), the  (commentaries on the Vedas), the  (stories akin to the legends of Greek Mythology and Norse Mythology), and the  (historical accounts) as sacred texts of their religion.

Contrary to popular Western belief, most modern Hindus will attest that it is monotheistic, not polytheistic. In the same way Christianity has the concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being different forms of the same God, Hinduism has a similar belief: Vishnu, Lakshmi, Indra, Lord Shiva, Bramha, Agni, Hanuman, etc. are all different forms (or Avatars, lit. "Manifestations of Will") of one God, known variously as Brahma, Ishvara, or other names. So, though Hindu Mythology contains a vast pantheon of gods and beings, they are all recognized to be part of the same Ishvara or "All-Being", i.e, God. This is not set in stone, and debates on whether Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic have occurred for centuries. The pantheon includes the Great Trinity, more popularly known as the Trimurti, consisting of Brahma (The Creator of the universe), Vishnu (The Preserver of the universe), and Shiva (The Destroyer of the universe), and a number of younger gods apart from the Trimurti called .

Background
Hinduism's roots can be traced back to Iron Age India, and as such it is believed to be the oldest living religion in the world.

Toaru Majutsu no Index: Road to Endymion
The Hindu-based magic cabal Gate of the Gods Come from the Heavens was involved in an incident which transpired shortly after the opening of Endymion.

New Year's Arc
On January 3rd, figures from Hindu and Indian mythology were among the deities referenced during the battles with Trismegistus, who invoked deities associated in Liber 777 into a triangle with himself.

Users of Hindu-based Magic

 * Laksha
 * Harisha
 * Gate of the Gods Come from the Heavens