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Hinduism is the [[Major world religions|third largest religion]] in the world, with approximately 1 [[billion]] adherents (2005 figure), of whom about 890 [[million]] live in [[India]].<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761555715/Hinduism.html Adherents]</ref> Other countries with large Hindu populations include [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Pakistan]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Indonesia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Canada]] and the [[United States]], with [[Nepal]] being the only country with Hinduism as its official religion (see article [[Hinduism by country]]).
Hinduism is considered to be the oldest living religion in the world.<ref>[http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-intro-origin.htm An Introduction to Hinduism], "The Origin of Hinduism" on About.com</ref><ref>[http://bharatvani.org/books/civilization/partI4.htm Hinduism and the Clash of Civilizations] by David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)</ref> Unlike most other major religions, Hinduism has no single founder<ref>Osborne, E: "Accessing R.E. Founders & Leaders, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism Teacher's Book Mainstream.", page 9. Folens Limited, 2005</ref><ref>Klostermaier, K:"A Survey of Hinduism", page 1. SUNY Press, 1994.</ref> and is based on a number of religious texts developed over many centuries that contain spiritual insights and practical guidance for religious life. Among such texts, the [[Veda]]s are the most ancient. Other scriptures include the eighteen [[Puranas]] and the epic poems [[Mahabharata]] and [[Ramayana]]. The [[Bhagavad Gita]], which is contained within the [[Mahabharata]], is a widely studied scripture that summarizes the spiritual teachings of the [[Vedas]].<ref>See Gītā Dhyānam </ref>
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