Hinduism is the oldest theological faith in the world with a very long history. The history of Hinduism is looked at by different people in different perspective. Different proofs and documents are quoted for their theories. Western researchers, Indian Historians, Religious pundits and Vedic scholars all quote different time periods as the origin of Hinduism. All these views are expressed as it is in the following pages without contradicting any of them. From ancient times there were several types of similar village faiths and rituals practiced all over South Asia and Southeast Asia. Hinduism as we know it today, started with the Vedas, believed to be as old as the creation itself, or even precedes creation, as the very breath exhaled by the Almighty Brahmam. Some 'Pundits' believe that it started from the time of the creation of the universe 2.8 billion years ago. Some Vedic scholars stretch it to the origin of human race 1.34 million years ago. Some scholars of Vedas say that it is 50,000 years old. Most Indian historians say that it is about 10,000 years old. Western researchers and scholars of last century had held the view that it was started 6000 years back by the "Aryan invaders" of Indus Valley and that South India had a Dravidian style of religious practice.

According to some other historians who tried to soften this idea, it was practiced by the "Aryan settlers" of Indus Valley and the local community, 6000 years back. Very few scholars of Hindu religion disputed this opinion and theory for a long time. A speculative theory, repeated over the years, has been accepted as an established fact in History. This theory is not acceptable to most of the modern Hindu historians now. Even before this time, in Indus Valley and probably all over India and Persia, we had the so-called the "Pre-Aryan" or the "Dravidian" culture as well as Vedic practice. Their religious practices included beliefs in various Deities. They also sang prayer songs in groups and worshipped in groups with rituals in a Sanctum like a Temple. We also had the Devas and Asuras in the Puranas. Perhaps the ancient Persians, who had the Ahuras as the good ones and Daevas as the bad ones, were the Vedic Aryans on the west of Indus Valley who had wars in Indus Valley as in our Puranas!