Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, originating in Central Asia and the Indus Valley, still practiced in the present day. The term Hinduism is what is known as an exonym (a name given by others to a people, place, or concept) and derives from the Persian term Sindus designating those who lived across the Indus River.
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Timeline
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c. 1500 BCE - c. 500 BCEIndian scholars of the so-called Vedic Period commit the Vedas to written form; basic tenets of Hinduism are established.
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c. 400 BCE - c. 200 CEThe Bhagavad Gita, part of the Mahabharata, is written at some point between 400 BCE and 200 CE.
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c. 480 CE - c. 500 CEThe Gupta-era Hindu temple at Bhitargaon is built.
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c. 770 CEThe Kailasa rock-cut temple at Ellora is completed and dedicated to Shiva.
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1122 CEConstruction begins of the Hindu temple at Angkor Wat.
