I'm not praising Hinduism, rather the way that some Hindus choose to go about it and the multiculturalism that improves communities. Incidentally, I've been studying religion (including Hinduism) for more than three decades, both formally (knowledge of modern religious worship can provide insights into ancient religious practice, which is useful in my field of archaeology) and informally due to my interest in what other people believe. So, in reference to your final sentence, I have.

@Jnei
The academic impression of all religions is very beautiful. No one will find anything wrong. Religion was based on fighting the evil to protect the good. Wasn't it? So is the academic opinion right to make inferences you made?

@St-Sinner That most certainly wasn't the case during my education, when we discussed at great length the various drawbacks to religion as a whole as well as problems and conflicts that have arisen from and as a result of aspects of individual faiths and cults, though I fully understand that if you went to a religious school or were raised in a religious society you might feel that all people had similar experiences; I was fortunate in having been sent to a very non-religious school, then went on to a university that was set up partly to provide a secular alternative to Oxbridge, and has continued in that tradition - my professor of Classical Religions, for example, was a lifelong antitheist who argued that the majority of religions came about as a means for rulers to excuse the "evil" things they did and control the population. As for these inferences I made, I'm a little confused as to what you mean because reading back over my original post and subsequent comments I don't see any.

@Jnei
My observation from your original post is when you praise a particular principal in a religion, you are doing this:

1. Missing that a Western view, especially from academic reading and research is very different from what it means on the ground
2. Missing that welcoming light to ward away evil is a common theme across all religions including voodoo in Africa and the Amazon. Nothing intelligent in it
3. Taking a very narrow view to understand what a religion and it's practical use are
4. Missing that promoting anything of a religion on an Agnostic or atheist platform does not contribute to the mission
5. Confusing me about what you really intended to do by promoting Hinduism or a good in it on this platform. What were you trying to to? I can tell you of the horrors of the other side for many moons to come

@St-Sinner My observation of your replies is you're reading a great deal between the lines, where there is really only blank space.

@Jnei
Correct. Therefore, I would not make a blanket statement like Hinduism's Diwali is beautiful or Christianity is very merciful or Islam includes respect and equal rights for women or Judaism can relate very well to the modern times. I would qualify my statement.

@St-Sinner Then do not. I didn't.

I'm not sure if this one does, but like all proper religious festivals it does involve lots of really delicious food. So it's alright by me.

@Jnei yes to the food!

@GreatNani Ever been to a Hindu wedding...? I'm still full from one 30 years ago. Never seen nor tasted so much delicious stuff!

@Jnei yes my mother's family is from northern India. The food is endless!

@GreatNani I had a relationship with someone whose family were from Kashmir when I was a teenager - that was my introduction to real Indian food and I've been working my way around the rest of the subcontinent every since!

@Jnei well you can never go wrong with a curry!

That is called Holi. It is about a Month before Diwali.

@Jnei

I only wanted to make a comment on food.

Unless you are born in India or have lived in India for some time, most of you should know this:

1. The Indian food you eat is not originally from India. It came with invaders from Central Asia 400 years ago... called Moghul or Mughlai food.
2. It is only one type of food... North Indian. It is commercial food made with heavy cream, reused oil and lots of oil. It is not good for you.
3. It is not even eaten regularly in North Indian homes. Their preparation is very simple and different
4. India has over 70 types of foods. Most Indian food you know is not eaten in homes in majority states
5. India very regional in profession, language, faith, business, careers etc. Punjab will primarily do food restaurants, transportation, defense. Gujarat will do business, folk art, local food, religion, Maharashtra will do agriculture, education and jobs (not business).

Yes, Indian weddings are big. Food is big and inviting all in the village is a tradition. My language called it Gaon Jevan (village meal)... inviting all to a full course wedding meal. The richer you are the more extravagant you get. I have been to one where the host had installed a steel pipe system to deliver cold butter milk, milk and water with 3 individual taps at each of the 1,500 seats on the ground. Each was handserved throughout the meal.

This is the best part. This feast was when there was a severe drought in the state. Extravagant use of water and lavish parties were officially banned. But plenty of high ranking government and police officials were guests who received premium service, of course. lol

@St-Sinner In the UK, the "Indian restaurant" trade was largely established by Bangladeshis (though there were a few Indian restaurants here before Bangladesh even existed, thanks to some people of Indian heritage finding their way here as long ago as the 18th Century), and what we term "Indian food" is therefore heavily influenced by that region - and a lot of it is very much British Indian, influenced by traditional Indian dishes but not really Indian at all (the chicken tikka masala, which is often called the Brtish national dish, is for example said to have been invented in Birmingham, while the supposedly Chinese chicken chow mein is apparently from Glasgow).

I've been to a couple of events where the food was real Indian - a Gujurati wedding and a Kashmiri wedding, as well as eating with Indian people in their own homes, and understand that saying "Indian food" is a bit like saying "European food" - it's a big place with a huge variety of cultures, languages, belief systems and culinary traditions. I've enjoyed every one of those culinary traditions thus far (with the exception of a strange green cake at the Gujurati wedding).