| The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism,
and consist of hymns to the Gods, incantations and rituals.
The Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was composed
in 1500 B.C. Along with the Book of the Dead, the I Ching,
the Enuma Elish and the Avesta, the Vedas are among the
most ancient religious texts still in existence.
The Vedas were not written down, but orally taught
from generation to generation through recitation and
memorization (they were first written sometime after
300 B.C.).
At the Vedapatashala, the great Vedic oral tradition
continues unbroken. The Vedas are taught orally to young
initiates,
and students are expected to commit the vast texts to
memory. A fascinating tour!
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