This document summarizes several religious symbols, including: - The Christian cross, representing Christianity and Jesus' crucifixion. - The star and crescent symbolizing Islam, originally from Central Asia but adopted by the Ottoman Empire. - The Hindu symbol "Om", a mantra made of three Sanskrit letters representing Brahman, the supreme god. - The Star of David representing the Jewish faith and the line of David through its two interlocking triangles. - The Ahimsa hand symbolizing non-violence in Jainism through a wheel and the word "ahimsa" in the palm. - The Torii gate marking the transition from the ordinary world to the sacred in Sh

1. Culturology Seminar
Assignment
“Symbols Of Religion”
From- Mohammed Abdul Rafe
Group-3

2. Symbols Of Religion
– A religioussymbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specific religion, or
a specific concept within a given religion.
– Religioussymbols are used to convey concepts concerned with humanity's relationship to
the sacred or holy (e.g., the cross in Christianity) and also to the social and material
world (e.g., the dharmachakra, or wheel of the law, of Buddhism).

3. The Christian Cross
• The Christian Cross The cross is the most common symbol of
Christianity. You see them all over the place. The cross
symbolizes Christianity as a religion, as well as the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ. Another form of the cross you might see is the
crucifix, which will include a figure of Jesus, nailed to the
cross through both hands and feet, usually with a crown of
thorns on his head.

4. THE STAR AND CRESCENT
• The Star and Crescent The Star and Crescent is
recognized as a symbol if the Islamic faith.
This symbol, however, is older and was
originally used by the people of Central Asia
and Siberia as a symbol of their sky gods. The
Star and Crescent were adopted as a symbol of
Islam during the Ottoman Empire, when the
Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453.

5. THE “OM”
 ‘OM’ is a very important symbol of the Hindu religion. It is a
mantra, uttered by many Hindus at the start of every day, and
commonly written in the head of letters. Om, or Aum is made
up of three Sanskrit letters, a, u and m. The syllables come
together to make the sound, Om, meaning Brahman, the
supreme God of Hinduism.

6. THE STAR OF DAVID
• The Star of David The Star of David is a common symbol
of the Jewish faith. The two interlocking triangles
represent to tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It is believed
that this was the symbol of the line of David, and the star
was represented on David's shield, though this has not
been proven.

7. The Ahimsa Hand
• The Ahimsa Hand is a common symbol of
Jainism, a religion born in India, known for non-
violence. The Jains believe that all life is sacred,
some go to extreme measures to avoid even
stepping on a bug! This symbol represents the
Jains vow of ahimsa (non- violence). The wheel
in the palm represents dharma (see The Dharma
Wheel), and in the centre of the wheel rests the
word, ahimsa.

8. The Torii Gate
• The Torii Gate is a symbol
of the Shito religion. The
symbol of the Torii Gate
represents the transition
between our world and
the world of the gods. A
physical Torii Gate usually
marks the entrance to a
sacred Shinto shrine. By
passing through the Torii
Gate, you pass from the
profane, to the sacred
place.

9. The Khanda
 The Khanda is the symbol of Sikhism.
The Khanda is made up of three
important symbols; the double edged
sword, a circle (the Chakkar), and two
crossed kirpans (curved swords). The
double edged sword represents the belief
on a single God. The Chakkar represents
that God has no beginning or end. The
two kirpans represent God's spiritual
authority and his political power. The
entire symbol is meant to represent God
as a whole.

10. THE MENORAH
 The Menorah is another common symbol of Judaism. A menorah is a nine- branched
candelabrum, used in the celebration of Hanukkah. The menorah made its first appearance
in the book of Exodus, when God revealed its design to Moses. The original menorah was
made from a single piece of gold and had only seven branches. It was used as a light for
the temple. Today's menorah has nine branches, commemorating a miraculous event
during the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews only had enough oil to light the
temple for one day, but somehow, it lasted eight days, allowing them enough light to finish
their work.