India has around 22 million Christians. There have been Christian communities in Kerala since the coming of Christianity to Europe (St. Thomas the Apostle is said to have arrived here in 54 AD). The Portuguese and the English left large Christian communities in Goa, Mizoram, Nagaland and Kerala. The total number of converts though, is not very high considering the country's population. Initially, it was the ruling classes who converted to Christianity followed, in the later years by the lower castes. Indians celebrate both 'Good Friday' as well as Christmas Day.

Buddhism was founded in Northern India in about 500 BC when Siddhartha Gautama, a prince, achieved enlightenment. Buddhists believe that attainment of enlightenment is the goal of every being. Buddha taught that suffering comes from sensual desires and the illusion that they are important. To overcome these delusions one must endure a path of a series of rebirths until no more rebirths are necessary. This path is 'Karma' where your actions in one life determine your next life.

Around 500 BC came a religion resembling Buddhism- Jainism. It was founded by Mahavira, the 24th and last of the Jain prophets. The religion originally evolved as a reformist movement against the dominance of priests and the complicated rituals of Brahminism. According to Jainism, 'moksha' or spiritual salvation can be attained through following the path of the 'tirthankars' especially the path of 'ahimsa' or non-violence. This belief is so strong that some monks actually cover their mouths with a piece of cloth in order to avoid the risk of accidentally swallowing an insect.

The Sikhs in India number 18 million and predominate in the Punjab, although they are found all over India. The Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak. It was originally created to blend the best of Hindu and Islamic religions. It's basic tenets are those of Hinduism though it opposes the caste system. Sikhs worship at temples known as 'Gurdwaras' where they regularly read their holy book called the 'Guru Granth Sahib'. Sikhs believe in one God and are opposed to idol worship. As a religious requisite, they are not allowed to cut their hair which they usually wear in a turban.

Founded in Persia by the prophet 'Zarathustra' (Zoroaster), it dates back to the 6th or 7th century BC. The followers of Zoroastrianism are known as 'Parsis' because they originally fled to India to escape persecution in Persia. Zoroastrianism was one of the first religions to postulate an omnipotent and invisible god. Their scripture is the 'Zend-Avesta', which describes the continual conflict between the forces of good and evil. The Parsis worship in fire temples where flames burn eternally as a symbol of their God. To ensure purity of the elements, they will not cremate or bury their dead and instead leave the bodies in 'Towers of Silence' where they are soon cleaned off by vultures.