Vaishnavism

Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars is worshipped as the supreme God. The distinction between this branch and others is made by those who study religion. However it may not always be clear to practising Hindus who often take freely from the practices of the different branches. It is likely that a majority (75-80%) of today's Hindus would consider themselves Vaishnava, if pressed to make a distinction. Of the remainder, most would probably consider themselves Saivites. Vishnu and Shiva are sometimes visualized as a single divinity named Harihara. Category:Hinduism