Vedic religion is an ancient religion of India, which is contemporary to the composition of the Vedas. Vedas are a composition of ancient texts which are the oldest scriptures containing religious verses, functions and auspicious occasions. We come to know about the Vedic religion from these Vedas, which are supposed to have been directly revealed and not human compositions. The Vedic religion had kindled a quest for knowledge into the mind of the ancient Indians. One of the major religions in India, Hinduism owes its existence to the Vedic religion and its scriptures. The Vedic period is believed to have ended around 500 BC, and it has elements that hark back to proto-Indo-Iranian times. Vedic religion incorporated the worship of different natural elements like fire and rivers, different terrestrial and atmospheric gods, hymns and sacrifices that were very discreet in nature. Vedic religious practices involved ceremonies that centred on ritual sacrifice of animals and on the use of soma to achieve trancelike states. The `Srauta` tradition, which is very conservative in its own terms, preserves the various ritualistic traditions of the Vedic religion.

Rituals Of Vedic Religion:
Rituals and sacrifices of the Vedic religion basically constitute the Soma cult, fire rituals, rituals contained in the Atharva Veda, and other Yajnas. Soma was a sacred god in the Vedas. The same entity was referred as the god, the drink, and the plant. Vedic religion had a vast array of religious rites being performed to the different deities. Yajna is a vedic sacrifice which is complete with an inner and an pouter aspect. The Vedic priests considered yajnas as the means to invoke gods and seek their blessings and favors. Numerous purposes wre associated with the performance of these Yajnas, and at various intervals of the year they were performed. Like during the time of harvest, sowing period, initiation of some social event, even while going for wars. A very popular Yajna during those days was the Asvamedha Yajna or known as the horse sacrifice, being performed by powerful kings. This was done to prove their valour and the extent of their kingdom and influence. Yajnas basically constitute building an alter, kindling fire in that and then pouring oblations such as ghee, butter, grains etc. all these e accompanied by the chanting of sacred verses from the Vedas like the Gayatri mantra.

The Vedic religion is replete with Vedic hymns contained in the religious scriptures. Some of the Vedic hymns, especially the ones in the Rig Veda are considered to be very old atleast 6000-8000 years old. The rig, the Yajur and the Sama were the group of Vedas known as the `trayi vidya` having three-fold knowledge. The last one that is the Atharva Veda was added later on. Agnihotra is a Vedic yajna where the performers purify themselves with water, and then the usual yajna rites follow. The offering in this yajna is to the fire at the time fo sunrise and sunset accompanied by chanting of verses. Agnicayana was the ritual of piling the fire alter, practiced until the late Vedic period, taking twelve days to perform in the process of which a bird shaped alter is built. This ritual is a Srauta ritual of the Vedic religion. Agnistoma also known as the fire sacrifice is one of the seven Somayajnas. Other rituals are included in the Atharva Veda which are basically concerned with medicine and healing practices.

Pantheon:
The Vedic religion is largely based on the Vedas; hence the prominence of the Vedas in this ancient religion cannot be withheld. The Rig Veda, which is the oldest religious document, contains 1028 hymns that speak much of the religious ideas and deities of the Vedic religion. Natural phenomena was personified and divinity was imposed on them. Gods can be classified as terrestrial gods like Prithvi, Soma and Agni, atmospheric gods like Indra, Vayu, Maruts, Parjanya etc; heavenly gods like Varuna, Dyans, Asvins, Surya,Savitri, Mitra, Pushan and Vishnu. These later five forms being associated with the different phases of the sun`s glory. Among these Varuna occupied a place of honor. Indra was the god of thunderstorm and caused rainfall to relieve the dry earth. Then comes Agni, the god of fire.there were also some abstract deities like Sraddha(faith), Manyu(anger), and goddess Usha (goddess of dawn). With the passage of time, the Rig Vedic gods went through a phase of transformation and change in the Atharva Veda. The Rig Vedic era considered Indra to be the al mighty, powerful god, which actually got altered into the Projapoti who was then believed to be the creator and the preserver of the universe. The gods of the Rig Veda were essentially natural phenomenon, but the Aryans tried to personify them and thus the anthropomorphism began. There are actually two major families of gods, the Devas and the Asuras. Rivers also play an important part in the Vedic pantheon. They are deified goddesses most important being the Sapta Sindhu and the Sarasvati river. Yama is also worshipped as deity though he is the god of the underworld and death.

Monistic tendencies:
Monistic tendencies are found in the Nasadiya Sukta of the RigVeda. This talks about the `One` being-non-being that `breathed without breath`. Evidence of this monistic thought is found in pada 1.164.46c, which is "ékam sád vípra´ bahudha´ vadanti"meaning "to what is One, sages gives many a title". These phrases such as Ekam Sat, Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti, lead us to the view of monistic tendencies in the Vedas. Similarly there are other hymns which deal with the creator deity, talking about the creator "whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not" these monistic tendencies are no doubts also refelected in Hinduism. Hints at monism were attempted by subduing other gods to singular entities or gods of supreme power. Vishwakarma, Indra and Varuna, are the three most notable in this regard, though Indra was the most praised as supreme in the Rig Vedic verses.

Offshoots of Vedic religion:
Vedic religion is like a parental religion from which many such religion arose that continues to exist even today. Vedic religion has its connections even with pre-Zoroastrian Persian religion and this cannot be denied, though it is not a direct descendant. So is the evidence of this being the predecessor of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism cannot be ignored. Vedic religion as already debated is a very ancient religion and from this has evolved these different religious categories. The concept of Dharma, which is a Sanskrit word, has been first mentioned in the Vedas in its oldest form `dharman`, and also common usage in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Vedic religion got divided into Hindu paths of Yoga and Vedanta or the culmination of the Vedas, which is a holy path assuming itself to be the essence of the Vedas. Vedic religion propagated the Vedic pantheon which held the unitary view of the universe with God seen to be assuming different forms of Ishvara which is God`s personal feature, Paramatma being a localized feature and Brahman God`s impersonal energies.

Hinduism has evolved from the Vedic religion and also has remained almost true to the Vedic religion. Present day Hinduism consists of the four Vedas, namely - Rig-Veda, Atharva-Veda, Sama-Veda and Yajur Veda and the Upanishads are the sacred texts. Scholars believe that Hindu religion is actually Vedanta and its followers are called Vedantists. This is a gradual development from the Vedas. Vedism as the religion of the Vedic period is known as, has texts in Vedic Sanskrit and contain four Vedic Samhitas, and it also includes the Upanishads which is important in Hinduism. Hindu religion even today follow some basic rituals which are common to the Vedic religion. Like chanting of hymns, sacrifices, mode of worship, recitations from the Vedas by a purohit or priest etc. upanishads are a continuatioon of the Vedas and Buddha stand closest to the spirit of of the Upanishads. In order to understand and appreciate life and teachings of Buddha one has to take the Upanishads into consideration else it is simply unjustified. Buddha accepted the idealistic teachings of the Upanisads, and acknowledged it at its utmost level, in its purest form. In Jainism too theer are vast vedic undertones. For example the Rig Veda clearly refers to Rishabhdev, the 1st Tirthankar, and to Aristanemi, the 22nd Tirthankar. Then Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda also mentions Rishabhdev, Ajita?nath and Aristanemi, the sect of Vratya and so on. Therefore the Vedas seem to be all encompassing and has its spread in a massive way.

The Vedic religion evolved into a very strong religion incorporating various characteristics of religious rituals, different forms of divinities and most importantly the religious scriptures called the Vedas. They are very informative and a great source information about this religion which bores a rich cultural heritage. The Veda is composed of Mantra, Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanishad. The philosophical concepts of atman and Brahman also developed from Vedism and finally it faced a decline with its spread in 8th to 5th century BCE. Vedic religion began as an ancient religion and finally we see the emergence of many other religious sects, which have close resemblance with its characteristics. Therefore Vedic religion is a pioneer in the religious circle and is still has its overtones in religion like Hinduism, as a living entity.