Of all the scriptures the Hindu holy writings are unique. The Vedas are some of the oldest writings in existence but to be a Hindu you do not need to have a close relationship with the writing because the whole canon of scripture is vast. Access to the scriptures may also be associated with caste and, as Hinduism is a personal spiritual path, devotees may choose those parts that are of relevance at specific times in their lives.

Hindu scriptures can be divided into two types. Shruti meaning 'hearing' which are teachings heard from god and related through holy men known as rishis and Smriti meaning 'memory', which have been remembered from one generation to another and written down by wise men. Therefore the Shruti is considered more authoritative.

For temple worship and other formal occasions the Vedas ('Knowledge of God') may be used and are divided into four sections. The Rig-Vedas are the most sacred and contain ten volumes composed by the Aryans of Northern India and reflect the spirituality of a pre-urban society with an emphasis on nature and wars. Essentially the hymns of the Rig-Vedas are praises to the gods for health, food, life and protection.

The Sama-Vedas are a compilation of hymns reflecting the spirituality of the Rig-Vedas. They are used by priests in religious rituals and set to music so that they can be sung or chanted. The Rig-Vedas are considered by some to be the origins of Indian music, and this musical section of the Vedas to be the most important of all the Vedas.

The Yajur-Vedas reflect some of the duties of caste. In a highly structured patriarchal society the Yajur-Vedas give ethical guidance.

The last of the Vedas is the Atharva-Vedas. They encompass prayer, astrology and magical incantations and are seen as the beginning of Indian medicine.

More accessible to Hindus outside of the priestly traditions are other religious books. The Laws of Manu, written in Sanskrit give detailed instructions about daily life and contain teaching which relates to reincarnation. Also very popular are the 'Epics'. These are two very long poems called the Mahabarata, which includes the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Ramayana. The Mahabarata is the longest poem in the world and is the story of battle between two sets of cousins. Central to the epic is the conversation between Arjan and his charioteer who he does not realise is the god Krishna. The detailed discussions are about the duties of a human being; what is expected of them. The story is about making sense of life and the importance of personal devotions.

The Ramayana centres on the story of Rama and his devoted wife Sita. She is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana but is later freed by Rama with the help of the monkey god Hanuman. The poem is about how good will always triumph over evil and Rama and Sita are held up as role models for the perfect husband and wife.

These stories are brought to life in a number of ways. Children might read them in cartoon form and, at the appropriate times of the year, the stories contained in the Mahabarata and Ramayana are acted out with actors assuming the roles of the main characters.