The word 'Hinduism' has become a common word in the modern world. The real fact is that words like Hinduism, Hindu etc. never appear in any of the ancient scriptures! +

India takes pride in being the descendants of the Sages of truth who gave the Advaitic wisdom. The Advaitic wisdom unfolds the mystery of the universe.

One must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.

If you feel the Puranas say something and the Vedas say something else, reject the Puranas and believe in the Vedas. The Puranas are just a myth.

The word Hindu was used initially to describe the people of India; it was never used to describe religion. Thus, Hinduism is not a religion it is the way of life of Indian people of different castes, creeds, cultures, traditions, and ideologies of different parts of India under a single roof.

Hinduism is not Vedic religion or Sanatana Dharma.

The word 'Hinduism' has become a common word in the modern world. The real fact is that words like Hinduism, Hindu, etc. never appear in any of the ancient scriptures! So to know our religion, the first step is to know what dharma means.

In Tattireya Upanishad:~ "satyaM vada. dharmaM cara ." Speak the truth, and practice dharma. Now if you want to practice dharma, you should first know what it means. (1.11.1)

The word, “dharma “is found in the karikas, which means Atma in Advaita Vedanta. 

The ancient peoples of India belong to the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma, therefore they have nothing to do with present-day Hinduism.

The ancient peoples of the Indus Valley of undivided India were not identified themselves as Hindu.

Hindu idols or deities or temple is nothing to do with the Vedic religion. Vedic people ate beef. 

There is clear evidence in the Rig Veda that Aryans regularly ate beef and sacrificed cows for religious purposes which are strictly forbidden in Hinduism:

Rig Veda:~ Hymn CLXIX of the Rig Veda says:  "May the wind blow upon our cows with healing; may they eat herbage ... Like-colored various-hued or single-colored whose names through sacrifice are known to Agni, Whom the Angirases produced by Ferbvour - vouschsafe to these, Parjanya, great protection. Those who have offered to the Gods their bodies whose varied forms are all well known to Soma" (The Rig Veda (RV), translated by Ralph H. Griffith, New York, 1992, p. 647). In the Rig Veda (RV: VIII.43.11) Agni is described as "fed on ox and cow" suggesting that cattle were sacrificed and roasted in the fire. 

Rigveda (10/85/13) says, “On the occasion of a girl’s marriage oxen and cows are slaughtered”, and Rig-Veda (6/17/1) states that “Indra used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse, and buffalo.” 

Quoting from Rigveda, historian H. H Wilson writes, “The sacrifice and consumption of horse and cow appear to have been common in the early periods of the Aryan culture.” 

The Hindu practices of idol worship and temples worship ban on beef eating were introduced many centuries later. Vedas Bar idol worship:~

Yajur Veda says: ~

Translation 1

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc.)

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) (Yajurveda 40:9)

As one peep into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism which exists today is not a continuation of the Vedic religion or Sanatana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.

As per the researchers, the two faiths the Hindu belief system has drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the religion of the Vedas.

The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, there are many people in India who do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.

The Vedic system did not have a caste system.  The caste system was a fake created in the name of Hinduism. This non~Vedic belief system called Hinduism created hatred in the low-caste Hindus for the higher caste.

Remember:~ 

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus on what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras are considered Veda. Thus we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism. Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. 

All these lack Vedic sanction, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. And all Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder. Thus to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Hinduism is based on myths and thus people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

Remember:~

Supreme Court of India:~ Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture: SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015

Max Müller says: ~ "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as:~

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~  God is  Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions. 

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Vedas itself says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman? Thus, to know the real God Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization itself is real worship.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

Thus, it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the innermost self within the false experience. Thus, it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self. Thus Atman or Soul, the innermost Self is God. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar