Hinduism can be divided into three major eras. Veda dominated 3,000 years ago, Vedanga dominated 2,000 years ago, and Vedanta became central 1,000 years ago. These are approximations of course, but a good rule-of-thumb to remember Hindu history.

The Veda refers to a set of mantras that dominated the religious landscape of Gangetic plains 3,000 years ago. This is the age of painted grey pottery, when chariots came to India. A thousand years before that, the Harappan Bronze Age had drawn to an end. Trading with Mesopotamia had waned and the Aryans gradually began migrating towards the Ganga river basin from the Oxus river basin through the Indus river basin. Pastoral people were clearing forests and forming settled farming communities. This is when there were no temples, there were no images, at least amongst the elite communities. This is when three fires were lit, the household fire in the west for family, the eastern fire for feeding gods and southern fire to feed ancestors. The gods and ancestors were invoked in order to ensure food, prosperity, health, wealth, and success in battle, success with wives. Mantras were compiled as Samhitas; the rituals were codified in Brahmanas and Aranyakas; philosophy was compiled in Upanishads. Everything was transmitted orally by people called Brahmanas such as Brihaspati, Bhrigu, Angira, Vasishtha and Vishwamitra.