Buddhism and Hinduism are two of the largest and most influential religions in the world. Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of the awakened (Abrams) and Hinduism is the oldest of the world's great religions (Rice). Both of these religions originated in South Asia, so they share similar culture and philosophy; however, they also contrast markedly with each other in many other respects. Comparing the worship rituals of the two religions shows that Hinduism worships various deities, while Buddhism worships none. Worship rituals such as puja and meditation are practiced in both religions, however the manner and purpose of how they are performed differ. Although Hinduism and Buddhism have almost the same worship rituals, the purpose for which they practice them varies. The rituals of Hinduism are more complex and complicated than those of Buddhism. The main purpose of worship rituals in Hinduism is for one to be able to reach a spiritual state where the worshiper and the deity are connected. On the other hand, Buddhist rituals are a “commemoration of the Buddha” (Ferro); therefore they are performed primarily for the purpose of showing respect to Buddha, who is not considered their God. The reason why Buddhism does not practice rituals in the same way as Hinduism is because Buddhists think that the emphasis on worship is a distraction from the main spiritual goal: nirvana which is “liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth” (Jones). It is true that both religions practice rituals for a religious purpose, which is to worship or show respect. One of the most important and common worship rituals in both religions is called Puja, which means honor. “Puja is perhaps the central ceremonial… at the heart of the card… in the way rituals are practiced. Works Cited Abrams, Dennis. Beastly guys. New York: Chelsea House, 2012. Infobase eBook. Network. May 14, 2014. Irons, Edward A. “Buddhist Festivals.” World Religions Online. Learning the Infobase. Network. May 21, 2014.Jones, Costanza A. and James D. Ryan. "nirvana." World Religions Online. Learning the Infobase. Network. May 21, 2014.Jones, Costanza A. and James D. Ryan. "puja." World Religions Online. Learning the Infobase. Network. May 20, 2014."meditation." British School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. May 21, 2014. Rice, Earle. Alexandra David-Neel. New York: Chelsea House, 2013. Infobase eBook. Network. May 14, 2014. Rice, Earle. Alexandra David-Neel. New York: Chelsea House, 2013. Infobase eBook. Network. May 14, 2014.Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. "Varieties of Buddhism". World Religions Online. Learning the Infobase. Network. May 20 2014.