Vaishnavism is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism, and is distinguished from other schools by its primary worship of Vishnu (and his associated avatars) as the Supreme God . It is principally monotheistic in its philosophy, whilst also incorporating elements which could be described as being panentheistic and animistic. Its beliefs and practices (known as Bhakti Yoga, or Bhakti), are based largely on Upanishads associated with the Vedas and Puranic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, and the Padma, Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas.
The followers of Vaishnavism are referred to as 'Vaishnava(s)', sometimes 'Vaishnavites' in English. According to recent statistics Vaishnavas make up a majority of the total of all followers of Hinduism with the vast majority of these being in India. The Gaudiya Vaishnava branch of the tradition has significantly increased the awareness of Vaishnavism on an international basis since the 1960's, largely through the activities and geographical expansion of the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON).
