When will the world end according to different cultures

“The end of the world is near!” This is what you hear from people who like to monger fear in your hearts. A narrative that has terrorized people since 2012 when the world was apparently ending in the month of December, thanks to some miscalculations and some exaggerations. But, the story of the world coming to end or hellfire engulfing all of Earth is much more than a topic to scare and intimidate people, to some extent it is also a truth. Afterall, there has to be a day or some years when things start to decay and the universe gives birth to a new civilization, a new race or maybe even some new species.
So, if you are afraid that the world might end in the next few years or just like to read about these theories, here we list a few ways different cultures think the world will end.

One of the oldest religions in the world, Hinduism has many different theories as to how the world will end. But, one that is most shared between people is the one of ‘Pralaya’ and the emergence of Kalki avatar. The end of the world, referred to as ‘Pralaya,’ will occur when Lord Vishnu will come down to Earth in his Kalki avatar, on a white horse with his chakra and destroy all forces of evil. This period of destruction is followed by a rebirth when Lord Brahma awakens and begins a new cycle of creation.

Islam describes the doomsday as the Qayamat or the Day of judgement. As the name suggests, on the ‘Day of Judgement’ the lord will look at all the actions of humans, the good and the bad and then give them a judgement similar to their deeds. The signs leading to this event include widespread corruption, natural disasters and the arrival of the figure known as Dajjal, who will bring forth chaos and deception.

According to many Christians and the varied beliefs, the end times will be a period of tribulation and divine intervention. It is said that once evil gets out of hand and people do not know the right way and wrong, in the days of final judgement the righteous will be led to heaven while the unrighteous face eternal damnation.

According to Zoroastrianism, a cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil will occur when the doomsday is near. In this belief system, the end of the world, known as ‘Frashokereti’, the god of goodness and light will win over the force of darkness. This victory leads to the resurrection of the dead, the purification of the world and the renewal of existence.

The Aztecs believed in cyclic views of creation and destruction. Their beliefs centered around several eras or ‘Suns,’ each ending in catastrophic events such as floods, fire or earthquakes. According to Aztec mythology, the Fifth Sun would conclude with earthquakes and eternal darkness where people will start going crazy and eventually lead to the end of the world.

The Buddhists believe in ‘Samsara’ or ‘Sansar’ as the Hindus call it. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth is similar to other cultures. Some Buddhist teachings mention that the end of the world will be with the eventual decline of morality and the degradation in society. The anarchy and turmoil will become unbearable for humanity and that is when a new era of enlightenment will arise and the world will get a new Buddha.

We humans have always been afraid of death. We are afraid about confronting our demons and the supposed demons and fate we will meet in the afterlife or when we die and go to our respective heaven and hell. The fear about the world ending is less about losing our life and more about what happens to us after we lose our life.

To improve things we engage in pujas, hawans, penance of all kinds, but, it is very important to keep our deeds, actions and morals right when we live rather than worrying about the after life.