One thing to understand is, Hinduism is very, very old, and within the cycle of the current human age when we first became less of wanderers and settled down to build our first city states, grew and stored grains and agriculture, domesticated partners from the animal kingdom - first from long ago the dog, then came other animals and birds, when we built our first walls and established Kings and Warriors and Farmers-Business-Traders, and those who used their hands and labor, so way back then there was Hinduism.
It was not called Hinduism then, a word unknown until fairly into the modern age perhaps around the 1400s AD, but eons before that it was many points of light, many villages, many circles or zones, many Gods each an Icon in their Land or Zone, many Mother Goddesses, many peoples, many languages, many paths.
It was those who came from far away that saw all these points of light as one, and so the points of light were put into a Name but you see that word Hinduism or other such terms, was really a name for a region, albeit vast, not a religion.
You can take one God, for example there is a term Devi which you can think of as Goddess, Goddess was found in many places, standing on top of or riding a lion or tiger, you find the owl, this same Goddess has many, many Names, but there is the Great Goddess, long ago even your ancestors may have had a name for her, across many lands in one place the Goddess may have been a guardian of a city, or a forest, or might be a tree, a river, and then a Queen, and there was and is God, Gods, Angels.
A long time ago, there were people who looked to the sky. They saw meteorites fall from the sky. Some tried to find what fell to the earth. Some were very clever and found the metal from the sky. Perhaps this clever one made a weapon from it.
Or an idol.
Humans have existed for a long time. Much longer than most imagine. They are very, very smart. Long ago. There was Hinduism. It is the original. When we became civilized, it was our partner.
Hindus will give you many different answers to your questions. Because it is many points of light. One Hindu will say another Hindu is not a Hindu or is a greater Hindu than themself, one thing for sure there is no one voice but if that voice is Hinduism it comes from long, long, long ago.
These are only one answer I am saying. But another Hindu will give you another answer. There is no Pope in Hinduism. Because it is much older. No one founded it. We all sort of did.
What is done to reach Moksha?
Moksha is sometimes called liberation. But my answer to your question is, moksha is an experience. But we have many experiences in a life. But between each, there is a gap. But it is called moksha when there are no more gaps. What is temporary is not really true once it ends. Like having a dream. But when the experience does not end, is not temporary, then - it is moksha.
Why is Brahman seen as the universal soul?
This is my answer to you. Another Hindu may have a different answer. Brahman is all things. Only in Brahman does those temporary experiences I mentioned still continue. They are kept in a great record, called the Akashic Records. There they continue to exist even if you have left them behind. All the places you have been, are now, or going towards is the Brahman. Brahman will not come to save you.You just go to the Brahman. And see all the records. On the page. The page is like a light.
Are their different celebrations to worship all the gods?
Oh yes. Many, many, many. They have been going on for a long time, and so many that really one overlaps the next such that they are all one celebration. Celebration is also very important. It is Hinduism. It consists of sounds, sights and colors, tastes, smells, and a gateway to other places. They help you to be brave. To go to your adventure.
How do you reach Atman?
Some translate the word as soul. My answer may not be the same answer as another Hindu. But my answer to you is you do not reach the Atman. The atman goes whereever you go. It is already with you. You travel and where you go it goes. You do not reach it even if you do not see it. It is always going with you.
Is the Veda scripture seen as more holy or important than the others?
Some say there are Four Vedas. Or it was One but then divided into Four. But before written, it was heard. Passed down from one generation to the next. So it had to be memorized. To make that more simple to do, it was put to ryhme. And song. But often shortened as well. Or in a language people forgot but then others remembered and retaught the meaning to those who memorized it but had no idea what they were saying because it was a foreign language. And when taught again the great "secrets" of that language they didn't know but taught it again by some who did - sometimes for a fee - maybe they then put it back into their own language and maybe something was lost in the translation. Histories were kept. A God walks among humans, and the story of the times is kept. Where the God walked also becomes Veda. The trees even, a river.
Me, I say there were Five Vedas, not Four. It is said, Lord Brahma has Four Heads, each speaks one of the four vedas in each direction. But in my Hinduism, Brahma once had Five Heads, but one was cut off. This head was then carried by a bhikshu or monk-ascetic who was a form of Lord Shiva to the First City that humans built. I told you about how humans left their wandering to build cities and walls around them. This head was brought to this First City of Shiva, called Kashi or the City of Light. There the Fifth Head of Brahma, the Fifth Veda, was dropped. This head was then a skull used as a begging bowl by Shiva to beg alms. It is in one way the secret veda, the head, and you can still hear it being said if you go to Kashi and listen very carefully, you can hear the Fifth head speaking, the Fifth Veda some do not hear.Perhaps that is why it was cut off. So less would hear until they come to Kashi to hear. There in Kashi, you will also hear things from long ago.
All the Gods have come to Kashi.
Some say the veda is more important than another. Well, Hindus do seem to all share Vedas, which are now MANY. But the Veda lives it's own adventures. Another head of Brahma may come off, and be dropped someplace else. So it may be New in another place or time, and not sound the same. But then, all of them are the same as well. You may see red completely different in your eye than me. But we both call it RED even though we don't see the same thing. I may see a different way but say Red - you see a different way looking at the same "spot" I am looking and you say RED. Yes it is red, even if we see two diiferent shades. Who can say which red is more holy?
Since there are different gods that can be seen as either a male, female, both, or neither does that mean that people choose which one they want to see the god they worship as?
You are male, female, neither depending on the time of day or which life you are in. So too, every God you need.
Why do people worship different gods?
You will get one answer from one Hindu, another from the next. Here is my answer, another will say otherwise. Gods are not the end game. But it is a very good idea to have them on your side along your way. Or at least not your enemy. There are many who are, not just humans.
Why are some rituals such as Puja only practiced by women?
Because they made them up to avoid males.
Is it common to pray at home or do people usually come to the temples since it's seen as a holy place?
Oh, there are homes with temples, temples, temples in temples. A resident lives there. Of course if you think a doll is a doll and not a vessel, then it is empty. In a community temple, the resident is very important and powerful. Sometimes more than one resident lives in the Hindu Idol. Perhaps a great devotee of God dies or leaves and enters the Idol, now Two are in there. Sometimes millions. A river is often holy. A Goddess may live in the very land and trees and rocks of a large area, She watches over like the Queen.
It is common to pray all over the place. But "seeing" from your eye into the face of the Form of God living in that Form looking back, this seeing or darshan, is like calling God from a magic phone booth. But you probably didn't have phone booths in your life, I am old.
They used to take dimes in the phone booth. Now you pay digitally. I think the price is about the same.
