Shaivism vs Vaishnavism

Shaivism and Vishnavism might sound familiar if you had watched the movie Dasaavatharam.

Here is what it means:

Shaivism encompasses the traditions of Hinduism that focus on the deity Shiva. The worship of Shiva is a pan-Hindu tradition, practiced widely across many parts of South Asia, especially India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The name is an English formation from the Sanskrit Shaiva ( IAST Śaiva), meaning belonging to, or derived from, Shiva. An equivalent Sanskrit form is Shaiva Darshan (Sanskrit: शैव दर्शन, IAST: Śaiva Darśan). A follower of these traditions is usually called a Shaivite in English.

Vaishnavism is one of the traditions of Hinduism, and is distinguished from other schools by its primary worship of one supreme God known in different perspectives under names of Narayana, Krishna, Vasudeva or more often Vishnu and their associated avatars. It is principally monotheistic in its philosophy, but not exclusive. Its beliefs and practices, especially the concepts of Bhakti and Bhakti Yoga, are based largely on Upanishads associated with the Vedas and Puranic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, and the Padma, Vishnu and Bhagavatar Puranas.

The followers of Vaishnavism are referred to as Vaishnava(s) or Vaishnavites. According to recent statistics, a majority of Hindus are Vaishnavas, with the vast majority living in India. However, awareness, recognition, and growth of the belief has significantly increased outside of India in recent years. The Gaudiya Vaishnava branch of the tradition has significantly increased the awareness of Vaishnavism internationally, since the mid-1900s, largely through the activities and geographical expansion of the Hare Krishna movement, primarily through the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, founded in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and, more recently, through several other Vaishnava organizations conducting preaching activities in the West.