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.
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.
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.