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Hinduism in Seychelles is the second-largest religion after Christianity, with more than 5.4% of the population. [1] [2] The Hindu following in Seychelles has seen an increase in the community with the organization of the Seychelles Hindu Kovil Sangam and the consecration of the Navasakti Vinayagar Temple. The increase in size and popularity of Hinduism caused the Government to declare Taippoosam Kavadi Festival a holiday.
In 1901, there were 332 Hindu families out of a population of 19,237 and roughly 3,500 Tamil-speaking people.
The organization of the Seychelles Hindu Kovil Sangam in 1984 and the consecration of the Navasakti Vinayagar Temple in May 1992 were landmarks for the resurgence of Indian cultural activities apart from the religious awakening. [3]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 506 | — |
| 1994 | 953 | +88.3% |
| 2002 | 1,700 | +78.4% |
| 2010 | 2,174 | +27.9% |
| 2022 | 5,508 | +153.4% |
| Year | Percent | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 1.3% | - |
| 2002 | 2.1% | 0.8% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | 0.3% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | 3.0% |
According to the 2022 Census, there were 5,508 Hindus in Seychelles constituting 5.4% its population. [1] This is an increase from 2,174 Hindus or 2.4 % from 2010 Census. [4] The 2002 census reported 1,700 Hindus constituting 2.1 % of the population. In 1994, there were 953 Hindus constituting 1.3 % of the country's population. [5]
Hindus form majority in the Outer Islands region. [1]
| Region [1] | Total Population | Hindu Population | Percentage of Hindus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 30,145 | 1,083 | 3.6 |
| East-South | 27,072 | 2,229 | 8.2 |
| West | 15,058 | 303 | 2 |
| North | 17,843 | 797 | 4.5 |
| Praslin | 7,882 | 207 | 2.6 |
| La Digue & Inner Islands | 3,624 | 182 | 5 |
| Outer Islands | 988 | 707 | 71.6 |
Hindus form majority in the Outer Islands districts of Assumption, Coetivy, Darros, Farquhar, Marie-Louise, Platte, Poivre, Providence, Remire and these districts are exclusively populated by Hindus. Outside the Outer Islands, significant Hindu population is found in Cascade (20%), Takamaka (9%), Saint Louis (6.3%) etc [1]
| Region [1] | District | Total Population | Hindu Population | Percentage of Hindus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | English River | 3,508 | 124 | 3.5 |
| Mont Buxton | 2,778 | 47 | 1.7 | |
| Saint Louis | 3,267 | 205 | 6.3 | |
| Bel Air | 2,619 | 136 | 5.2 | |
| Mont Fleuri | 3,506 | 150 | 4.3 | |
| Plaisance | 3,685 | 125 | 3.4 | |
| Roche Caiman | 3,157 | 242 | 7.7 | |
| Les Mamelles | 2,215 | 41 | 1.9 | |
| Ile Perseverance | 5,410 | 13 | 0.2 | |
| East-South | Cascade | 6,659 | 1,337 | 20.1 |
| Pointe Larue | 3,267 | 104 | 3.2 | |
| Anse Aux Pins | 3,898 | 91 | 2.3 | |
| Anse Royale | 4,552 | 146 | 3.2 | |
| Takamaka | 3,528 | 330 | 9.4 | |
| Au Cap | 5,168 | 221 | 4.3 | |
| West | Baie Lazare | 4,265 | 75 | 1.8 |
| Anse Boileau | 4,595 | 77 | 1.7 | |
| Grand Anse Mahé | 3,425 | 131 | 3.8 | |
| Port Glaud | 2,773 | 20 | 0.7 | |
| North | Belombre | 3,823 | 126 | 3.3 |
| Beau Vallon | 4,740 | 158 | 3.3 | |
| Glacis | 3,803 | 71 | 1.9 | |
| Anse Etoile | 5,477 | 442 | 8.1 | |
| Praslin | Baie Ste Anne | 4,272 | 122 | 2.9 |
| Grand Anse Praslin | 3,610 | 85 | 2.4 | |
| La Digue & Inner Islands | Bird | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Denis | 86 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fregate | 13 | 0 | 0 | |
| La Digue | 3,133 | 159 | 5.1 | |
| North | 88 | 10 | 11.4 | |
| Silhouette | 303 | 13 | 4.3 | |
| Outer Islands | Aldabra | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Alphonse | 112 | 13 | 11.6 | |
| Assumption | 7 | 7 | 100 | |
| Coetivy | 22 | 22 | 100 | |
| Darros | 110 | 110 | 100 | |
| Desroches | 338 | 162 | 47.9 | |
| Farquhar | 17 | 14 | 82.4 | |
| Marie-Louise | 8 | 8 | 100 | |
| Platte | 353 | 353 | 100 | |
| Poivre | 9 | 9 | 100 | |
| Providence | 5 | 5 | 100 | |
| Remire | 4 | 4 | 100 |
The Seychelles Hindu Kovil Sangam, over a short span of seventeen years, has successfully established and entrenched some strong foundations for the preservation, consolidation and further flowering of the Hindu culture. The ever-popular kavadi festival and special Hindu festivals are covered in Tamil and English in the national media and there is a wide coverage of such events over national radio and television.
The Arulmigu Navasakti Vinayagar Temple is the first and the only Hindu temple in Seychelles that has Ganesha as the presiding deity. Since 1999, Ganesha has been elevated to this position. Apart from the presiding deity, icons of Murugan, Nadarajah, Durga, Sreenivasa Perumal, Bhairawa and Chandekeswarar are enshrined in the inner mandapam of the temple. Prayers are performed for the different deities on special occasions.
Taippoosam Kavadi Festival, which began in Seychelles in the inner courtyard of the temple during 1993, is now conducted in the outer courtyard and a chariot kavadi is also taken out in procession. This festival has gained popularity as a national festival, so much so that as from 1998 the government has declared it a holiday for Hindus. [3]
Thaipusam or Thaipoosam is a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated on the first full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai coinciding with Pusam star. The festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Hindu god Murugan over the demon Surapadman. During the battle, Murugan is believed to have wielded a vel, a divine spear granted by his mother, Parvati.
The Sri Mariamman Temple is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple. It is an agamic temple, built in the Dravidian style. Located at 244 South Bridge Road, in the downtown Chinatown district, the temple serves the majority Hindu Singaporeans, Tamilians, in the city-state. Due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple has been gazetted a National Monument and is a major tourist attraction. Sri Mariamman Temple is managed by the Hindu Endowments Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
Kumaran Kundram is a hillrock located at Chromepet, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. It houses an about 40-year-old temple dedicated to the Hindu God Murugan. The temple can be reached by road from Chromepet en route to Hasthinapuram. The presiding deity is Sri Swaminathaswamy. The presiding deity in Kumaran Kundram is believed to be equivalent to the one in Swamimalai and stands atop the hillock facing north. It can be reached by a flight of about 80 steps.
Palani (Tamil:[paɻani], is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about 106 kilometres south-east of Coimbatore and 122 kilometres north-west of Madurai, 67 kilometres from Kodaikanal. The Palani Murugan Temple or Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, dedicated to Murugan is situated on a hill overlooking the town. The temple is visited by more than 7 million pilgrims each year. As of 2011, the town had a population of 70,467 and the Taluk had a population of 292,301 which makes it the second largest town in the district after Dindigul.
Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. It is also the only abode of Murugan that is situated on a seashore.
The Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil is a Hindu temple, located in Nallur, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The presiding deity is Murugan (Kartikeya) in the form of the divine spear vel in the sanctum, the primary shrine, and in other forms, namely, Shanmugar, Muthukumaraswami, Valli Kanthar with consorts Valli and Deivayanai, and Dandayuddhapani, sans consorts in secondary shrines in the temple.
Munneswaram temple is an important regional Hindu temple complex in Sri Lanka. It has been in existence at least since 1000 CE although myths surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero-king Rama. The temple is one of the ancient Pancha Ishwarams dedicated to Shiva in the region.
Indo-Seychellois are inhabitants of Seychelles with Indian heritage. With about 10,000 Indo-Seychellois in a total Seychellois population of nearly 100,000, they constitute a minority ethnic group in Seychelles. According to National Bureau of Statistics Seychelles in 2022, Indian community in Seychelles representing 9.0% from Seychelles population, up from 4.4% in 2010.
The Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Temple is a Hindu temple within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The oldest Hindu temple in the state, it was built in 1833, and features sculptures of gods and goddesses over its main entrance and facade.
The Swaminatha Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Murugan. It is located in Swamimalai, 5 km from Kumbakonam, on the banks of a tributary of river Kaveri in Thanjavur District, 290 km from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is fourth abode of Murugan among six (Arupadaiveedugal). The shrine of the presiding deity, Swaminathaswamy is located atop a 60 ft (18 m) hillock and the shrine of his mother Meenakshi (Parvati) and father Shiva (Sundareswarar) is located downhill. The temple has three gopuram, three precincts and sixty steps and each one is named after the sixty Tamil years. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and three yearly festivals on its calendar. The annual Vaikasi Visagam festival is attended by thousands of devotees from far and near.
Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan situated atop a hillock amidst the Palani Hills in Palani, Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. The temple is managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Kataragama temple in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a temple complex dedicated to Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama deviyo and Hindu War God Murugan. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people. For most of the past millennia, it was a jungle shrine very difficult to access; today it is accessible by an all-weather road. The shrines and the nearby Kiri Vehera are managed by Buddhists, the shrines dedicated to Teyvāṉai and Shiva are managed by Hindus and the mosque by Muslims.
Kaumaram is a Hindu denomination that primarily venerates the Hindu deity of war, Kartikeya, also known as Kumaran, Murugan, Arumugan, and Subrahmanyan. Devotees of Kumaran, called Kaumaras, also revere members of his family: Parvati, Shiva, and Ganesha, as well his consorts, Devasena and Sundaravalli, the daughters of Vishnu in Tamil tradition. The important theological texts relating to Kumara are a part of the Shaiva agama canon. This sub-tradition is found among the Tamils, Kannadigas, and the Vedda, in South India, Sri Lanka, and among the Tamil diaspora worldwide. The love story of Kumara/Murugan and his wife Valli, a girl from a local tribe, is popular in Tamil Nadu, where Kumara acquired the status of a national god.
Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha and Murugan, is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the son of the deities Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha.
Sattainathar temple, Sirkazhi is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is incarnated by the hymns of Thevaram and is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. It is an ancient temple complex with three different Shiva shrines in three stories.
Hinduism in Tamil Nadu finds its earliest literary mention in the Sangam literature dated to the 5th century BCE. The total number of Tamil Hindus as per 2011 Indian census is 63,188,168 which forms 87.58% of the total population of Tamil Nadu. Hinduism is the largest religion in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil-Seychellois are people of Tamil ethnic origin living in the island nation of Seychelles. Their population is approximately 4000, making them one of the country's significant minorities.
The Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, also known as the Waterfall Hilltop Temple, is a Hindu temple within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Dedicated to Lord Murugan, the hilltop temple, with its seven-storey 21.6 m-tall gopuram, has been touted as the largest Lord Murugan temple outside India. It is sited comparatively higher above ground than Batu Caves, with devotees having to climb over 500 steps to access the place of worship.
The Hindu Mahajana Sangam is an association of Indian workers. It is one of the Indian non-profitable organization at Penang, Malaysia which has been officially established in 1935 by waterfronts workers. Before 1935, it known as Kootakkadai .
Kapardeeswarar temple is a Hindu temple situated in the village of Thiruvalanchuzhi near Swamimalai in Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Kapardeeswarar and is represented by the lingam and his consort Parvati is depicted as Brihannayagi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil poet saints known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
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