Hinduism in Sikkim

Last updated

Hinduism is the dominant religion in the Indian state of Sikkim, followed by around 58% of its population. [1] Its followed mostly by the Indian Gorkha ethnic people [2] and Limboo people. [3] The Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple, a major Hindu pilgrimage centre in Sikkim. [4] In Hindu religious texts, Sikkim is known as Indrakil, the garden of Indra. [5]

Contents

Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple in Legship is a major Hindu temple in Sikkim Legship shiva temple.jpg
Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple in Legship is a major Hindu temple in Sikkim

Demograhics

Religious
group
Population
% 1991 [6]
Population
% 2001 [7]
Population
% 2011 [1]
Hinduism68.36%60.93%57.76%
Buddhism27.15%28.11%27.39%
Christianity3.29%6.67%9.91%
Islam0.94%1.42%1.62%
Sikhism0.09%0.21%0.31%
Jainism0.001%0.03%0.05%
Other religions0.04%2.38%2.67%
No religion0.3%

Hindu population by district [lower-alpha 1]

District [8] Percent
East Sikkim 62.74%
South Sikkim 57.6%
Gyalshing district 60.07%
Soreng district 49.77%
North Sikkim 34.05%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism by country</span>

Hinduism has approximately 1.2 billion adherents worldwide. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world behind Christianity (31.5%) and Islam (23.3%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyalshing district</span> District in Sikkim, India

Gyalshing District or Geyzing District is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelling and Yuksom. Local people also call it as Pallo-Sikkim and Sano-Sikkim commonly.

Freedom of religion in India is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 25-28 of the Constitution of India. Modern India came into existence in 1947 and the Indian constitution's preamble was amended in 1976 to state that India is a secular state. Supreme Court of India ruled that India was already a secular state from the time it adopted its constitution, what actually was done through this amendment is to state explicitly what was earlier contained implicitly under article 25 to 28. Every citizen of India has a right to practice and promote their religion peacefully. However, there have been numerous incidents of religious intolerance that resulted in riots and violence, notably, the 1984 Anti-Sikh Massacre in Delhi, 1990 Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir, 1992-93 Bombay Riots in Mumbai, the 2008 Anti-Christian riots in Odisha. Some perpetrators of the 1984 Anti-Sikh Massacre in Delhi have not been brought to justice despite widespread condemnation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity by country</span>

As of the year 2023, Christianity had approximately 2.4 billion adherents and is the largest religion by population. According to a PEW estimation in 2020, Christians made up to 2.38 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people. It represents nearly one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members. The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism, or the Eastern Orthodox Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in the United Kingdom</span>

Hinduism is the third-largest religious group in the United Kingdom, after Christianity and Islam; the religion is followed by over one million people representing around 1.6% of the total population. According to the 2021 United Kingdom census Hindus are primarily concentrated in England, particularly in Greater London and the South East, with just under 50,000 Hindus residing in the three other nations of the United Kingdom. Hindus have had a presence in the United Kingdom since the early 19th century, as at the time India was part of the British Empire. Many Indians in the British Indian Army settled in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bengal</span> Geographical eastern wing of the Dominion of Pakistan (1947–1955)

East Bengal was a non-contiguous province of the Dominion of Pakistan. Geographically eastern part of the Bengal region, East Bengal existed from 1947 until 1955, when it was renamed East Pakistan. Today, the area is an independent country, Bangladesh. With its coastline on the Bay of Bengal, it bordered India and Burma. It was located close to, but did not share a border with, Nepal, Tibet, the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Kingdom of Sikkim. Its capital was Dacca, now known as Dhaka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Pakistan</span>

The official religion of Pakistan is Islam, as enshrined by Article 2 of the Constitution, and is practised by approximately 96.47% of the country's population. The remaining 3.53% practice Hinduism, Christianity, Ahmadiyya Islam, Sikhism and other religions.

Asia is the largest and most populous continent and the birthplace of many religions including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. All major religious traditions are practiced in the region and new forms are constantly emerging. Asia is noted for its diversity of culture. Islam and Hinduisms are the largest religion in Asia with approximately 1.2-1.3 billion adherents each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in India</span>

Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture and the Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions, namely, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, which are collectively known as native Indian religions or Dharmic religions and represent approx. 83% of the total population of India.

According to various polls, the majority of Kazakhstan's citizens, primarily ethnic Kazakhs, identify as Sunni Muslims. In 2020, Shia Muslims made up 0.55% of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikkimese people</span> People of Sikkim, India

Sikkimese are people who inhabit the Indian state of Sikkim. The dominance ethnic diversity of Sikkim is represented by 'Lho-Mon-Tsong-Tsum' that identifies origin of three races since seventeenth century. The term 'Lho' refers to Bhutias (Lhopo) means south who migrated from Southern Tibet, the term 'Mon' refers to Lepchas (Rong) lived in lower Eastern Himalayas and the term 'Tsong' refers to Limbus, another tribe of Sikkim. The pre-theocratic phase of Sikkim was inhabited by the Kiratis, “Sikkim is also known as the home of the Kirati tribesmen from the pre-historic times. Society in Sikkim is characterised by multiple ethnicity and possesses attributes of a plural society. The present population of Sikkim is composed of different races and ethnic groups, viz., the Lepchas, the Bhutias, the Nepalis and the Plainsmen, who came and settled in different phases of history. The historic 8 May agreement between Chogyal, Government of India and political parties of Sikkim defines Sikkimese as Sikkimese of Bhutia-Lepcha origin or Sikkimese of Nepali origin including Tsongs and Schedule castes. The community in Sikkim is inclusive of three sub-cultural sectors: the Kiratis, the Newaris and the Nepalis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Njarackal</span> Indian village

Njarakkal a village in the Vypin area situated in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala.

Punjab is home to 2.3% of India's population; with a density of 551 persons per km2. According to the provisional results of the 2011 national census, Punjab has a population of 27,743,338, making it the 16th most populated state in India. Of which male and female are 14,639,465 and 13,103,873 respectively. 32% of Punjab's population consists of Dalits. In the state, the rate of population growth is 13.9% (2011), lower than national average. Out of total population, 37.5% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 10,399,146 of which 5,545,989 are males and while remaining 4,853,157 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 37.5%. According to the 2011 Census of India, Punjab, India has a population of around 27.7 million.

Islam is the majority and official religion in the United Arab Emirates, professed by 74.5% of the population as of 2020. 63.3% are Sunni, 6.7% are Shia, while 4.4% follow another branch of Islam. The Al Nahyan and Al Maktoum ruling families adhere to the Maliki school of jurisprudence. Many followers of the Hanbali school are found in Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Ajman. Their followers include the Al Qasimi ruling family. The other main religions present in the country include Christianity (12.9%), Hinduism (6.2%), and Buddhism (3.2%). Zoroastrians, Druze, Baha'i, Judaism, and Sikhism are also practiced by some non-nationals. 1.3% of the population is agnostic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Asia</span>

Hinduism is a major religion and one of the most-followed religions in Asia. In 2020, the total number of Hindus in Asia is more than 1.2 billion, more than 26.2% of Asia's total population. About 99.2% of the world's Hindus live in Asia, with India having 94% of the global Hindu population. Other Asian nations with a notable Hindu population include Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Mauritius</span>

Mauritius is a religiously diverse nation, with Hinduism being the most widely professed faith. According to the 2011 census made by Statistics Mauritius, Hinduism is the major religion at 48.54%, followed by Christianity at 32.71%, followed by Islam 17.30% and Buddhism 0.18% in terms of number of adherents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in South Asia</span> Overview of Islam in the subcontinent

Islam is the second-largest religion in South Asia, with more than 650 million Muslims living there, forming about one-third of the region's population. Islam first spread along the coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, almost as soon as it started in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Arab traders brought it to South Asia. South Asia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, with about one-third of all Muslims living here. Islam is the dominant religion in half of the South Asian countries. It is the second largest religion in India and third largest in Sri Lanka and Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Meghalaya</span> Hinduism in the Indian state

Hinduism is a minority religion in the Meghalaya state of India constituting 12% of the state's population. The Nartiang Durga Temple in Meghalaya is one of the 51 Shakti peethas on Earth and is considered by Hindus of Meghalaya as the permanent abode of Goddess Durga. Hinduism is a popular religion practice by Rabhas, Hajongs, Kochs, Rajbongshis, Mikirs, Bengalis, Nepalis, Biharis etc.

Islam is Mizoram's fourth largest religion. With 14,832 followers, it constituted 1.35% of the population in 2011. The Aijal Mosque, established in 1909, is the only mosque in Aizawl and the oldest mosque in Mizoram.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sikkim Hindu Muslim Population". www.census2011.co.in. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  2. "Sikkim | History, Map, Capital, & Population | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  3. "Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India". data.gov.in. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  4. "Some of the Religious Places of Sikkim". Cultural Affairs & Heritage Department. Government of Sikkim. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  5. "ADBU Location". www.dbuniversity.ac.in. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  6. "Cesus of India -Religion Composition – 1981" . Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  7. "Census of India – Religious Composition – 2001". Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  8. "Sikkim Hindu Muslim Population". www.census2011.co.in. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  1. The two subdivisions of the West Sikkim district- Gyalshing and Soreng were upgraded to districts in 2021