Total population | |
---|---|
84,400 (0.1%) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Bangkok, Chonburi and Phuket | |
Languages | |
Sacred Sanskrit Majority Thai, Hindi |
Hinduism by country |
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Full list |
Hinduism in Thailand is a minority religion followed by 84,400 (0.1%) of the population as of 2020. [1] Despite being a Buddhist-majority nation, Thailand has a very strong Hindu influence. The majority of Thai Hindus reside in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Phuket.
Although Thailand has never been a majority-Hindu country, it has been influenced by Hinduism. Despite the fact that today Thailand is a Buddhist-majority country, many elements of Thai culture and symbolism demonstrate Hindu influences and heritage. Southeast Asia, including what is now Thailand, has been in contact with Hinduism through India for over 2000 years. [2] Indian settlement in Southeast Asia has been ongoing since the 6th century BCE and has continued into the modern era, influenced by various socioeconomic and political factors. Tamil and Gujarati immigrants migrated to Thailand in the late 1800s, working in the gem and textile industries, followed by a larger migration of both Sikhs and Hindus from Punjab in the 1890s. [2]
The popular Thai epic Ramakien is based on the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, which is a Thai variant of the Hindu epic Ramayana. [3] The national emblem of Thailand depicts Garuda, the vahana (mount) of Vishnu. [4]
The city Ayutthaya, near Bangkok, is named after Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama. Numerous rituals derived from Hinduism are preserved in rituals, such as the use of holy strings and pouring of water from conch shells. Furthermore, Hindu-Buddhist deities are worshiped by many Thais, such as Brahma at the famous Erawan Shrine, and statues of Ganesha, Indra, and Shiva. Reliefs in temple walls, such as the 12th-century Prasat Sikhoraphum near Surin (Thailand), show a dancing Shiva, with smaller images of Parvati, Vishnu, Brahma, and Ganesha. [5]
The Devasathan is a Hindu temple established in 1784 by King Rama I. The temple is the centre of Hindus in Thailand. The royal court Brahmins operate the temple and perform several royal ceremonies per year.
An annual Giant Swing ceremony known as Triyampavai-Tripavai was held in major cities of Thailand until 1935, when it was abolished for safety reasons. [6] The name of the ceremony was derived from the names of two Tamil language Hindu chants: Tiruvempavai and Tiruppavai . It is known that Tamil verses from Tiruvempavai — poet pratu sivalai ("opening the portals of Shiva's home") — were recited at this ceremony, as well as the coronation ceremony of the Thai king. [7] According to T.P. Meenakshisundaram, the name of the festival indicates that Thiruppavai might have been recited as well. [8] The swinging ceremony depicted a legend about how the god created the world. Outside shops, particularly in towns and rural areas, statues of Nang Kwak as the deity of wealth, fortune and prosperity (a form of Lakshmi) are found. [9] [10]
The elite, and the royal household, often employ Brahmins to mark funerals and state ceremonies such as the Royal Ploughing Ceremony to ensure a good harvest. The importance of Hinduism cannot be denied, even though much of the rituals has been combined with Buddhism. [11]
Southern and Central Thailand are possibly the earliest regions, where Vaishnavism flourished in the whole of Southeast Asia. Several sculptures of Vishnu are discovered from the earliest period. These smaller-than-human-sized sculptures are stylistically comparable to Mathura and Amaravati schools of Indian Art. [12] [13]
The human-sized sculpture of the second phase Vishnu with Pallava influence was discovered in Sri Mahosot in Central Thailand. Vishnu is attired in a plain cylindrical crown along with a transparent lower garment. The style of the sculpture shares a similarity with the ones discovered in Southern Thailand. [12] [13]
Sri Thep is one of the most important Dvaravati cities in Central Thailand which yields several stone sculptures of Vaishnavism. Vishnu and Krishna are the most common finds. Vishnu stands in the posture of Tribhanga, Krishna is portrayed with the left band lifting Mount Govardhana. [12] [13]
After the 13th century CE, the Thais were converted to Theravada Buddhism, kings tried to claim himself as the incarnation of Vishnu. Vishnu bronze image was moulded for Sukhothai's royal private worship. The image smiles with serenity, similar to Sukhothai Buddha image. [12] [13]
Shiva is the mighty god of destruction of the universe, and sins. Shaivism, or the Shiva Cult which originated in South India, was transmitted to the southern and central parts of Thailand. This occurred during the 6th-10th century A.D.
Lord Shiva is manifested in various forms. Among them the most popular one is that of the lingam, in the shape of men's genital organs. It depicts the unison of the male and female energies, which created the entire universe according to Hindu thought. Several forms of Shiva Lingam have been found in Southern Thailand. One has the Lord Shiva's face. This is known as the Mukha Lingam. Similarly, a gold lingam, belonging to a hermit's private collection, has been discovered at a cave in the region. A lingam shaped stone known as the Swayambhulingam has also been discovered. [13] [12]
Thailand has two ethnic Thai Brahmin communities - Brahm Luang (Royal Brahmins) and Brahm Chao Baan (folk Brahmins). All ethnic Thai Brahmins are Buddhist by religion, who still worship Hindu Gods. [14] The Brahm Luang (Royal Brahmins) mainly perform royal ceremonies of the Thai monarch, including crowning of the king. [15] They belong to the long family bloodline of Brahmins in Thailand, who originated from Tamil Nadu. The folk Brahmins are the category of Brahmins who are not from a lineage of priests. Generally, these Brahmins have less knowledge about the rituals and ceremonies. Apart from this there are also Indian Brahmins from India who migrated to Thailand more recently. [16]
Brahmins once conducted the royal ceremony in other Southeast Asian countries as well. The rituals were reinstated in Cambodia after the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge. [17] [18] The Brahmins of Myanmar have lost their role due to the abolition of monarchy.
Historian Damrong Rajanubhab has mentioned about three kind of Brahmins, from Nakhòn Sī Thammarāt, from Phatthalung, and those who originated from Cambodia. [19]
During the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods, evidence of the presence of sizable number of Indians in the Thai court is described by a number of western travelers. However most of the contemporary Indians came to Thailand after 1920, and during the first half of the 19th century. [20]
The Mariamman Temple, Bangkok is the first temple built in the South Indian architectural style. It was built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, a Tamil Hindu immigrant. [21] [22] [23]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
2005 | 52,631 | — |
2010 | 41,808 | −20.6% |
2015 | 22,110 | −47.1% |
2018 | 13,886 | −37.2% |
2020 | 84,400 | +507.8% |
Year | Percent | Increase |
---|---|---|
2005 | 0.09% | - |
2010 | 0.06% | -0.03% |
2015 | 0.03% | -0.03% |
2018 | 0.02% | -0.01% |
2020 | 0.10% | +0.09% |
According to the 2005 Thai census, there are 52,631 Hindus living in Thailand, making up just 0.09% of the total population. [24] In the 2010 census, that number decreased to 41,808 Hindus in Thailand, constituting 0.06% of the population. [25] In the 2015 census, this population decreased to 22,110, or 0.03%. [26]
However, the PEW Research data found that Hinduism constituted 0.1% of the Thai population in 2014 and is increasing in Thailand as a percentage of the country's population. The PEW Research data reports that the Hindu population is expected to increase from 0.1% in 2014 to 0.2% by 2050. [27]
Year | Total Population | Hindu population | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | 68,438,748 | 68,439 | 0.1% |
2050 | 65,940,494 | 131,881 | 0.2% |
Source: [27] |
Brahmin is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. In the Vedic- and post-Vedic Indian subcontinent, Brahmins were designated as the priestly class, serving as priests and spiritual teachers. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.
Shaivism is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-orientated monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism. It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Shaivism is the second-largest Hindu sect, constituting about 253 million or 26.6% of Hindus.
Hinduism in Southeast Asia had a profound impact on the region's cultural development and its history. As the Indic scripts were introduced from India, people of Southeast Asia entered the historical period by producing their earliest inscriptions around the 1st to 5th century CE. Today, Hindus in Southeast Asia are mainly Overseas Indians and Balinese. There are also Javanese and Balamon Cham minority in Cambodia and south central Vietnam who also practice Hinduism.
Balinese Hinduism is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali. This is particularly associated with the Balinese people residing on the island, and represents a distinct form of Hindu worship incorporating local animism, ancestor worship or Pitru Paksha, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattava.
The Giant Swing is a religious structure in Sao Chingcha Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. Located in front of Wat Suthat, it was formerly used in an old Brahmin ceremony, and is one of Bangkok's tourist attractions.
Purohita, in the Hindu context, means chaplain or family priest within the Vedic priesthood. In Thailand and Cambodia, it refers to the royal chaplains.
The Smartatradition, also called Smartism, is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Uttara Mīmāṃsā, Advaita, Yoga, and theism. The Smarta tradition rejects theistic sectarianism, and is notable for the domestic worship of five shrines with five deities, all treated as equal – Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu and Surya. The Smarta tradition contrasted with the older Shrauta tradition, which was based on elaborate rituals and rites. There has been a considerable overlap in the ideas and practices of the Smarta tradition with other significant historic movements within Hinduism, namely Shaivism, Brahmanism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.
Hinduism is currently practiced by a minority of residents of China. The religion itself has a very limited presence in modern mainland China, but archaeological evidence suggests a significant presence of Hinduism in different provinces of medieval China. Hindu influences were also absorbed in to Buddhism and got mixed with Chinese mythology over its history. Practices originating in the Vedic tradition of ancient India such as yoga and meditation are also popular in China.
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Hindu culture and associated cultures’ traditions, which are expressed as words in Sanskrit or other Indic languages and Dravidian languages. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Hinduism all in one place.
Tenavaram temple is a historic Hindu temple complex situated in the port town Tenavaram, Tevanthurai, Matara) near Galle, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its primary deity was a Hindu god Tenavarai Nayanar (Upulvan) and at its zenith was one of the most celebrated Hindu temple complexes of the island, containing eight major kovil shrines to a thousand deity statues of stone and bronze and two major shrines to Vishnu and Shiva. Administration and maintenance was conducted by residing Hindu Tamil merchants during Tenavaram's time as a popular pilgrimage destination and famed emporium employing over five hundred devadasis.
Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of earth, or Prithvi. Shiva is worshiped as Ekambareswarar or Ekambaranathar or Rajlingeswaram, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Prithvi lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Elavarkuzhali. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple also houses Nilathingal Thundam Perumal temple, a Divyadesam, the 108 temples revered in the Vaishnava canon Nalayira Divya Prabhandam.
Ganesha is a prominent Hindu god. He is the god of Beginnings, Wisdom and Luck and worshipped as the Remover of Obstacles. Ganesha is easily recognized from his elephant head. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists and beyond India.
Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand, practiced by roughly 94% of the population. The Thai Constitution does not indicate any state religion, but promotes Buddhism, while guaranteeing religious freedom for all Thai citizens. Many other people, especially among the Isan ethnic group, practice Tai folk religions. A significant Muslim population, mostly constituted by Thai Malays, is present especially in the southern regions. Thai law officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism.
Thai Indians are Thai people with full or partial Indian ancestry. But these ancestral ties are usually left out of statistics. About 65,000 Indian Thais have full Thai citizenship, but around 400,000 persons of Indian origin settled in Thailand mainly in the urban cities.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, also known as Maha Uma Devi Temple (Thai: วัดพระศรีมหาอุมาเทวี; RTGS: Wat Phra Si Maha Umathewi and Wat Khaek in Thai, is a South Indian architecture style Hindu temple on Si Lom Road in Bangkok, Thailand. It was built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, a Tamil Hindu immigrant.
Thiruvathigai Veerateswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is situated in Thiruvathigai village which is about 2 kilometres east from the town of Panruti in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Veerattaaneswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Thiripurasundari. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is considered the place where the Saiva saint poet Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) converted back to Saivism, and attained final salvation.
Devaraja was a religious order of the "god-king," or deified monarch in medieval Southeast Asia. The devarāja order grew out of both Hinduism and separate local traditions depending on the area. It taught that the king was a divine universal ruler, a manifestation of Bhagavan. The concept viewed the monarch to possess transcendental quality, the king as the living god on earth. The concept is closely related to the Indian concept of Chakravarti. In politics, it is viewed as the divine justification of a king's rule. The concept was institutionalized and gained its elaborate manifestations in ancient Java and Cambodia, where monuments such as Prambanan and Angkor Wat were erected to celebrate the king's divine rule on earth.
Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu is governed by the Shaiva Agamas (IAST:Āgama) that revere the ultimate reality as the Hindu deity, Shiva. Āgama in the Hindu religious context means a traditional doctrine or system which commands faith. Temple worship according to Āgamic rules can be said to have started during the Pallava dynasty in South India, but they were fully under establishment during the Chola dynasty The temples during the Chola period expanded to Sri Lanka and islands in South East Asia. The temple complex was expanding with niches for various deities on the stipulated sides of the sanctum. Lingam was universalised and prakarams (precincts) with subsequent deities came up. The temple parivara expanded considerably during the Chola period. The niches of following Āgamic rules for building Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state continues even in the modern era. Some of the prime images like that of lingam, Vinayagar and Parvati are present in all the Shiva temples. Almost all the temples follow the same custom during festivals and worship methods with minor exceptions. Most of the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are built in Dravidian architecture.
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.
Devasathan or Royal Brahmin Office of Thai Royal Court is a Hindu temple near Wat Suthat in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. The temple is the official centre of Hinduism in Thailand. The temple is the home of the Court Brahmins, who are descended from an ancient lineage of priests from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The Brahmins perform many important royal and religious ceremonies for the Monarchy of Thailand every year. The temple was founded in 1784 by King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty.
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