Religion in Maharashtra is characterised by the diversity of religious beliefs and practices.
According to the 2011 census, Hinduism was the principal religion in the state at 79.83% of the total population, while Muslims constituted 11.54% of the total population. Maharashtra has India's largest Buddhist and Jain populations. Buddhism accounted for 5.81% in Maharashtra's total population, with 6.53 million followers, which is 77% of all Buddhists in India. Jains, Christians and Sikhs constituted 1.25%, 0.96%, 0.2% of the population respectively. [2] Maharashtra also is home to the Parsi (Zoroastrian) community and has a community of Jews known as Bene Israel.
Hindus form 79.83% of the state's total population as per 2011 census and Hinduism plays an important role in the lives of the Maharashtrian people in their day-to-day life. Ganesha, Vitthala, other incarnations of Vishnu such as Rama and Krishna, Hanuman, Dattatreya, as well as Shiva and Parvati are popular with Hindus of Maharashtra. Shiva is worshipped mainly in the form of lingam, with a metal mask covering it at some temples. [3] The Warkari tradition holds a strong grip on the local Hindus of Maharashtra. [4] : 140–170 The public Ganesha festival started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the late 19th century is very popular. Marathi Hindus also revere Bhakti saints associated with varkari sects such as Dnyaneshwar, Savata Mali, Tukaram, Namdev, Janabai i and Chokhamela. Many religious figures from 19th and 20th century are revered.They include Swami Samarth, Gajanan Maharaj, Sai baba of Shirdi, Tukdoji Maharaj, Gondavalekar Maharaj, and Gadge Maharaj. [5]
Maharashtra has significant Hindu populations with origins in other states and regions of India, which adds to the diversity of temples and traditions in the state. The state has numerous recently built temples by groups such as the Swaminarayan sect, ISKCON, and South Indian communities.
The main life ceremonies in Hindu culture include those related to birth, weddings, initiation ceremonies, as well as death rituals. Other ceremonies for different occasions in Hindu life include Vastushanti and "Satyanarayan" which is performed before a family formally establishes residence in a new house. Satyanarayana Puja is a ceremony performed before commencing any new endeavour or for no particular reason. Invoking the name of the family's gotra and the kuladevata are important aspects of these ceremonies for many communities.
Like most other Hindu communities, the Marathi people have a household shrine called a devaghar with idols, symbols, and pictures of various deities for daily worship. Ritual reading of religious texts known as pothi is also popular in some communities.
In some traditional families, food is first offered to the preferred deity in the household shrine, as naivedya , before being consumed by family members and guests. Meals or snacks are not taken before this religious offering. In present times, the naivedya is offered by families only on days of special religious significance.
Many Marathi people trace their paternal ancestors to one of the seven or eight sages, the saptarshi. They classify themselves as gotras, named after the ancestor rishi. Intra-marriage within gotras (Sagotra Vivaha) was uncommon until recently, being discouraged as it was likened to incest.
Most Marathi families have their own family patron or protective deity or the Kuladevata . [4] : 1–27 This deity is common to a lineage or a clan of several families who are connected to each other through a common ancestor. [6] The Khandoba of Jejuri is an example of a Kuladaivat of some families; he is a common Kuladaivat to several castes ranging from Brahmins to Dalits. [7] The practice of worshiping local or territorial deities as Kuladaivats began in the period of the Yadava dynasty. [8] Other family deities of the people of Maharashtra are Bhavani of Tuljapur, Mahalaxmi of Kolhapur, Mahalaxmi of Amravati, Renuka of Mahur, Parashurama in Konkan, Saptashringi on Saptashringa hill at Vani in Nasik district, and Balaji.
At birth, a child is initiated into the family ritually. The child's naming ceremony may happen many weeks or even months later, and it is called the barsa. During the naming ceremony, the child's paternal aunt has the honor of naming the infant. When the child is 11 months old, they get their first hair-cut. [9] [ full citation needed ] This is also an important ritual and is called Jawal. In the Maratha community, the maternal uncle is given the honour of the first snip during the ceremony. [10]
In Brahman, CKP and Gaud Saraswat Brahman communities when a male child reaches his eighth birthday, he undergoes the initiation thread ceremony variously known as Munja Vratabandha, or Upanayanam. [11] 96 kuli marathas generally conduct the Upanayanam ceremony before marriage.
Marathi Hindu people are historically endogamous within their caste but exogamous with their clan (gotra). [9] [ full citation needed ] Cross-cousin alliances are allowed by most Marathi Hindu communities. [10] Hindu marriages, take place by negotiation.Studies show that most Indians' traditional views on caste, religion, and family background have remained unchanged when it came to marriage, that is, people marry within their own castes, [12] and matrimonial advertisements in newspapers are still classified by caste and sub-caste. [13]
Elements of a traditional Marathi Hindu wedding ceremony include seemant poojan on the wedding eve. The dharmic wedding includes the antarpat ceremony followed by the vedic ceremony which involves the bridegroom and the bride walking around the sacred fire seven times to complete the marriage. Modern urban wedding ceremonies conclude with an evening reception. A Marathi Hindu woman becomes part of her husband's family after marriage and adopts the gotra as well as the traditions of her husband's family. After weddings and after thread ceremonies, many Maratha and Deshastha Brahmin families arrange a traditional religious singing performance by a Gondali group. [14] Women from Hindu community are given a neckless called mangalasutra during the wedding ceremony by the groom. This is worn as a symbol of marriage by women throughout their married life. [15] [16]
Marathi Hindu people dispose their dead by cremation. [17] [ full citation needed ] The ashes are gathered in an earthen pitcher and immersed in a river on the third day after death. This is a 13-day ritual with the pinda being offered to the dead soul on the 11th and a Śrāddha ceremony followed by a funeral feast on the 13th. Cremation is performed according to vedic rites, usually within a day of the individual's death. Śrāddha becomes an annual ritual in which all forefathers of the family who have passed on are remembered.
Hindu Marathi people celebrate several festivals during the year. These include Gudi Padwa, Rama Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Narali Pournima, Mangala Gaur, Navaratri, Janmashtami, Ganeshotsav, Kojagiri, Diwali, Khandoba Festival (Champa Shashthi), Makar Sankranti, Shivaratri, Holi, Raksha Bandhan and Shiv Jayanti. Most villages in Maharashtra also have a Jatra or Urus in honor of the village deity. Most of these festivals are also celebrated by Hindu communities in the state who have origins in other regions of India.
Maharashtra has shrines dedicated to saints and holy men all over the state that are revered by both Hindus and Muslims. The Naunaths of Hindus have counterparts among Muslims too. The shrine of Kanifnath is visited by both Hindus and Muslims. In modern times, Sai Baba of Shirdi has embodied this syncretic tradition. [18]
Islam is the second largest religion in the state, with 12,967,840 adherents comprising 11.54% of the population, per estimates.[ citation needed ]The Muslim population in the state is heterogeneous. The majority of Muslims are mostly Sunni Muslims.[ citation needed ]and Shia Muslims There are also regional differences with the Konkani muslim community having a distinct character because of their history. For millennia, the Konkan coast has had mercantile relations with major ports on the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.Konkani Muslims can trace their ancestry to Arab traders who visited the konkan coast in the medieval era [19] Konkani Muslims follow also the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic law. This is in contrast to the rest of North India and Deccan regions whose Sunni Muslims adhere to the Hanafi school. [20] [21]
The population in the state is highly urbanised, and spread across different regions. The urban character of the community in Maharashtra can be seen from the fact that Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, is approximately 18.8% Muslim per the Census. [22] Mumbai, the capital city of the state, has approximately over 3 million Muslims, and the Muslim population of Mumbai is the city with a large Muslim population among any city outside Muslim-majority countries. The Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai which is situated on an island is a famous islamic shrine in Maharashtra. Similarly, Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, has population that is 11% Muslim.Marathwada region which formerly was part of Nizam ruled Hyderabad state has much higher muslim population than other parts of the state. In the Marathwada city of Aurangabad, Muslims form 30.79% [23] of the population, while in the northern city of Malegaon, Muslims are 79% of the population. The headquarters of Gujarati speaking Bohra shia Muslims community is located in Mumbai. [24]
Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid) and Eid-ul-Azha (Bakari Eid) are the two most important Muslim festivals in the state. Visiting the tombs (Dargah) of Sufi saints is an important part of cultural and religious life of Muslims in Maharashtra. The annual death anniversary of the saints is celebrated with fairs (Urs) that attracts thousands of visitors. [25]
Buddhism is the third largest religion in the state. Buddhism accounts 5.81% in Maharashtra's total population. 6,531,200 people are followers of Buddhism in Maharashtra as per 2011 census. Maharashtra account for 77.36% of all Buddhists in India. [26] Marathi Buddhists are followers of Navayana Buddhism of the Dalit Buddhist movement, a 20th-century Buddhist revival movement in India that received its most substantial impetus from Babasaheb Ambedkar born in Hindu Mahar family who called for the conversion of Dalits to Buddhism in order to liberate themselves from the caste-based society that have been harshly treated them in the hierarchy. [27] Dhammachakra Pravartan Din or Dhamma Wheel's Promulgation Day is also widely celebrated by the local Buddhist community for the Buddhist conversion of B. R. Ambedkar and his approximately 600,000 followers on 14 October 1956 at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur. [28]
Jains are a major group in Maharashtra. Jain community census for 2011 in Maharashtra area was 1,400,349 (1.25%). They are mostly concentrated in the urban cities in Western Maharashtra.
The vast majority of Jains in Maharashtra originate from the Marwad and Mewad regions of Rajasthan and from the state of Gujarat. [29] There are also indigenous Marathi Jain communities such as Saitwal, Chaturtha, Panchama & Kumbhoja found in Maharashtra. [30] Rulers of Maharashtra from the 1st millennium CE such as Rashtrakuta and the Chalukya were followers of Jain religion. Along with Hindu and Buddhist caves, there are a number of Jain caves at the ancient cave complex of Ellora.
Christians account for 1,080,073 or 0.96% of Maharashtra's population. Most of the Christians are Catholics and Protestants. There are also Goan, Mangalorean, Keralite and Tamilian Christians in the urban pockets of Mumbai and Pune. There are two ethnic Christian communities in Maharashtra:
There is a sizeable Sikh population in Maharashtra, with the 2011 census indicating 223,247 or 0.20% adherents. [35] Major cities in the state such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad have significant Sikh populations. Nanded, the second largest city in the Marathwada region (after Aurangabad), is an important holy place for the Sikh faith and is famous for the Hazur Sahib Gurudwara. Hazūr Sāhib ("presence of the master"), also spelled Hazoor Sahib, is one of the five takhts (seats of temporal authority) in Sikhism. Located on the banks of the River Godavari, it is where the 10th Guru, Gobind Singh died. The Gurudwara within the complex is known Sach-Khand, "Realm of Truth". At a stone-throw distance from the Hazoor Sahib Gurudwara, there lies the Langar Sahib Gurudwara which is very famous for its grand Langar. In all the city has 13 major Gurudwaras with historic significance. There is a significant Sikh population in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad.
There are two Zoroastrian communities in Maharashtra.
The Bene Israel ("Sons of Israel") are a community of Marathi Jews originally from villages in the Konkan region. who migrated in the late 17th century to the nearby cities, primarily Mumbai, but also to Pune, and Ahmedabad. [38] Prior to these waves of emigrations and to this day, the Bene Israel formed the largest sector of the subcontinent's Jewish population. The native language of the Bene Israel is Marathi. [39] Most Bene Israel have now emigrated to Israel, Canada and other Commonwealth countries. Before the Indian Independence this community numbered at least 80,000. [40] They are given minority status by Government of Maharashtra. [41]
Religion | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 [42] | 2011 [43] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hinduism | 28,642,304 | 32,530,901 | 77,859,385 | 89,703,057 |
Islam | 2,436,357 | 3,034,332 | 10,270,485 | 12,971,152 |
Buddhism | 2,487 | 2,789,501 | 5,838,710 | 6,531,200 |
Jainism | 337,578 | 485,672 | 1,301,843 | 1,400,349 |
Christianity | 433,290 | 560,594 | 1,058,313 | 1,080,073 |
Sikhism | 41,434 | 57,617 | 215,337 | 223,247 |
Other | 109,114 | 95,101 | 236,841 | 178,965 |
Not stated | n/a | n/a | n/a | 286,290 |
Total | 32,002,564 | 39,553,718 | 96,878,627 | 112,374,333 |
* Most of Dalit convert Hinduism to Buddhism 1956 in Maharashtra
Religion | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 [42] | 2011 [42] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hinduism | 89.50 | 82.24 | 80.37 | 79.83 |
Islam | 7.61 | 7.67 | 10.60 | 11.54 |
Buddhism | 0.01 | 7.05 | 6.03 | 5.81 |
Jainism | 1.06 | 1.23 | 1.34 | 1.25 |
Christianity | 1.35 | 1.42 | 1.09 | 0.96 |
Sikhism | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.22 | 0.20 |
Other | 0.34 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.17 |
Not stated | n/a | n/a | 0.11 | 0.25 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Maharashtra has numerous places of worship that are more than a few centuries old.
The North-West Frontier Province was a province of British India from 1901 to 1947, of the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955, and of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 1970 to 2010. It was established on 9 November 1901 from the north-western districts of the British Punjab, during the British Raj. Following the referendum in 1947 to join either Pakistan or India, the province voted hugely in favour of joining Pakistan and it acceded accordingly on 14 August 1947. It was dissolved to form a unified province of West Pakistan in 1955 upon promulgation of One Unit Scheme and was reestablished in 1970. It was known by this name until 19 April 2010, when it was dissolved and redesignated as the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Dalit Buddhist movement is a religious as well as a socio-political movement among Dalits in India which was started by B. R. Ambedkar. It re-interpreted Buddhism and created a new school of Buddhism called Navayana. The movement has sought to be a socially and politically engaged form of Buddhism.
Paithan ['pəɪ.ʈʰaɳ], historically Pratiṣṭhāna [pɾə'tɪʂʈʰana], is a town with municipal council in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, Maharashtra, India. Paithan is located 56 kilometres (35 mi) south of present-day Aurangabad on the banks of the Godavari River. It was the capital of the Satavahana dynasty, which ruled from the second century BCE to the second century CE. It is one of the few inland towns mentioned in the famous first-century Greek book, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
Buddhism, which originated in India, gradually dwindled there and was replaced by approximately the 12th century. According to Lars Fogelin, this was "not a singular event, with a singular cause; it was a centuries-long process."
Dalit is a term first coined by the Indian social reformer Jyotirao Phule for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama. Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea and the peasant class of the medieval European feudal system.
Mahar is one of the dominant caste found in Maharashtra. They were considered as untouchables or low caste. Majority of this community is found in Vidharbha region and neighbouring areas.
Jainism is India's sixth-largest religion and is practiced throughout India. Per the 2011 census, there are 4,451,753 Jains in the 1.35 billion population of India, the majority living in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. However, the influence of Jainism has been far greater on the Indian population than these numbers suggest. Jains can be found in every state and all union territories, varying from large societies to smaller. The state of Jharkhand, with a population of 16,301 Jains also contains the holy pilgrimage centre of Sammed Shikharji. Jains can be found throughout India and in many other countries throughout the world.
The Marathi people or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a Marathi-speaking state of India on 1 May 1960, as part of a nationwide linguistic reorganisation of the Indian states. The term "Maratha" is generally used by historians to refer to all Marathi-speaking peoples, irrespective of their caste; However, it may refer to a Maharashtrian caste known as the Maratha which also includes farmer sub castes like the Kunbis.
Karanja Lad, or Karanja, is a city of a Municipal council in Washim district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The town is named after Saint Karanj. Karanja is a holy place for Hindus, Jains, and Muslims. It is the birthplace of Shri Narasimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj, believed to be the second incarnation of Lord Dattatreya.
Buddhism is an ancient Indian religion, which arose in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha. It is based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE and was deemed a "Buddha". However, Buddhist doctrine holds that there were other Buddhas before him. Buddhism spread outside of Magadha starting in the Buddha's lifetime.
Navayāna, otherwise known as Navayāna Buddhism, refers to the modern re-interpretation of Buddhism founded and developed by the Indian jurist, social reformer, and scholar B. R. Ambedkar; it is otherwise called Neo-Buddhism and Ambedkarite Buddhism.
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.
Maharashtra attracts tourists from other Indian states and foreign countries. It was the second most visited Indian state by foreigners and fifth most visited state by domestic tourists in the country in 2021. Aurangabad is the tourism capital of Maharashtra.
In 2010, South Asia had the world's largest population of Hindus, about 510 million Muslims, over 27 million Sikhs, 35 million Christians and over 25 million Buddhists. Hindus make up about 68 percent or about 900 million and Muslims at 31 percent or 510 million of the overall South Asia population, while Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, and Christians constitute most of the rest. The Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, and Christians are concentrated in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while the Muslims are concentrated in Afghanistan (99%), Bangladesh (91%), Pakistan (96%) and Maldives (100%).
Maharashtra is the third largest state of India in terms of land area and second largest in terms of population in India. It has a long history of Marathi saints of Varakari religious movement, such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath and Tukaram which forms the one of bases of the culture of Maharashtra or Marathi culture. Maharashtrian culture had large influence over neighbouring regions under the Maratha Empire.
Hinduism is the most followed religion in Bihar, followed by nearly 82% of total population as per 2023 Bihar Caste based census. Islam is the second-most followed religion which is followed by nearly 17.7% of population. There is also a significant population of Buddhists and Christians in the state.
Rajasthanis are predominantly Hindu, Muslims and Jains. However, regardless of their religious segments, Muslim, Hindu and Jain Rajasthanis mingle with each other socially. Most Rajasthani Hindus are vaishnavas, however, Durga and her avatars are equally worshiped throughout Rajasthan. Oswals are predominantly Jains but small section of vaishnava Oswals are also found.
Chennai is religiously cosmopolitan, with its denizens following various religions, chief among them being Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism. Chennai, along with Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, and Kolkata, is one of the few Indian cities that are home to a diverse population of ethno-religious communities.
Religious tourism in India is a focus of Narendra Modi's national tourism policy. Uttarakhand has been popular as a religious and adventure tourism hub.
Marathi Buddhists are Buddhists of Marathi ethnic and linguistic identity. The religious community resides in the Indian state of Maharashtra. They speak Marathi as their mother-tongue. The Marathi Buddhist community is the largest Buddhist community in India. According to the 2011 Indian census, Marathi Buddhists constitute 5.81% of the population in Maharashtra, which is 77% of the total Buddhist population in India.
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