The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Hinduism:
Arya Samaj is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was revived by the sannyasi (ascetic) Dayanand Saraswati on 7 April 1875.
Puja or pooja is a worship ritual performed by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities, to host and honour a guest, or to spiritually celebrate an event. It may honour or celebrate the presence of special guests, or their memories after they die. The word pūjā is Sanskrit, and means reverence, honour, homage, adoration and worship. Puja, the loving offering of light, flowers, and water or food to the divine, is the essential ritual of Hinduism. For the worshipper, the divine is visible in the image, and the divinity sees the worshipper. The interaction between human and deity, between human and guru, is called darshan, seeing.
Hinduism has been spread in Russia primarily due to the work of scholars from the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and by itinerant Swamis from India and small communities of Indian immigrants. While ISKCON appear to have a relatively strong following in Russia, the other organizations in the list have a marginal presence in this country. There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia. According to the 2012 official census, there are 140,000 Hindus in Russia, which accounts for 0.1% population of Russia. A majority of Russian Hindus were Vaishnavites.
Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in People's Republic of Bangladesh, as according to the 2011 Bangladesh census, approximately 12.73 million people responded that they were Hindus, constituting 8.5% out of the total 149.7 million population. In terms of population, Bangladesh is the third largest Hindu populated country of the world, just after India and Nepal. Hinduism is the second largest religion in districts of Bangladesh. But there is no Hindu majority district in Bangladesh.
Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago is the second largest religion. Hindu culture arrived in 1845 in Trinidad and Tobago. According to the 2011 census there were 240,100 declared Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago. There are also various temples in Trinidad and Tobago to accommodate Hindus.
Freedom of religion in Canada is a constitutionally protected right, allowing believers the freedom to assemble and worship without limitation or interference.
Hinduism is the third largest religious group in the United Kingdom, after Christianity and Islam; the religion is followed by nearly 1.5% of the total population of the nation. Hindus 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, mostly Hindus settled in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. According to 2011 Census of England and Wales, 817,000 residents (1.5%) identified themselves as Hindus. Among those of Indian origins, Hindus in the United Kingdom (27%) constituted the second largest group after Muslims of undivided India (57%), and exceeded Sikhs (14%) in the 2011 census of the United Kingdom.
Anti-Hindu sentiment, also known as Hinduphobia, is a negative perception, sentiment or actions against the practitioners of Hinduism.
Punjābī or Pānjābī Hindus are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who are adherents of Hinduism and identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Punjabis. While Punjabi Hindus are mostly found in the Indian state of Punjab today, many have ancestry from the greater Punjab region, an area that was partitioned between India and Pakistan.
Hinduism is a religious group in Canada, which is followed by nearly 1.5% of nation's total population. As of 2011, there are nearly 497,000 Canadians of the Hindu faith. Canadian Hindus generally come from one of three groups. The first group is primarily made up of Indian immigrants who began arriving in British Columbia about 110 years ago. Hindus from all over India continue to immigrate today, with the largest Indian ethnic subgroups being Gujaratis and Punjabis. This first wave of immigrants also includes Hindu immigrants who were of Indian descent from nations that were historically under European colonial rule, such as Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and parts of coastal Eastern Africa. The second major group of Hindus immigrated from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. In the case of Sri Lankan Hindus, their history in Canada goes back to the 1940s, when a few hundred Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to Canada. The 1983 communal riots in Sri Lanka precipitated the mass exodus of Tamils with over 500,000 finding refuge in countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, France and Switzerland. From then on, Sri Lankan Tamils have been immigrating to Canada in particular around Toronto and Greater Toronto Area. A third group is made up of Canadian converts to the various sects of Hinduism through the efforts of the Hare Krishna movement and their Gurus during the last 50 years. The Toronto district of Scarborough has a particularly high concentration of Hindus, with Hinduism being the dominant religion in several neighbourhoods.
Hinduism is a minority religion in Belgium. According to the PEW 2014, Hinduism is also the fastest growing religion in Belgium. Attempts have been done by the Hindu Forum of Belgium (HFB) to make Hinduism an officially-recognized religion in Belgium.
Swami Agnivesh, was an Indian social activist and the founder of Arya Sabha, a political party based on the principles of Arya Samaj. He also served as a cabinet minister in the state of Haryana. He is best known for his work against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, which he founded in 1981.
Religious violence in Odisha consists of civil unrest and riots in the remote forest region surrounding the Kandhamal district in the western parts of the Indian state of Odisha.
Brahmoism is a religious movement which originated from the mid-19th century Bengali Renaissance, the nascent Indian independence movement. Adherents, known as Brahmos, are mainly of Indian or Bangladeshi origin or nationality.
Worship in Hinduism is an act of religious devotion usually directed to one or more Hindu deities. A sense of Bhakti or devotional love is generally invoked. This term is probably a central one in Hinduism, but a direct translation from the Sanskrit to English is difficult. Worship takes a multitude of forms depending on geography and language. Worship is not confined to any place of worship, and it will often incorporate personal reflection, music, dance and poetry. Hindus usually perform worship in temples or at home to achieve some specific end or to integrate the body, mind and spirit. The aim is to live a pure life in order to help the performer reincarnate into a higher being.
Hindu Heritage Centre is a Hindu temple and a Hindu Community Centre located in the city of Mississauga, Ontario, in the Streetsville neighbourhood. The 25 000 square feet temple serves Hindus from the Greater Toronto Area and is considered to be one of the largest Hindu temples in Canada. It features a 10,000 square foot prayer hall, 16 classrooms where daily meditations and scripture teachings are also offered, as are classes in Indian languages, Hindu music and dance, Hindu culture, yoga, and social programs for seniors, and a 9,000 square foot banquet hall also exists for cultural events.
Bangladesh Canada Hindu Cultural Society (BCHCS) & Bangladesh Canada Hindu Mandir (BCHM) is one of the largest Hindu temples in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Hinduism is the religion of 25.4% of the population of Guyana. Guyana has the highest percentage of Hindus in the Western Hemisphere.
