View source for Hinduism in Wales

{{Historical populations
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|footnote    = Religious Affiliation was not asked before 2001.
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|2001 | 5,439
|2011 | 10,434
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{{Hinduism by country}}
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'''Hinduism''' is a minority religion in Wales.Under half of [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Hinduism|Hindus]] having settled there in the second half of the 20th century. There were 10,434 Hindus in Wales in the 2011 Census.<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Census: KS209EW Religion, local authorities in England and Wales |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-286262|publisher=ons.gov.uk|access-date=15 December 2012}}</ref>

==History==
Most Welsh Hindus are of [[India]]n origin, or at least from neighbouring countries, such as [[Sri Lanka]], [[Pakistan]], [[Nepal]] and [[Bangladesh]]. Many of these came after [[Idi Amin]]'s expulsion from [[Uganda]] in the 1970s, and some also came from [[South Africa]]. There are also a few of [[Indonesia]]n origin. 

Many of these in turn are from the [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]]. Common languages amongst them, other than [[English language|English]] and [[Welsh language|Welsh]] include [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Nepali language|Nepali]].

The Hindu Cultural Association (HCA Wales), established in March 1991, is a Registered Charity with the [[Charity Commission for England and Wales]]. It is run by the Indian community in Wales and aims to both serve the pan-Indian community as well as helping the integration of the Indian community into the wider community.<ref>[http://www.indiacentre.co.uk/aboutus.html About us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501115738/http://www.indiacentre.co.uk/aboutus.html |date=2009-05-01 }} indiacentre.co.uk, accessed 22 Nov 2009</ref>

==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Year'''
! '''Percent'''
! '''Increase'''
|-
| '''2001'''
| '''0.19%'''
| '''-'''
|-
| '''2011'''
| '''0.34%'''
| style="background: lightgreen" | '''+0.15%'''	 	
|}
According to the 2011 census, there were 10,434 Hindus in Wales, which is almost double the number in the 2001 census.<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Census: KS209EW Religion, local authorities in England and Wales |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-286262|publisher=ons.gov.uk|access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref> 

About half of the Hindus in Wales lives in [[Cardiff]] (4,736), followed by Swansea (780), Newport (685) and Wrexham (504).<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-22149771</ref>

==Temples and sites==
[[File:Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff.jpg|thumb|[[Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff]]]]
[[Skanda Vale]] is an interfaith ashram patronised by many Hindus, based in [[Llanpumsaint]], [[Carmarthenshire]]. The site has three temples and attracts around 90,000 devotees annually.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-first=John |editor1-last=Davies|editor1-link=John Davies (historian)|editor2-first=Nigel |editor2-last=Jenkins | editor2-link=Nigel Jenkins| editor3-first=Baines |editor3-last=Menna|editor4-first=Peredur I. |editor4-last=Lynch|title=The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales |year=2008 |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff|page=503 |isbn=978-0-7083-1953-6}}</ref> 

The largest Hindu temple in Wales, the [[Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff|Shri Swaminarayan Mandir]], is located in [[Grangetown, Cardiff|Grangetown]], Cardiff. A [[Swaminarayan temple]] it was first opened in 1982.

The Sanatan Dharma Mandal Temple established in 1985 originally in the Parade Cardiff to serve Hindus in South Wales. Sanatan Dharma represents a code of conduct and a value system that has spiritual freedom as its core serving all Hindus within Wales and aims to offer a place of no anxiety. The temple and Hindu Community Centre is today located in the Seaview, Lewis Road, [[Splott]], Cardiff, CF24 5EB.

==Hindu Council of Wales==
It is the major Hindu organisation in Wales. It was established in 2013, to promote Hindu culture, religion and values in Wales.

The council was made up of temples including [[Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff|Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Cardiff]] and Sanatan Dharma Mandal temples, Hindu charities and community centres like Bhaktidham Wales charity.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-22149771</ref>

==See also==
{{col div|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Hinduism by country]]
*[[Hinduism in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Hinduism in England]]
*[[Hinduism in Scotland]]
*Hinduism in Ireland
**[[Hinduism in Northern Ireland]]
**[[Hinduism in the Republic of Ireland]]
*[[Encyclopedia of Hinduism]]
*[[Hindu eschatology]]
*[[Hindu Council UK]]
*[[Shambo]]
*[[Skanda Vale]]
{{col div end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Hinduism footer small}} 
{{Hinduism in Europe}}

[[Category:Hinduism in Wales| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Wales]]
[[Category:Hinduism in Europe|Wales]]
[[Category:Hinduism by country|Wales]]

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