SheenaBayles at 05:07, 5 May 2026

2026-05-05T05:07:15Z

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{{short description|Indian religion and social movement}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox religion
| image = Logo_of_Dinkoism_from_Facebook_website.png
| alt =
| caption = [[Dinkan]], the supermouse God of Dinkoism
| abbreviation =
| orientation =
| scripture = [[Dinka Puranam]]<ref name= NEWSMINUTE>{{cite web |url= https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/keralas-dinkoists-take-akshaya-tritiya-hit-market-their-brand-underwear-42811 |title= Kerala's Dinkoists take on Akshaya Tritiya, hit the market with their brand of underwear |work= [[The News Minute]] |author= Megha Varier |date= 6 May 2016 |access-date= 9 June 2021 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20210610004349/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/keralas-dinkoists-take-akshaya-tritiya-hit-market-their-brand-underwear-42811 |archive-date= 10 June 2021 |url-status= live}}</ref><br />[[Balamangalam]]<ref name= GRAPHICS/>
| temples =
| website = {{Facebook|dinkoist}}
}}

'''Dinkoism''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɪ|n|k|oɪ|z|əm}}), the '''Dinkoist religion''', or '''Dinkamatham'''<ref name=QZ>{{cite web |url= https://qz.com/india/643968/praise-the-squeaky-lord-a-new-religious-minority-is-born-in-india/ |title= Praise the squeaky lord, a new religious minority is born in India! |author= Harish Pullanoor |work= Quartz India |date= 22 March 2016 |access-date= 10 June 2021 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20210611230532/https://qz.com/india/643968/praise-the-squeaky-lord-a-new-religious-minority-is-born-in-india/ |archive-date= 11 June 2021 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name= GRAPHICS>{{cite web |url= https://graphicshelf.com/curious-case-lord-dinkan/ |title= The Curious Case of Lord Dinkan |publisher= Graphics Shelf.com |date= 23 November 2017 |access-date= 9 June 2021 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20210610011217/https://graphicshelf.com/curious-case-lord-dinkan/ |archive-date= 10 June 2021 |url-status= live}}</ref> is a [[parody religion]] and [[social movement]] that emerged and evolved on [[social network]]s<ref name="twsNIE1"/> organized by independent welfare groups in the Indian state of [[Kerala]]. Adherents describe Dinkoism as a genuine religion.

==History==
According to a report in ''[[India Today]]'', Dinkoism<ref name="twsNIE1"/> was established in 2008 in Kerala by a group of [[Rationalism|rationalists]] with the intention of ridiculing "the absurdity of blind religious faith".<ref name="twsIT1">{{cite web
| url= https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/dinkoism-kerala-mock-religion-superhero-mouse-316378-2016-04-05 |author= KC Archana |date= 5 April 2016 |publisher= India Today |title= What is Dinkoism? Why are many Keralites worshipping a superhero mouse? |access-date= 12 October 2020
| quote=...Dinkoism, a mock religion established by a group of rationalists in Kerela in 2008, aims to ridicule the absurdity of blind religious faith. ... The Dinkoists worship a fictional mouse called Dinkan, ...}}</ref> The community planned to become politically active.<ref name="twsDC1" /> A report in ''[[The New Indian Express]]'' said Dinkoism is gaining members through Facebook.<ref name="twsNIE1" /> The [[BBC]] described Dinkoism in 2016 as an atheist movement with significant growth on social media.<ref name= "BBC Mouse">{{Cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-36001999 |title= The mouse messiah bringing salvation to India's atheists |work= [[BBC News]] |date= 11 April 2016 |access-date= 12 October 2020}}</ref>

==Description==
{{main|Dinkan}}
The religion purports to worship [[Dinkan]], a comic book character.<ref name="twsDC12">{{cite web |url= https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/210316/they-gather-in-the-name-of-great-dinkan.html |date= 21 March 2016 |publisher= [[Deccan Chronicle]] |title= They gather in the name of great 'Dinkan': Dinkoists throng Kozhikode to show strength of new 'religion'. |access-date= 12 October 2020}}</ref> Dinkoists celebrate the character—a [[superhero]] mouse that appeared in 1983 in defunct [[Malayalam]]-language children's magazine ''[[Balamangalam]]''—as their God for the purpose of exposing [[Superstition in India|superstitions]] and fallacies and practices of traditional religions.<ref name= "BBC Mouse"/><ref name="twsTimesOfIndia1">{{cite web |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Dinkoists-seek-minority-status/articleshow/51488716.cms |author= TNN |date= 21 March 2016 |work= [[The Times of India]] |title= Fans of Mallu comic superhero seek 'minority' tag |access-date= 12 October 2020 |quote= ...The Dinkoists are a group of people that challenge superstition and religious orthodoxy ... popular in social media ... Dinkan is a comic superhero mouse, who first appeared in 1983 in a now-defunct Malayalam children's magazine `Balamangalam'...}}</ref>

==Events and protests==
[[File:Dinkoism in schools.jpg|thumb|A group of school children campaigning for a school election under a party formed on basis of belief in Dinkoism.]]

The concept of Dinkoism has spread through social media but the movement has also organised protest events. On January 30, 2016, a group of Dinkoists, under the banner of ''Mooshikasena'' (Rat Army) held a mock protest in front of Dhe Puttu restaurant owned by popular actor [[Dileep (actor)|Dileep]] alleging his upcoming film [[Professor Dinkan]] hurt their religious sentiments, mocking similar protests happening worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.onlookersmedia.in/latestnews/protest-upcoming-dileep-film-named-professor-dinkan |title= Protest against upcoming Dileep film named Professor Dinkan |date= 30 January 2016 |access-date= 12 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="twsTH1">{{cite news |url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/time-to-look-into-dinkans-ire/article8205071.ece |author=S.R. Praveen |author2=G. Krishnakumar |date= 7 February 2016 |newspaper= [[The Hindu]] |title= Time to look into Dinkan's ire: A mock protest against a Dileep film takes a potshot at religious groups |access-date= 12 October 2020 |quote= ...So, it was refreshing to see a group under the banner of the fake religion called 'Dinkoism' holding a mock protest in front of actor Dileep's restaurant in Kochi this past week, over his new film 'Professor Dinkan.' The idea of such a religion was floated online sometime ago as a way to take gentle pot-shots at various religious groups that takes offence at the drop of a hat...}}</ref>

Earlier Dinkoism was in news when an expatriate Dinkoist living in California obtained a license plate with the inscription DINKAN for his car, out of his devotion for Dinkan.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.marunadanmalayali.com/scitech/cyber-space/dinkan-car-license-plates-i-got-a-special-license-plate-in-the-name-of-my-god-36456 |script-title=ml:കാലിഫോർണിയയിലെ മലയാളിക്കു ഡിങ്കന്റെ നാമത്തിൽ നമ്പർ പ്ലേറ്റ്; ഡിങ്ക ഭഗവാനു സ്തുതി പാടി |language= Malayalam |trans-title= California license plate in Dinkan's name for a Keralite in California; Social media singing praises to Lord Dinkan |date= 18 January 2016 |access-date= 12 October 2020}}</ref> In 2016, [[J. Devika]] wrote an article about the concept of Dinkoism and the logic of the market.<ref>{{cite web|author1=J Devika|title=If You Can't Beat Them, Join 'em – Or, Ente Dinkeswara!|url=http://kafila.org/2016/02/08/if-you-cant-beat-them-join-em-or-ente-dinkeswara/ |website= Kafila.org |access-date= 11 February 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160209093500/http://kafila.org/2016/02/08/if-you-cant-beat-them-join-em-or-ente-dinkeswara/ |archive-date= 9 February 2016}}</ref>

==Conferences==
Dinkoists of Kozhikode organised a conference at the Sports Council Hall, [[Mananchira]] on March 20, 2016. They organised a variety of entertainments with a theme of [[tapioca]]. E. A. Jabbar, a prominent rationalist, endorsed Dinkoism.<ref name="twsDC12"/>

In April 2016, 25,000 Dinkoists were expected to gather for a convention called a "Dinkamatha Maha Sammelanam" to "present their rights as a minority community".<ref name="twsDC1">{{cite web |url= https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/190316/dinkoists-gear-up-for-maha-sammelanam.html |date= 19 March 2016 |publisher= Deccan Chronicle |title= Dinkoists gear up for 'Maha Sammelanam': 25,000 followers of comic superhero to meet on Sunday in Kozhikode. |access-date= 12 October 2020 |quote= ...Around 25,000 Dinkoists, the followers of comic superhero Dinkan, will hold a convention, 'Dinkamatha Maha Sammelanam,' ... actively involve themselves in politics, ahead of the Assembly polls...}}</ref> Dinkoists have received threatening messages as well as opposition from believers of other religions.<ref name="twsNIE1">{{cite web |url= http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Dinkoists-Gather-Under-a-Troll-Tree/2016/03/21/article3337791.ece |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160325143022/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Dinkoists-Gather-Under-a-Troll-Tree/2016/03/21/article3337791.ece |url-status= dead |archive-date= 25 March 2016 |author= Express News Service |date= 21 March 2016 |publisher= [[The New Indian Express]] |title= 'Dinkoists' Gather Under a Troll Tree |access-date= 12 October 2020 |quote=...threatening calls and opposition from staunch religious followers... the social media religion, 'Dinkoists' here on Sunday. ... no official registration ... attention entirely through Facebook... }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Religion|Comedy|Philosophy|Science}}

* [[Church of the SubGenius]]
* [[Discordianism]]
* [[Dudeism]]
* [[Evolution as fact and theory]]
* [[Existence of God]]
* [[Fideism]]
* [[Flying Spaghetti Monster]]
* [[Intelligent falling]]
* [[Invisible Pink Unicorn]]
* [[Mighty Mouse]]
* [[Out Campaign]]
* [[Parody religion]]
* [[Reductio ad absurdum]]
* [[Religious satire]]
* [[Theological noncognitivism]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Dinkoism }}

{{Irreligion}}
{{Portal bar|Religion}}

[[Category:Atheism activism]]
[[Category:Criticism of religion]]
[[Category:Indian religions]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2008]]
[[Category:New religious movements in India]]
[[Category:Religion in Kerala]]
[[Category:Religious parodies and satire]]

Dinkoism - Revision history

SheenaBayles at 05:07, 5 May 2026