CleanupBot II at 00:22, 14 August 2023

2023-08-14T00:22:43Z

New page

{{Short description|Overview of Hinduism in Bhutan}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}

{{Infobox religious group|group=Bhutanese Hindus|image=New_Hindu_Temple_Thimphu.jpg|image_caption=Hindu Dharma Samudaya Temple, Kuensel Phodrang, [[Thimphu]], [[Bhutan]].|population=190,000 (2011)<br/>'''22.6%''' of total population|religions=[[Hinduism]]}}{{Hinduism by country}}

'''[[Hinduism]]''' is the second largest religious affiliation in [[Bhutan]], covering about 22.6% of the population, according to the [[Pew Research Center]] 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religion in Bhutan - Freedom of Religion and Bhutanese Culture|url=https://www.holidify.com/pages/religion-in-bhutan-1989.html|access-date=2021-06-07|website=www.holidify.com}}</ref> It is followed mainly by the ethnic [[Lhotshampa]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Bhutan|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/bhutan/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=United States Department of State|language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Shaivite]], [[Vaishnavite]], [[Shakta]], [[Ganapathi]], [[Puranic]], and [[Vedas|Vedic]] schools are represented among Hindus. Hindu temples exist in southern Bhutan, and Hindus practice their religion in small- to medium-sized groups.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Basnet|first=Tika Ram|date=2020-04-30|title=Hinduism and the Caste System in Bhutan|url=https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3295446|language=en|location=Rochester, NY}}</ref> About 75% of the population of [[Bhutan]] are [[Buddhist]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Global religion Table|url=https://www.pewforum.org/files/2012/12/globalReligion-tables.pdf|url-status=live|website=[[Pew Research Centre]]}}</ref>

==History==
{{Further information|History of Bhutan}}
==Festival==
The main festival of Bhutanese Hindus is [[Dashain]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=16 Dashain Festival in Nepal ideas {{!}} nepal, festival, path to heaven|url=https://www.pinterest.com/stunningnepal/dashain-festival-in-nepal/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Pinterest|language=en}}</ref> It is the only recognized [[Hindu festival|Hindu public holiday]] in Bhutan. It was recognized as a holiday in 2015 by the [[King of Bhutan]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhutan king celebrates Dashain festival, prays at Goddess Durga temple|url=https://www.indiafaith.in/Encyc/2020/10/27/Bhutan-king-celebrates-Dashain-festival-prays-at-Goddess-Durga-temple.html|access-date=2021-06-07|website=www.indiafaith.in|language=en}}</ref> He also celebrated [[Dashain]] with [[Hindus]] that year.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-23|title=His Majesty celebrates Dashain with the people of Loggchina|url=http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=53990|access-date=2021-06-07|website=BBS|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hinduism Today - Authentic resources for a billion-strong religion in renaissance|url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-07|website=[[Hinduism Today]]|language=en-US}}</ref> The first nine days of Dashain symbolize the battle which took place between the different manifestations of [[Durga]] and [[Mahishasura]]. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated him. For other Hindus, this festival symbolizes the victory of [[Rama|Ram]] over [[Ravana|Ravan]] as recounted in the [[Ramayana]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dashain Festival - Nepal's Biggest, Longest and Most Auspicious Festival|url=https://www.tibettravel.org/nepal-festival/dashain-festival.html|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Tibet Travel and Tours - Tibet Vista|language=en}}</ref> They also prepare [[Sel roti]] during [[Dashain]].

==Hindu Dharma Samudaya==
The [[Hindu Dharma Samudaya of Bhutan|Hindu Dharma Samudaya of Bhutan (HDSB)]] is the Hindu religious organization, established in 2009. It is registered with the [[Chhoedey Lhentshog]], the Commission for Religious Organizations of Bhutan. HDSB is dedicated to promote spiritual traditions and practices of [[Sanatan dharma|Sanathan Dharma]] in Bhutan so to foster and strengthen human values. Its head office in the capital city, [[Thimphu]], the organization is managed by a Board of Directors of volunteers comprising representatives from Hindu priests and other HDSB members who are elected at an annual general meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhutan Hindu Dharma|url=https://bhutanhindudharma.com/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-07|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Persecution of Hindus==
{{main article|Ethnic cleansing in Bhutan}}

=== Ethnic cleansing ===
Ethnic cleansing of [[Lhotshampa|Lhotshampa Hindus]] was carried out by King [[Jigme Singye Wangchuk]] of Bhutan during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-07-01|title=The ethnic cleansing hidden behind Bhutan's happy face-World News , Firstpost|url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/the-ethnic-cleansing-hidden-behind-bhutans-happy-face-918473.html|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Firstpost}}</ref> In the early 1990s, several thousands of Bhutanese residents in southern Bhutan were ethnically cleansed by the authorities under the provisions of the amended [[Bhutan|Citizenship Act of 1985]], because they followed the [[Hindu Religion|Hindu religion]] and culture, and had mixed Himalayan ethnicity, with one parent of [[Nepali people|Nepali origin]]. Nepal, like India, shares common Hindu and Buddhist traditions, but the majority of Bhutan's population is exclusively Buddhist and the royal family has demonstrably shown a pronounced [[Anti-Hindu sentiment|bias against]] its Hindu citizens who have been settled there for centuries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhutanese Refugees|url=http://bhutaneserefugees.com/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Bhutanese Refugees|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Refugees and diaspora ===
{{Main|Bhutanese refugees}}
After the purge of the 1990s began, Bhutanese Hindus were forced to live in refugee camps set up by the [[UN High Commissioner for Human Rights|UN High Commission]] for Refugees [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)]] in eastern [[Nepal]] in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhutan’s Dark Secret: The Lhotshampa Expulsion|url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/bhutans-dark-secret-the-lhotshampa-expulsion/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=thediplomat.com|language=en-US}}</ref> With help of [[UNHCR]] and WHO, the majority of [[Bhutanese refugees]] are resettled to the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], and European countries. There is a small number of refugees living in camps in Nepal still hoping to see their motherland for more than 30 years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/prm/policyissues/issues/protracted/countries/157400.htm|access-date=2021-06-07|website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref>

=== Discrimination ===
The government provided financial assistance for the construction of [[Buddhist temple|Buddhist temples]] and shrines and state funding for [[Bhikkhu|monks]] and [[monasteries]].<ref name=":0" /> NGOs alleged that the government rarely granted permission to build Hindu temples; the last report of such construction was in the early 1990s, when the government authorized the construction and renovation of Hindu temples and centers of [[Sanskrit]] and Hindu learning and provided state funds to help finance the projects.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bhattacherjee|first=Kallol|date=2019-02-03|title=Buddhism gives firmer ground for India-Bhutan relations|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/buddhism-gives-firmer-ground-for-india-bhutan-relations/article26167242.ece|access-date=2021-06-07|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The government argued that it was a matter of supply and demand, with demand for Buddhist temples far exceeding that for Hindu temples. The Government stated that it supported numerous Hindu temples in the south, where most Hindus reside, and provided some scholarships for [[Hindus]] to study [[Sanskrit]] in India.

==See also==
* [[Freedom of religion in Bhutan]]
*[[Hinduism in Southeast Asia]]
*[[Religion in Bhutan]]

==References==
<references />

== External links ==

* {{Commons category-inline|Hinduism in Bhutan}}
{{Bhutanese society}}{{Asia topic|Hinduism in}}
[[Category:Hinduism in Bhutan| ]]
[[Category:Hinduism by country|Bhutan]]
[[Category:Hinduism in South Asia|Bhutan]]
[[Category:Religion in Bhutan]]

Hinduism in Bhutan - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 00:22, 14 August 2023