Ajay Kumar at 05:18, 6 September 2023

2023-09-06T05:18:53Z

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{{Hinduism by country}}[[File:Temple-tamoul-saint-denis.JPG|thumb|
Sri Maha Kalakambal Temple in [[Saint-Denis, Réunion]]]]

'''Hinduism in Réunion''' constitutes a significant part of the island's population. The island of [[Réunion]] is home to approximately 200,000 [[India]]n descendants amongst the roughly 800,000 strong population.<ref name="hindutoday">{{cite journal | title =Reunion Hindus Try For a Revival | journal =Hinduism Today | last =Himalayan Academy | date =November 1991 | url =http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=871 | accessdate =2007-03-21 | archive-date =2019-12-05 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20191205222647/https://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=871 | url-status =dead }}</ref> Estimates of practicing Hindus vary from 6.7%<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter6.pdf |title=Indian diaspora |access-date=2007-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821114441/http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter6.pdf |archive-date=2010-08-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to 10.7%.<ref name="religiousintelligence">{{cite web |url=http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=151 |title=Country Profile: Reunion (Department of Reunion) |accessdate=2015-02-14 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013201658/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=151 |archive-date=13 October 2007 }}</ref> Yet, uncertainty as to the exact number of Hindus in the country results from the fact that ethnic and religious questions are forbidden in French censuses and members of the Indian population sometimes cross-identify with [[Roman Catholic]] and [[Hindu]] faiths.

The most recent arrivals of Tamil Hindus are from Sri Lanka and most came as refugees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://updatenewz.com/sri-lankans-risk-it-all-to-seek-asylum-on-tiny-island-near-africa/ |title=Sri Lankans risk it all to seek asylum on tiny island near Africa |date=March 3, 2019 |website=Update NewZ |access-date=2021-12-31 |archive-date=2019-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327074955/https://updatenewz.com/sri-lankans-risk-it-all-to-seek-asylum-on-tiny-island-near-africa/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
The history of Hinduism in Réunion stretches back to the mid and late nineteenth century. Many early Indian arrivals took on [[Christian name]]s and had their children [[baptism|baptised]] in the [[Catholic Church]] at the insistence of their employers or the government administration.<ref name="hindutoday"/> Even so, they did not abandon Hinduism in the process. Christian missionaries argued that the custom of lighting camphor before the Hindu God was an illustration of black magic, whereas lighting candle in the Church was a sure way to salvation.<ref name="eurasiareview1">{{cite web|title=Tamils In Re-Union: Losing Cultural Identity – Analysis|url=https://www.eurasiareview.com/12102018-tamils-in-re-union-losing-cultural-identity-analysis/|last=SAAG|date=2018-10-12|website=Eurasia Review|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-date=2020-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927212203/https://www.eurasiareview.com/12102018-tamils-in-re-union-losing-cultural-identity-analysis/|url-status=live}}</ref>

With the exception of the Muslims who came to the island from [[Gujarat]], all Indians were routinely reassigned as Catholics, more or less by force.<ref name="NIC">{{cite conference | first =L. M | last =Singhvi | author-link =Laxmi Mall Singhvi | author2 =R. L. Bhatia | author3 =J. R. Hiremath | author4 =Baleshwar Agarwal | book-title =High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora | title =Réunion | pages =Chapter 6 | publisher =Non Resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin Division, [[Indian Foreign Minister|Ministry of External Affairs]] | date =18 August 2000 | url =http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter6.pdf | accessdate =2007-03-21 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100821114441/http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter6.pdf | archive-date =21 August 2010 | url-status =dead }}</ref> Most of the conversions to Christianity took place during the period of [[indenture]].<ref name="hindutoday"/>

==Hinduism today==
[[File:Défilé Tamoul à Terre-Sainte (2855521147).jpg|thumb|Tamil [[Hindus]] in [[Réunion]]]]
[[File:La réunion 0228a.jpg|thumb|Hindu rite in Reunion.]]
[[File:Kovil5.JPG|thumb|Hindu ceremony on the beach at [[Saint-Pierre, Réunion|Saint-Pierre]].]]
Although many have converted to Christianity, in the rear portion of every Tamil Christian house, there is usually a small structure dedicated to the Hindu goddess [[Mariamman]] where they worship. Several Hindu traditions have been [[syncretism|subsumed]] by Christian traditions. The cult of Mariamman has been absorbed into the worship of [[Virgin Mary]]. [[Janmashtami]], birth day of God Krishna, is considered to be the [[Christmas|date of birth of Jesus Christ]]. [[Saint Expedit]], worshipped locally, is identified with Goddess [[Kali]].<ref name="eurasiareview1"/>

In recent years, there has been a revival of Hinduism among members of the [[Tamil people|Tamil]] community.<ref name="hindutoday"/> This has led to the establishment of many temples and [[ashram]]s. Some [[Tamil Brahmin|Gurukkal]]s (Temple priests) were also brought from Tamil Nadu as a part of this. Nonetheless, Dr Kalai Selvam Shanmugam, President of the Tamil Sangham in Reunion speaking at the Chennai Centre for Global Studies in 2018 regretted that some Temple priests brought from Tamil Nadu had been more interested in making money than in spreading the gospels of Hinduism.<ref name="eurasiareview1"/> An interesting feature, likely peculiar to Réunion, is the simultaneous observance by some ethnic Indians of both Catholic and Hindu rites, a practice that has earned them the sobriquet of being "socially Catholic and privately Hindu."

The French government gathers no statistics on religious affiliation. Because of this, it is impossible to know accurately how many Hindus there are in Réunion. Most of the large towns have a functioning [[Hindu temple]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Peoples of Africa: Réunion-Somalia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tsqua-r16i4C&pg=PA412|year=2001|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-7166-0|pages=412–|access-date=2017-05-29|archive-date=2017-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417064833/https://books.google.com/books?id=Tsqua-r16i4C&pg=PA412|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References and notes==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Hinduism by country]]
*[[Hinduism in South Africa]]
*[[Hinduism in France]]

==External links==
*[http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/SouthAsia/tamil.html Indentured immigration and social accommodation in La Réunion] by Christian Ghasarian, [[University of California-Berkeley]]

{{Africa in topic|Hinduism in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinduism In Reunion}}
[[Category:Religion in Réunion]]
[[Category:Hinduism in Africa|Réunion]]
[[Category:Hinduism in France| ]]

Hinduism in Réunion - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 05:18, 6 September 2023