Which Is The Only African Country Where Hinduism Is The Dominant Religion?
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 IST
In Mauritius, Hinduism is the religion of the majority.
There are more than 10,000 different religions in existence in various parts of the world. However, only 84% of the population in the world identify with one of the five major religions, which include Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, or some form of folk religion.
Hinduism
Hinduism is thought to be the oldest religion in the world. Although Hinduism has its origins in India, it has spread to several countries around the world. The religion has the third largest number of followers in the world after Christianity and Islam, and is primarily practiced in India and Asia. Hinduism is also known as the eternal way or a way of life, and is a mixture of different Indian traditions. The caste system which divided Hindus along social status was a significant practice in Hinduism, but the system has been stopped. Indians make for most of the population practicing Hinduism around the world because the religion rarely has new converts. Nepal has the highest number of Hindus in the world after India, and Mauritius which has the highest number of followers in Africa.
Hinduism in Africa
Hinduism infiltrated Africa around the 19th century with the colonization of African countries by the British. The religion was introduced by Indians who migrated as casual laborers from British India, some of who chose to remain in Africa. The ban on the slave trade in Africa made the British look for casual laborers from other continents. Most of the casual laborers were from India as the country was also a British colony. The religion has been embraced in several countries in Africa, but the majority of the followers are of Indian origin with very few African converts.
Hinduism in Mauritius
Mauritius is the only African country where Hinduism takes center stage as the religion with the highest number of followers. The country is located to the south east of Africa and has a population of about 1.3 million. A census by Statistics Mauritius in 2011 showed that 51.9% of the country’s population practice Hinduism, and 31% practice Christianity. The population is mostly made up of Indo-Mauritians which explain why Hinduism is primarily practiced in the country. Indo-Mauritians originated from the Indians who chose to stay in the country after the colonial period. The Hindus in Mauritius never practiced the caste system, and they speak Hindu, Creole, and Tamil. The three Hindu temples in the country are Triolet Mandir, Sagar Shiv Mandir, and the temple at Ganga Talao Grand Bassin. Maha Shivaratri, meaning "the Great Night of Shiva," is the most prominent Hindu festival in Mauritius and is widely celebrated in the country. The festival is four to nine days long and is marked between February and March.
Spread of Hinduism in Africa
South Africa is the second nation in Africa with a large population of Hindus. The religion is relatively new in West Africa, but it is seen to be fast growing in Ghana, this is with recent Indian immigration to this part of Africa. There are many Hindus in most of the Eastern and Southern African countries, especially countries that were British colonies. The religion, though having a few similarities with some of the African traditions, has received resistance from Christians and Muslims in some African countries.
Related Topics
Related News & Articles
• US lawmakers removed seven per cent country-cap on issuing Green Cards
• The mo...
Recently posted . 770 views . 2 min read
Mobile and fixed internet lines were cut across the country for a total of two hours, to coincide with the start of two separate school tests, journalists in Algi...
Recently posted . 774 views . 2 min read
While it is popularly known that Saudi Arabia is the king crude oil and a key member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), this country...
Recently posted . 932 views . 2 min read
Following protocol, Nauru`s President Baron Waqa refused to let China`s envoy speak before PM of Tuvalu at the Pacific Islands Forum. He later described him as `v...
Recently posted . 972 views . 2 min read
Under the new law, all but five per cent of a company's workforce -- reportedly those in the most senior positions -- can leave without prior permission from ...
Recently posted . 835 views . 2 min read
Trending News & Articles
ALMATY: Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China's new indoctrination camps had to disavow the...
Recently posted . 211K views . 1 min read
If you have payed attention to the belly buttons of people on the beach or the members of your family, you have probably noticed that they have different shapes and...
Recently posted . 10K views . 2 min read
The Langya henipavirus has a place with a similar group of infections, including Nipah, which is known to kill up to 3/4 of people in extreme cases.
Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
Queen's death: The eldest of her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 was the oldest heir apparent in British history, became king immediately...
Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
More in Global
Thailand was my first international Solo trip and like any other solo trip, I had to be cautious of many things that were not just related to safety and my securi...
Recently posted. 726 views . 2 min read
Indian Railways is planning to introduce two trains which promise to bring down travel time and provide world-class facilities to passengers...
Recently posted. 752 views . 1 min read
These are the times where most of the work is done by machines and we spend lesser times in manual labor. Apart from the work, leisure activities have reduced to a ...
Recently posted. 922 views . 2 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 3K views . 99 min read
Recently posted . 3K views . 140 min read
Pain is a part of the human experience. It’s safe to say that there isn’t a single person in the world who will go through life without experiencing p...
Recently posted. 1K views . 2 min read
Last year translation of legal documents into English was made mandatory in Abu Dhabi courts, if the defendant is foreigner
Recently posted. 922 views . 0 min read