I don't know if anyone on the forum knows, but what is the status of Hinduism in countries like Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, Jamaica, South Africa, or Mauritius? Is it declining or reviving?
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I don't know if anyone on the forum knows, but what is the status of Hinduism in countries like Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, Jamaica, South Africa, or Mauritius? Is it declining or reviving?
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Vannakkam bp789:
I have travelled to Mauritius. Hinduism there is very alive and well, in fact thriving. The Sivaratri pilgrimage to a sacred lake will draw 300 000 or more pilgrims. Thai Pusam is really big as well. In many ways, Mauritians are not as influenced by the British and scholarly approach. Most could be classified as hard core bhaktars. But this was just my take.
Scroll down on this link, and have a look at the crowd. This is for a monthly homa at the Spiritual park.
http://himalayanacademy.com/blog/tak...piritual-park/
Aum Namasivaya
Ah okay, that's nice to know.
But what about the countries in the Caribbean or South America like Guyana, Suriname, or Trinidad? Anyone know?
Vannakkam bp789: As far as I know, some (indenture laborers) did lose the religion. In Reunion Island, next to Mauritius, a more systematic effort to convert by the French to Christianity had a huge impact. In Jamaica and most smaller islands of the Caribbean, so too did SD practically disappear over time.
Trinidad and Guyana are different in that larger populations were there in the beginning. Many people from there have also had another migration: to North America, and from Surinam to The Netherlands. In my city we have a Caribbean Hindu Association. You can find out a lot by googling 'Hinduism in _______".
Aum Namasivaya
Namaste bp789,
My parents and grandparents were born and raised in Guyana. A little less than under 30% of the population is Hindu, and that number is declining each year as more and more people convert to Christianity. But the Hindus who are there are really devoted for the most part.
Jai Sri Ram
Many Guyanese people have migrated to other countries like the US, Canada, and England because they endured rampant violence and a poverty back home. But, I can vouch that the Hindu Guyanese population in NYC has been booming since the 90s.
Many of the youth are getting involved in our Hindu practices and philosophy. As opposed to the older generation that just did as they were told, being ignorant of purpose and meaning of our rituals.
Namaste Avie,
That's good to hear. However, in my family that's largely not true. Many of the youth do not know much about Sanatana Dharma or are only semi-practicing at best. That goes for a lot of the older family members as well, but there are also a lot of them who are fully practicing and know a lot about the faith, and are not ignorant of the purpose and meaning of our rituals. Of course there is variation, and this is just in my family. But it is pleasant to hear that the population is booming in New York.Quote:
Originally Posted by Avie J
Jai Sri Ram