Hinduism in Nepal in the context of "Bahun"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about Hinduism in Nepal in the context of "Bahun"

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: Hinduism in Nepal

Hinduism is the largest religion in Nepal. In 2006, the country declared itself a secular country through democracy, after the abolition of its monarchy. According to the 2021 census, the Hindu population in Nepal is estimated to be around 23,677,744 which accounts for at least 81.19% of the country's population, the highest percentage of Hindus of any country in the world. Vikram Samvat, one of the two official calendars used in Nepal, is a solar calendar essentially the same to that widespread in North India as a religious calendar, and is based on Solar unit of time.

Among the ethnic groups are the Bahun, Thakuri, Tharu, Chhetri, Magars, Hill Dalits, Madheshi, Newari people. Meanwhile, among the major ethnic groups Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, Gurung and Tamang have lowest percentage of followers of Hinduism within the group.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier

Hinduism in Nepal in the context of Hinduism in Indonesia

Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Indonesia, based on civil registration data in 2023 from Ministry of Home Affairs, is practised by about 1.68% of the total population, and almost 87% of the population in Bali. Hinduism was the dominant religion in the country before the arrival of Islam and is one of the six official religions of Indonesia today. Hinduism came to Indonesia in the 1st century CE through Indian traders, sailors, scholars and priests. A syncretic fusion of pre-existing Javanese folk religion, culture and Hindu ideas, that from the 6th-century also synthesized Buddhist ideas as well, evolved as the Indonesian version of Hinduism. These ideas continued to develop during the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires. About 1400 CE, these kingdoms were introduced to Islam from coast-based Muslim traders, and thereafter Hinduism, which was previously the dominant religion in the region, mostly vanished from many of the islands of Indonesia.

Indonesia has the fifth-largest population of Hindus in the world, after India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Though being a minority religion, the Hindu culture has influenced the way of life and day-to-day activities in Indonesia. Outside of Bali, many adherents of traditional indigenous religions identify as Hindus in order to gain official recognition.

↑ Return to Menu

Hinduism in Nepal in the context of Hinduism by country

Hinduism has approximately 1.17 billion adherents worldwide (14.9% of the world's population). Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind Christianity (32.8%) and Islam (23.3%). Pew Research Center data shows the global Hindu population grew steadily from 2010 to 2020 and is expected to keep rising. This increase is driven largely by higher fertility rates in India and Nepal and by growing Hindu populations in regions receiving more migrants.

The two Hindu-majority countries are India and Nepal and together account for more than 95% of the Hindu population worldwide. The past two centuries have seen large-scale migration of Hindus from Southeast Asia, to around the world. Countries with more than 500,000 Hindu residents and citizens are (in decreasing order) India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the United States, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Myanmar, Australia, Mauritius, South Africa, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. Global data shows Hinduism is still concentrated in South Asia, but significant communities also exist in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Oceania. WorldData.info reports that India holds most of the world’s Hindus, with notable populations in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

↑ Return to Menu

Hinduism in Nepal in the context of Hinduism in India

Hinduism is the largest and most practised religion in India. About 79.8% of the country's population is Hindu. India is home to 94% of the global Hindu population, making it the largest homeland of Hindus worldwide. The vast majority of Indian Hindus belong to Vaishnavite, Shaivite, and Shakta denominations. India is one of the two Hindu-majority countries in the world along with Nepal (81.19%).

↑ Return to Menu