Religion in India

A statue of the Gautama Buddha in Tawang . A statue of Shiva in Bangalore . A statue of Jain prophet (or Jina ) Bahubali in Karnataka . A popular Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, located at 28°33′11.46″N 77°15′35.10″E  /  28.5531833°N 77.2597500°E  / 28.5531833; 77.2597500 India is a country where religious diversity and religious tolerance is established in both law and custom . Throughout the history of India , religion has been an important part of the country's culture. India is the birth place of four of the world's major religious traditions ; namely Hinduism , Jainism , Buddhism and Sikhism . A vast majority of Indians associate themselves with a religion. According to the 2001 census, Hinduism accounts for 80.5% of the population of India . Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%) and Sikhism (1.9%) are the other major religions followed by the people of India. This diversity of religious belief systems existing in India today is a result of, besides existence and birth of native religions , assimilation and social integration of religions brought to the region by traders, travelers, immigrants, and even invaders and conquerors. Stating the hospitality of Hinduism towards all other religions, John Hardon writes, "However, the most significant feature of current Hinduism is its creation of a non-Hindu State, in which all religions are equal;..." Ancient India had two philosophical streams of thought, the Shramana religions and the Vedic religion , parallel traditions that have existed side by side for thousands of years. Buddhism and Jainism are continuations of Shramana traditions, while modern Hinduism is a continuation of the Vedic tradition. Zoroastrianism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India and each has several thousand Indian adherents. India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism and Bahá'í Faith anywhere in the world. Bahá'ís make up 0.2% of the Indian population The Constitution of India declares the nation to be a secular republic that must uphold the right of citizens to freely worship and propagate any religion or faith (with activities subject to reasonable restrictions for the sake of morality, law and order, etc.). . The Constitution of India also declares the right to freedom of religion as a fundamental right . Citizens of India are generally tolerant of each other's religions and retain a secular outlook, although inter-religious marriage is not widely practiced. The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Sharia or Muslim law, held precedence for Muslims over Indian civil law. Inter-community clashes have found little support in the social mainstream, and it is generally perceived that the causes of religious conflicts are political rather than ideological in nature. The great Indian corridor in the east . They are parallel or native religions of India and have contributed to much to the growth of even classical Hinduism of the present times." Chary, Manish (2009). An introduction to the Baha'i faith .

Religion in India (2011) Hinduism (78.3%) Islam (14.9%) Other religions/groups (6.77%) Religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Indian Subcontinent is the birthplace of some of the world's major religions ; namely Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Sikhism . Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. Religious diversity and religious tolerance are both established in the country by the law and custom ; the Constitution of India has declared the right to freedom of religion to be a fundamental right . The western and northern part of India have been the home of one of the most ancient civilization of the world called Indus valley civilization . Most of the shrines, ancient temples of Hinduism and the birthplace of Hindu saints are in India. Allahabad hosts the biggest religious festival Kumbhamela , where Hindus from all over the world come together to take a bathe in the confluence of three sacred rivers of India: Ganges , Yamuna , and Saraswati . It is also home of around 95% world population of Hindus . The Indian diaspora in the West has popularised many aspects of Hindu philosophy such as yoga , meditation , Ayurvedic medicine , divination , karma , and reincarnation . The influence of Indian religions has been significant all over the world. Several organisations, such as the Hare Krishna movement , the Brahma Kumaris , the Ananda Marga , and others have spread Indian spiritual beliefs and practices. According to the 2011 census, 78.35% of the population of India practice Hinduism and 14.88% adhere to Islam , while the remaining 6.77% adheres to other religions ( Christianity , Sikhism , Buddhism , Jainism and indigenous ethnic religions). There are also numerous minor ethnically-bound faiths , though these have been affected by major religions such as Hinduism , Buddhism , Islam and Christianity . Zoroastrianism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents. India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism (i.e. Parsis and Iranis ) and Bahá'í Faith in the world, even though these religions are not native to India. Many other world religions also have a relationship with Indian spirituality, such as the Baha'i faith which recognises Buddha and Krishna as manifestations of the God Almighty. The Muslim population of India is the third largest in the world. India also has the third largest Shia population in the world and being the cradle of the Ahmadiyya Islam, it is one of very few countries in the world with at least 1 million Ahmadi Muslims. The shrines of some of the most famous saints of Sufism , like Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya , are found in India, and attract visitors from all over the world. India is also home to some of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture, such as the Taj Mahal and the Qutb Minar . Civil matters related to the community are dealt with by the Muslim Personal Law, and constitutional amendments in 1985 established its primacy in family matters. Introduction to the Constitution of India (21 ed.). Abantika Ghosh , Vijaita Singh (24 January 2015). An introduction to the Baha'i faith .

Different types of Religions in the modern nation of India For the 1916 book by Max Weber , see The Religion of India . Religion in India ( 2011 Census ) Hinduism (79.8%) Islam (14.2%) Christianity (2.30%) Sikhism (1.70%) Buddhism (0.70%) Jainism (0.40%) Zoroastrianism (0.20%) Judaism (0.20%) Tribal Religion (0.20%) Baha'i Faith (0.10%) Religion not stated (0.20%) Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The preamble of Indian constitution states that the entire constitution is rooted in Hinduism as it encompasses all the different faiths, doctrines and theories that exist. However, at a later stage, the word secularism is added to the Indian constitution but with null effects of a separating state and religion in its actuality. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions ; namely Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism , and Sikhism . According to the 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of India practices Hinduism , 14.2% adheres to Islam , 2.3% adheres to Christianity , 1.7% adheres to Sikhism , 0.7% adheres to Buddhism and 0.4% adheres to Jainism . Zoroastrianism , Sanamahism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents. India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism (i.e. Parsis and Iranis ) and Bahá'í Faith in the world, even though these religions initially grew in Persia . Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. Religious diversity and religious tolerance are both established in the country by the law and custom ; the Constitution of India has declared the right to freedom of religion to be a fundamental right . Today, India is home to around 94% of the global population of Hindus. Most Hindu shrines and temples are located in India, as are the birthplaces of most Hindu saints. Prayagraj (formerly known as Allahabad) hosts the world's largest religious pilgrimage, Prayag Kumbh Mela , where Hindus from across the world come together to bath in the confluence of three sacred rivers of India: the Ganga , the Yamuna , and the Saraswati . The Indian diaspora in the West has popularized many aspects of Hindu philosophy such as yoga , meditation , Ayurvedic medicine , divination , karma , and reincarnation . The influence of Indian religions has been significant all over the world. Several Hindu-based organizations, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness , the Brahma Kumaris , the Ananda Marga , and others have spread Hindu spiritual beliefs and practices. The Indian subcontinent also contains the largest population of Muslims in the world, with about one-third of all Muslims being from South Asia . By 2050, the Muslim population of India is projected to grow to 311 million and surpass Indonesia to become the world's largest Muslim population, although India will retain a Hindu majority (about 77%). Being the cradle of Ahmadiyya Islam , India is one of the countries in the world with at least 2 million Ahmadi Muslims. The shrines of some of the most famous saints of Sufism , like Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya , are found in India, and attract visitors from all over the world. India is also home to some of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture, such as the Taj Mahal . Civil matters related to the community are dealt with by the Muslim Personal Law , and constitutional amendments in 1985 established its primacy in family matters. An introduction to the Baha'i faith . Introduction to the Constitution of India (21 ed.). South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today . Pew Research Center . 29 June 2018 . Pg 80,81 The sacred and the feminine: imagination and sexual difference By Griselda Pollock, Victoria Turvey Sauron "All India Muslim Personal Law Board" .

Religion in India ( 2011 census ) Hinduism (79.8%) Islam (14.2%) Christianity (2.30%) Sikhism (1.70%) Buddhism (0.70%) Animism/Adivasi (0.50%) Jainism (0.40%) No religion (0.20%) Other (0.20%) Goddess Meenakshi with consort Shiva and brother Vishnu inside the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai , Tamil Nadu Muslim men in an Islamic library in Delhi St. Philomena's Cathedral in Mysore , Karnataka is one of the tallest churches in Asia A Sikh pilgrim at the Golden Temple in Amritsar , Punjab Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture and the Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions , namely, Buddhism , Hinduism , Jainism , and Sikhism , which are collectively known as native Indian religions or Dharmic religions and represent approx. 83% of the total population of India. India has the largest number of followers of Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and the Bahá'í Faith in the world. It further hosts the third most followers of Islam, behind Indonesia and Pakistan , and the ninth largest population of Buddhists. The Preamble to the Constitution of India states that India is a secular state , and the Constitution of India has declared the right to freedom of religion to be a fundamental right . According to the 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of India follows Hinduism , 14.2% Islam , 2.3% Christianity , 1.7% Sikhism , 0.7% Buddhism and 0.4% Jainism . Zoroastrianism , Sanamahism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents. India has the largest population of people adhering to both Zoroastrianism (i.e. Parsis and Iranis ) and the Bahá'í Faith in the world; these religions are otherwise largely exclusive to their native Iran where they originated from. Several tribal religions are also present in India, such as Donyi-Polo , Sanamahism , Sarnaism , Niamtre , and others. Introduction to the Constitution of India (21 ed.).