Hinduism in Assam
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2023) |
Total population | |
---|---|
19,180,759 (2011 census) [1][2] (61.47% of population) | |
Languages | |
Majority Assamese Minority | |
Religion | |
Hinduism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Assamese Muslims and Assamese Christians |
Hinduism is the dominant religion practised in the state of
History
The
Festivals
Bohag bihu
The first day of Bohag bihu is called "Goru Bihu". Goru means cow. The first day is the bihu of cows and buffaloes. Goru bihu is related to the agricultural roots of Assam in rural areas. The day is dedicated to caring and upkeep of cattle (the wealth generator of farmers). Cows (sacred animal in
Ambubachi Mela
During Ambubachi Mela, hindu sages from all over India came to the temple for doing certain black magic which is known by the local name of "Tantra Mantra". Kamakhya is centre of Tantric worship.[19]
Bathou puja (worship)
Temples
Hajo
Hajo is a historic town set in the hills northwest of Guwahati, Assam, India. It is a sacred place for Hindus as a pilgrimage site. To the Hindus of Assam and world over, the Manikut Parbat of Hajo is the site of the 10th-century temple ruins and the 11th- to 16th-century temples complex for Vaishnavism as well as shrines of Shaivism and Shaktism.
Basistha temple
Umananda temple
"Umananda" the smallest river island is located in the midst of river Brahmaputra flowing through the city of Guwahati in Assam. The British named the island Peacock Island for its structure. This temple is dedicated to Hindu deity
Sukreshwar mandir
The
Dirgeshwari temple
Demography
Year | State population | Hindu Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
1901 | 3,289,680 | 2,781,424 | 84.55 |
1911 | 3,848,617 | 3,201,664 | 83.19 |
1921 | 4,636,980 | 3,726,277 | 80.36 |
1931 | 5,560,371 | 4,214,761 | 75.8 |
1941 | 6,694,790 | 4,131,355 | 74.3 |
1951 | 8,028,856 | 5,682,824 | 70.78 |
1961 | 10,837,329 | 7,731,350 | 71.34 |
1971 | 14,625,152 | 10,604,697 | 72.51 |
1981 | 18,041,248 | 12,578,358 | 69.72 |
1991 | 22,414,322 | 15,048,975 | 67.14 |
2001 | 26,655,528 | 17,296,772 | 64.89 |
2011 | 31,205,576 | 19,180,759 | 61.47 |
A part of Hinduism's percentage decline in Assam is due to lower fertility rates compared to the Muslim population and illegal immigration of Bangladeshis in Assam since from the late 1900s. Assam's total fertility rate is 1.9 according to NFHS-5. The rate is below the replacement rate of 2.1. In NFHS-3, which was conducted in 2005–06, Hindus in Assam had fertility rates of 1.95 respectively. By 2019–20, NFHS-5 showed Hindu fertility rate have fallen to 1.6.[28]
Population by district (2011 year)
Below is a breakdown of the
:# | District | Total population | Hindu population | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Baksa | 950,075 | 782,901 | 82.4% |
2 | Barpeta | 1,693,622 | 492,966 | 29.11% |
3 | Bongaigaon | 738,804 | 359,145 | 48.61% |
4 | Cachar | 1,736,617 | 1,038,985 | 59.83% |
5 | Chirang | 482,162 | 320,647 | 66.50% |
6 | Darrang | 928,500 | 327,322 | 35.25% |
7 | Dhemaji | 686,133 | 655,052 | 95.47% |
8 | Dhubri | 1,949,258 | 388,380 | 19.92% |
9 | Dibrugarh | 1,326,335 | 1,198,401 | 90.35% |
10 | Dima Hasao | 214,102 | 143,593 | 67.07% |
11 | Goalpara | 1,008,183 | 347,878 | 34.51% |
12 | Golaghat | 1,066,888 | 917,426 | 85.99% |
13 | Hailakandi | 659,296 | 251,194 | 38.1% |
14 | Jorhat | 1,092,256 | 1,008,219 | 92.31% |
15 | Kamrup | 1,517,542 | 877,495 | 57.82% |
16 | Kamrup Metropolitan | 1,253,938 | 1,064,412 | 84.89% |
17 | Karbi Anglong | 956,313 | 766,000 | 80.1% |
18 | Karimganj | 1,228,686 | 521,962 | 42.48% |
19 | Kokrajhar | 887,142 | 529,068 | 59.64% |
20 | Lakhimpur | 1,042,137 | 797,130 | 76.49% |
21 | Morigaon | 957,423 | 451,882 | 47.2% |
22 | Nagaon | 2,823,768 | 1,225,246 | 43.39% |
23 | Nalbari | 771,639 | 491,582 | 63.71% |
24 | Sivasagar | 1,151,050 | 1,007,277 | 87.51% |
25 | Sonitpur | 1,924,110 | 1,422,824 | 73.95% |
26 | Tinsukia | 1,327,929 | 1,181,347 | 88.96% |
27 | Udalguri | 831,668 | 612,425 | 73.64% |
28 | Hojai | 931,218 | 424,065 | 45.53% |
29 | South Salmara district |
249,508 | 4,589 | 1.84% |
Assam (Total) | 31,205,576 | 19,180,759 | 61.47% |
Trends
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1901 | 2,781,424 | — |
1911 | 3,201,664 | +15.1% |
1921 | 3,726,277 | +16.4% |
1931 | 4,214,761 | +13.1% |
1941 | 4,131,355 | −2.0% |
1951 | 5,682,824 | +37.6% |
1961 | 7,731,350 | +36.0% |
1971 | 10,604,697 | +37.2% |
1981 | 12,578,358 | +18.6% |
1991 | 15,048,975 | +19.6% |
2001 | 17,296,772 | +14.9% |
2011 | 19,180,759 | +10.9% |
Source: Census of India |
The Hindu population in Assam have increased from 2.78 million in 1901 to 19.18 million in 2011 census (a growth of 16.4 million in 110 years).[31] Hindus in Assam have a fertility rate of 1.6 in 2019–20.[32] Between (2011–21) year for upcoming 2021 census of India, it was predicted that Hindu growth rate have fallen below 10 percent leading to a population growth of only 20.16 million in 2021 from 19.18 million which was the previous census results of 2011.[33][34][35]
Hindu percentage by decades in Assam[31]
Year | Percent | Increase |
---|---|---|
1901 | 84.55% | - |
1911 | 83.19% |
-1.36% |
1921 | 80.36% |
-2.83% |
1931 | 75.8% |
-4.56% |
1941 | 74.3% |
-1.5% |
1951 | 70.78% |
-3.52% |
1961 | 71.34% | +0.56% |
1971 | 72.51% | +1.17% |
1981 | 69.72% | -2.79% |
1991 | 67.14% | -2.58% |
2001 | 64.89% | -2.25% |
2011 | 61.47% | -3.42% |
Assam's Hindu percentage has been steadily decreasing for over a century, though they experienced a slight rebound during the 1960s and 70s. The percentage of Hindus was 84.55% in 1901 and has declined to 61.47% in 2011 census, representing a decline of 23.08% in 110 years.[31][1] The increase in the Hindu percentage during the period of (1961–1971) was mainly because of im-migration of East Pakistan's Hindu refugees into the state.[36]
Illegal Immigration
As per estimation, around 10 million Bangladeshis (mostly Muslims) are staying illegally in Assam, of which around 2 million among them are Hindus who have entered Assam in droves during (1961-71) period and thereafter staying here, thus today constituting around 6.4 percent of the state population as per 2011 Census.[37][38] If the illegal population are excluded through National Register of Citizens, then state total population will come down from 31.2 million to 29.2 million, and as a result the Hindu population will also eventually go down from 19.18 million (61.47%) to 17.18 million (55.07%) respectively.[39]
Hindu population by Ethnic Group
Ethnicity/Race | Hindu population |
---|---|
Vaishyas .)
|
2,045,706 |
Bengali Hindus (Majority in Barak Valley, while significant population also resides in mainland Brahmaputra Valley.) | 6,026,439 |
Indigenous Tribal Hindus ( etc.) | 8,192,417 |
Hindu Immigrants from (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Nepal, Odisha, Punjab & Rajasthan.) | 2,916,197 |
Total | 19,180,759 |
The Scheduled Tribes of Assam are mainly practitioners of Hindu faith. Of 38.84 lakh Scheduled Tribes counted in Assam in 2011, it was found that 33.50 lakh are Hindus; forming 86.24 percent of the ST population in the state.
See also
- Demography of Assam
- Ahom religion
- Assamese people
- Bodo people
- Islam in Assam
- Christianity in Assam
- Bathouism
- Bengali Hindus in Assam
- Namghar
- Satra (Ekasarana Dharma)
References
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- ^ "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2012. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Assam – the remote and hilly region in the northeast corner of India, tucked between Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar – is home to some of the most complex and poorly understood Hindu traditions of South Asia."(Urban 2016:11)
- censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the originalon 31 March 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Battleground Assam a tale of two valleys and the CAA quandary Assam bengal polls 2021 | Opinion News – India TV". 18 February 2021.
- ^ "Home | Government of India". censusindia.gov.in.
- ^ "Push for Bengali language in Barak | Guwahati News". The Times of India. 11 December 2021.
- ^ "In Assam's Barak Valley, Muslims fear the new citizenship bill will disempower them politically". 22 June 2018.
- ^ "Assam Assembly Election 2021: In Barak Valley, Congress battles religious fault lines; local factors bother BJP". April 2021.
- ^ a b "ST-14 Scheduled Tribe Population By Religious Community – Assam". census.gov.in. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ (Misra 1999:1264)
- ^ Changing Status of the Ahom Priestly Class (PDF)
- ^ Baruah 1986, p. 227.
- ^ "Assam".
- ^ "Assam to create department of indigenous faith". The Hindu. 10 July 2021.
- ^ Assam (.gov) https://assam.gov.in › filesPDF GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM INDIGENOUS AND TRIBAL FAITH ...
- ^ "Culture of Assam | Assam State Portal".
- ^ "Breaking News in English | National Politics News in English". 15 April 2022.
- ^ "Religious Festivals | Directorate of Tourism | Government of Assam, India".
- ^ xajzkjdx.cn https://www.xajzkjdx.cn › 95...PDF BATHOU: OLDEST RELIGION OF THE BODO COMMUNITY
- ^ "Navagrahas, Navagraha Temple, Navagraha Temple Assam, Navagraha Temple in India".
- ^ "Basistha Temple in Guwahati, Basistha Ashram Temple in Guwahati". www.guwahationline.in. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Basistha Temple | Shiva Mandir, Guwahati, Assam – Hindu Temples". rgyan.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "The mysterious mythological story of Umananda temple". 19 April 2020.
- ^ "Sukreswar Temple – History of Sukreswar Temple". www.mahashivratri.org. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Dirgheswari Temple Guwahati, How to reach Dirgheswari Temple".
- ^ "Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP chasing ghosts in Assam; Census data shows number of Hindu immigrants may have been exaggerated". Firstpost. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Numbers tell the story: Assam CM should look at state's fertility data". Times of India Blog. 12 June 2021.
- ^ 2011 Census Data: Assam.
- ^ a b "Census of India". Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "Decline of Hindus and the Rise of Muslims in Assam" (PDF). cpsindia.org.
- ^ "Assam Muslims have recorded sharpest fall in fertility since 2005–06: Govt data". The Times of India. 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Demographic Jitters". 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Assam plans to form 'population army' to curb birth rate in Muslim areas". 20 July 2021.
- ^ "Hindu-Muslim population growth rate difference dangerous, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma | Guwahati News". The Times of India. 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP chasing ghosts in Assam; Census data shows number of Hindu immigrants may have been exaggerated". 18 December 2019.
- ^ https://www.pratidintime.com/latest-assam-news-breaking-news-assam/1-crore-illegal-bangladeshis-residing-in-assam-dipanka-nath
- ^ https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/20-lakh-bangladeshi-hindus-to-become-indians-if-citizenship-bill-is-passed-krishak-mukti-sangram-samiti/articleshow/67574226.cms
- ^ "Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP chasing ghosts in Assam; Census data shows number of Hindu immigrants may have been exaggerated". 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Religion Data of Census 2011: XXIX Northeast ST".
- ^ (Saikia 2004)
- ^ Ethnic Issues, Secularism and Conflict Resolution in North East India, pp. 145, Concept Publishing Company, 2006, ISBN 9788180691348, ... Amongst the plains tribals in the state of Assam, the Bodos are the largest group ...
- ^ Hanse, H.M. (2007). Traditional Dwelling Process of Karbis. In P.C. Patniak & D.Borah (Eds), Tribes of India: Identity, Culture, and Lore (pp.61–79) Guwahati: Angik Prakashan
- ^ Phangcho, P.C. (2003). The Karbis of North-East India. Guwahati: AngGik Prakashan.
- ^ Terang, C.K. (2007). "Festival and Beliefs of the Karbi Tribe". In P.C. Patnaik; D. Borah (eds.). Tribes of India: Identity, Culture, and Lore (Special Focus on the Karbis of Assam). Guwahati: Angik Prakashan.
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Bibliography
- Baruah, S L (1986), A Comprehensive History of Assam, Munshiram Manoharlal
- Misra, Udayon (1999). "Immigration and Identity Transformation in Assam". Economic and Political Weekly. 34 (21): 1264–1271. JSTOR 4407987.
- Saikia, Yasmin (2004). Fragmented Memories: Struggling to be Tai-Ahom in India. Duke University Press. ISBN 082238616X.
- Urban, Hugh (2016), "Assam and the Eastern States", in Jacobsen, Knut A. (ed.), Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online,
External links
- Eliot, Charles N. E. (1910). "Hinduism in Assam". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: 1155–1186. JSTOR 25189782.