Hinduism in Sweden
History
Some Indian students who went to Sweden in the 1950s settled down there. Another stream of Indians came from Uganda in the 1970s. Some Indians sought and obtained political asylum after 1984. The Indian community is culturally very active. Different associations hold cultural functions and observe national days.[3]
There were also Tamil Hindu refugees from Sri Lanka and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh. After Sweden’s immigration policy reform in 2008, India has become a leading country of labor supply, mostly of computer specialists.[4]
Demographics
In 2005, there were between 7,000 to 10,000
and 1,500 were of Bengali origin.Hinduism is growing in Sweden due to the labour migration of Indian IT and other engineers. According to official Swedish government statistics, the number of inhabitants born in India was approximately 48,000 persons in 2021. In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives estimated that there were approximately 13,000 Hindus in Sweden (0.13% of the population).[7]
Hindu Organisations in Sweden
Hindu Forum Sweden (HFS) is the major Hindu association in Sweden. HFS is an umbrella organization of Hindu Forum Europe (HFE). In 2018, this organization also celebrates Hindu festival Diwali with Hindus of Sweden, Swedish politicians and representatives of inter-religious groups. Other associations include:
- Bengali Hindu Association
- Hindu Mandir Stockholm (Stockholm Hindu Temple)
- Hindu Union Jönköping
- Stockholm Kannada Koota
- The International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation has a temple in Mariestad
International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Sweden
The Krishna movement in Sweden functions from a few places in Sweden.
- Korsnäs Gård, in Srila Prabhupadawho started the movement. Srila Prabhupada visited Sweden in 1973.
- The Hare Krishna center in Stockholm runs a restaurant, a shop and a small temple.
- The Almviks gård in the south of Stockholm County is also a country side establishment with a temple. Originally this was an agricultural cooperative but has later changed into a village project combining agriculture with families living there but working elsewhere.
See also
- Hinduism in Denmark
- Hinduism in Finland
- Hinduism in Norway
- Hinduism in Europe
- Religion in Sweden
Notes
- ^ "Religion in Sweden". globalreligiousfutures.org.
- ^ "Indian diaspora" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-26. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ "ibid" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-26. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ "Dear Hindutva Trolls Abusing Muslim Refugees, Tomorrow It Will be Your Turn to be Under Far-Right's Radar of Hatred".
- ^ United States Department of State IRF 2005
- ^ Tamilnation.org
- ^ "National Profiles | World Religion". www.thearda.com. Retrieved 2023-10-30.