Hinduism in Sri Lanka: Difference between revisions
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According to the 1915 [[census]], Hindus made up about 25 percent of the Sri Lankan population (including [[Indentured servitude|indentured labourers]] brought by the British). [[Hinduism]] predominates in the [[Northern Province, Sri Lanka|Northern]] and [[Eastern Province, Sri Lanka|Eastern]] Provinces (where Tamils remain the largest demographic), the central regions and [[Colombo]], the capital. According to the 2011 census, there are 2,554,606 Hindus in Sri Lanka (12.6 percent of the country's population). During the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]], many Tamils emigrated; Hindu temples, built by the [[Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora]], maintain their religion, tradition and culture. |
According to the 1915 [[census]], Hindus made up about 25 percent of the Sri Lankan population (including [[Indentured servitude|indentured labourers]] brought by the British). [[Hinduism]] predominates in the [[Northern Province, Sri Lanka|Northern]] and [[Eastern Province, Sri Lanka|Eastern]] Provinces (where Tamils remain the largest demographic), the central regions and [[Colombo]], the capital. According to the 2011 census, there are 2,554,606 Hindus in Sri Lanka (12.6 percent of the country's population). During the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]], many Tamils emigrated; Hindu temples, built by the [[Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora]], maintain their religion, tradition and culture. |
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Most Sri Lankan Hindus follow the [[Shaiva Siddhanta]] school of [[Shaivism]], and some follow [[Shaktism]]. Sri Lanka is home to the five abodes of Shiva: [[Pancha Ishwarams]], holy places built by King [[Ravana]]. [[Murugan]] is one of the country's most popular Hindu deities, venerated by Hindu [[Tamils]], Buddhist [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] and Aboriginal [[Vedda]] |
Most Sri Lankan Hindus follow the [[Shaiva Siddhanta]] school of [[Shaivism]], and some follow [[Shaktism]]. Sri Lanka is home to the five abodes of Shiva: [[Pancha Ishwarams]], holy places built by King [[Ravana]]. [[Murugan]] is one of the country's most popular Hindu deities, venerated by Hindu [[Tamils]]<ref>''Walking to Kataragama'', Sunil Goonasekera, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 2007, p. 520.</ref> also the Buddhist [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]]<nowiki/>s and Aboriginal [[Vedda|Veddas]] venerate the local rendition of the deity, [[Kataragama deviyo|Katharagama deviyo]]<ref>Obeyesekere, Gananath. “Social Change and the Deities: Rise of the Kataragama Cult in Modern Sri Lanka.” ''Man'', vol. 12, no. 3/4, 1977, pp. 377–396. ''JSTOR'', www.jstor.org/stable/2800544. Accessed 30 Jan. 2021.</ref> |
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[[Yogaswami]] of [[Jaffna]] is a significant modern Hindu religious figure in Sri Lankan history. A 20th-century mystic, he was the [[satguru]] and counselling sage of the country's Tamil Hindu population. The [[Ramakrishna Mission]] is active in the [[Amparai]] and [[Batticaloa]] districts, and the Shaiva Siddhanta school is prevalent in the north.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/yogaswami_ei/web/ch35_56.html|title=Lion of Lanka}}</ref> Yogaswami was the 161st head of the [[Nandinatha Sampradaya]], and was succeeded by [[Sivaya Subramuniyaswami]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.himalayanacademy.com/monastery/lineage-philosophy/gurudeva|title=Shivaya Subramaniam|website=Himalayan Academy}}</ref> |
[[Yogaswami]] of [[Jaffna]] is a significant modern Hindu religious figure in Sri Lankan history. A 20th-century mystic, he was the [[satguru]] and counselling sage of the country's Tamil Hindu population. The [[Ramakrishna Mission]] is active in the [[Amparai]] and [[Batticaloa]] districts, and the Shaiva Siddhanta school is prevalent in the north.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/yogaswami_ei/web/ch35_56.html|title=Lion of Lanka}}</ref> Yogaswami was the 161st head of the [[Nandinatha Sampradaya]], and was succeeded by [[Sivaya Subramuniyaswami]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.himalayanacademy.com/monastery/lineage-philosophy/gurudeva|title=Shivaya Subramaniam|website=Himalayan Academy}}</ref> |
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=={{anchor|Theological origins}}Legendary origins== |
=={{anchor|Theological origins}}Legendary origins== |
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The first major Hindu reference to Sri Lanka is found in the epic ''[[Ramayana]]''. Sri Lanka was ruled by the [[Yaksha]] King [[Kubera]]. The throne of [[Lanka]] was usurped by Kubera's half-brother [[Ravana]], the epic's chief antagonist, who was killed by [[Rama]] (the seventh [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]]). The ''Ramayana'' also mentions [[Rama's Bridge]], between India and Sri Lanka, which was built with rocks by Rama with the aid of [[Hanuman]] and others. Many believers see the chain of [[Shoal|sandbars]], connecting Sri Lanka to India in satellite images, as remnants of the bridge. |
The first major Hindu reference to Sri Lanka is found in the epic ''[[Ramayana]]''. Sri Lanka was ruled by the [[Yaksha]] King [[Kubera]]. The throne of [[Lanka]] was usurped by Kubera's half-brother [[Ravana]], the epic's chief antagonist, who was killed by [[Rama]] (the seventh [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]]). The ''Ramayana'' also mentions [[Rama's Bridge]], between India and Sri Lanka, which was built with rocks by Rama with the aid of [[Hanuman]] and others. Many believers see the chain of [[Shoal|sandbars]], connecting Sri Lanka to India in satellite images, as remnants of the bridge.This Ravana was a devotee of Siva as mentioned in the epic.<ref>''The Book of Shiva'', Namita Gokhale, Penguin Books India, 2009, p. 104.</ref> |
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==Historic roots== |
==Historic roots== |
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Evidence indicates that the island's earliest inhabitants were the [[Ancient clans of Lanka|Nagas and Yakkas]]. |
Evidence indicates that the island's earliest inhabitants were the [[Ancient clans of Lanka|Nagas and Yakkas]]. The Nagas who inhabited the [[Jaffna Peninsula]] were probably the ancestors of Sri Lankan Tamils. They began absorbing the Tamil language and culture during the 3rd century BC, and lost their separate identity.{{sfn|Holt, The Sri Lanka Reader: History, Culture, Politics|Duke University Press, 2011|pp=73-74}}{{refn|group=note|According to several authors, they may have been [[Dravidian peoples|Dravidians]].<ref name="saf">Laura Smid (2003). ''South Asian folklore: an encyclopedia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka''. Great Britain: Routledge, p. 429.</ref><ref>Chelvadurai Manogaran (1987). ''Ethnic conflict and reconciliation in Sri Lanka''. United States: University of Hawaii Press, p. 21.</ref>}} The [[Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple]] in [[Nainativu]] is believed to be one of the [[Shakti Peetha]].<ref>[https://www.templepurohit.com/featured_item/nainativu-nagapoosani-amman-temple-sri-lanka/] templepurohit.com - May 28, 2015</ref> |
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Buddhism was introduced by [[Mahinda (Buddhist monk)|Mahinda]], the eldest son of [[Ashoka]], during the reign of [[Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura]].<ref>''Asian Religions in British Columbia'', UBC Press (2011), p. 125.</ref> The [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] embraced Buddhism, and the Tamils some Tamils remained Hindus while others also embraced Buddhism<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Buddhism among Tamils. |
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An Introduction|url=http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:604434/fulltext01.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> . Activity from across the [[Palk Strait]] in Tamil Nadu set the stage for Hinduism's survival in Sri Lanka. [[Shaivism]] (worship of Shiva) was dominant among the Tamils, and most of Sri Lanka's [[Hindu temple architecture]] and philosophy of Sri Lanka drew from that tradition. [[Sambandar|Thirugnana Sambanthar]] noted a number of Sri Lankan Hindu temples in his works.<ref>[http://www.sundaytimes.lk/events/611-lecture-on-hindu-sculpture-and-architecture-of-sri-lanka Lecture on Hindu sculpture and architecture of Sri Lanka] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012234629/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/events/611-lecture-on-hindu-sculpture-and-architecture-of-sri-lanka |date=2012-10-12 }} Sunday Times - September 29, 2010</ref> {{failed verification|date=January 2021}} |
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=={{anchor|Philosophical roots}}Rituals== |
=={{anchor|Philosophical roots}}Rituals== |
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In common with [[South India]], local rituals include [[Kavadi Aattam|Kavadi Attam]] and [[firewalking]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2003/7-9/36-37_fire_walk.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060326185409/http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2003/7-9/36-37_fire_walk.shtml|title=Walking on Fire|website=Hinduism Today|author=Gilles Flament|date=July–September 2003|archive-date=26 March 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
In common with [[South India]], local rituals include [[Kavadi Aattam|Kavadi Attam]] and [[firewalking]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2003/7-9/36-37_fire_walk.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060326185409/http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2003/7-9/36-37_fire_walk.shtml|title=Walking on Fire|website=Hinduism Today|author=Gilles Flament|date=July–September 2003|archive-date=26 March 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>. These rituals have also influenced the Sinhalese on southern cost of the island; For an Instance, the inhabitants of [[Tangalle]], Kudawella and the surrounding area perfrom [[Kavadi Aattam|Kavadi]]. <ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Reach out to the minority.|url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/98C0C5E7FC5B03AD492575C900165A96-Full_Report.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> |
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=={{anchors|Social reformers & religious teachers}}Religious teachers== |
=={{anchors|Social reformers & religious teachers}}Religious teachers== |
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Revision as of 14:52, 30 January 2021
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2020) |
இலங்கையில் இந்து மதம்
ශ්රී ලංකාවේ හින්දු ධර්මය | |
|---|---|
 Distribution of Hindus in Sri Lanka | |
| Total population | |
| 2.5 million (12.6%) (2012) () | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Northern Province, Eastern Province, Central Province | |
| Languages | |
| Sri Lankan languages | |
| Religion | |
| Shaivism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tamil |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
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Hinduism is one of Sri Lanka's oldest religions, with temples dating back over 2,000 years. As of 2011[update], Hindus made up 12.6 percentMalayalees).
According to the 1915 census, Hindus made up about 25 percent of the Sri Lankan population (including indentured labourers brought by the British). Hinduism predominates in the Northern and Eastern Provinces (where Tamils remain the largest demographic), the central regions and Colombo, the capital. According to the 2011 census, there are 2,554,606 Hindus in Sri Lanka (12.6 percent of the country's population). During the Sri Lankan Civil War, many Tamils emigrated; Hindu temples, built by the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, maintain their religion, tradition and culture.
Most Sri Lankan Hindus follow the
Murugan is one of the country's most popular Hindu deities, venerated by Hindu Tamils[2] also the Buddhist Sinhaleses and Aboriginal Veddas venerate the local rendition of the deity, Katharagama deviyo[3]
Amparai and Batticaloa districts, and the Shaiva Siddhanta school is prevalent in the north.[4] Yogaswami was the 161st head of the Nandinatha Sampradaya, and was succeeded by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.[5]
Legendary origins
The first major Hindu reference to Sri Lanka is found in the epic
Historic roots
Evidence indicates that the island's earliest inhabitants were the
Shakti Peetha.[10]
Buddhism was introduced by Mahinda, the eldest son of Ashoka, during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura.[11] The Sinhalese embraced Buddhism, and the Tamils some Tamils remained Hindus while others also embraced Buddhism[12] . Activity from across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu set the stage for Hinduism's survival in Sri Lanka. Shaivism (worship of Shiva) was dominant among the Tamils, and most of Sri Lanka's Hindu temple architecture and philosophy of Sri Lanka drew from that tradition. Thirugnana Sambanthar noted a number of Sri Lankan Hindu temples in his works.[13] [failed verification]
Rituals
In common with South India, local rituals include Kavadi Attam and firewalking.[14]. These rituals have also influenced the Sinhalese on southern cost of the island; For an Instance, the inhabitants of Tangalle, Kudawella and the surrounding area perfrom Kavadi. [15]
Religious teachers
Religious teachers include Kaddai Swami, his shishya Chellappaswami, and Chellappaswami's shishya Yogaswami.[citation needed]
Temples
The Pancha Ishwarams are:
- Naguleswaram temple in the north
- Ketheeswaram temple in the northwest
- Koneswaram Temple in the east
- Munneswaram temple in the west
- Tondeswaram in the south
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 593,600 | — |
| 1891 | 615,900 | +0.37% |
| 1901 | 826,800 | +2.99% |
| 1911 | 938,300 | +1.27% |
| 1921 | 982,100 | +0.46% |
| 1931 | 1,166,900 | +1.74% |
| 1946 | 1,320,400 | +0.83% |
| 1953 | 1,610,500 | +2.88% |
| 1963 | 1,958,400 | +1.98% |
| 1971 | 2,238,666 | +1.69% |
| 1981 | 2,297,806 | +0.26% |
| 1991 | 2,406,852 | +0.46% |
| 2001 | 2,481,495 | +0.31% |
| 2012 | 2,561,299 | +0.29% |
| *The 2001 census did not cover all regions, due to political instability; however, the overall population increased by 1.02 percent per year.[16] | ||
According to the 1981 census, there were 2,297,800 Hindus in Sri Lanka; the 2012 census reported 2,554,606 Hindus in the country. Twenty thousand people died during the 2004 tsunami in LTTE-held areas alone.[17][18][19]
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Front entrance of Nallur Kandaswamy temple -
See also
- Hinduism in Guyana
- Hinduism in Brunei
- Hinduism in Réunion
- Village deities of Sri Lankan Tamils
- Village deities of South India
Notes
- ^ According to several authors, they may have been Dravidians.[8][9]
References
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing, 2011". Sri Lanka: Department of Census and Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ Walking to Kataragama, Sunil Goonasekera, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 2007, p. 520.
- ^ Obeyesekere, Gananath. “Social Change and the Deities: Rise of the Kataragama Cult in Modern Sri Lanka.” Man, vol. 12, no. 3/4, 1977, pp. 377–396. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2800544. Accessed 30 Jan. 2021.
- ^ Lion of Lanka.
- ^ "Shivaya Subramaniam". Himalayan Academy.
- ^ The Book of Shiva, Namita Gokhale, Penguin Books India, 2009, p. 104.
- ^ Holt, The Sri Lanka Reader: History, Culture, Politics & Duke University Press, 2011, pp. 73–74.
- ^ Laura Smid (2003). South Asian folklore: an encyclopedia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Great Britain: Routledge, p. 429.
- ^ Chelvadurai Manogaran (1987). Ethnic conflict and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. United States: University of Hawaii Press, p. 21.
- ^ [1] templepurohit.com - May 28, 2015
- ^ Asian Religions in British Columbia, UBC Press (2011), p. 125.
- ^ "Buddhism among Tamils. An Introduction" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 23 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Lecture on Hindu sculpture and architecture of Sri Lanka Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine Sunday Times - September 29, 2010
- ^ Gilles Flament (July–September 2003). "Walking on Fire". Hinduism Today. Archived from the original on 26 March 2006.
- ^ "Reach out to the minority" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka, 2012" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/PDF/p7%20population%20and%20Housing%20Text-11-12-06.pdf
- ^ http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/PDF/p5%20Population%20and%20Housing%20Schedule.pdf
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20071007215109/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract_2006/Tables/chap%202/AB2-13.pdf
External links
| Sovereign states |
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| States with limited recognition |
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| Dependencies and other territories |
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