Hinduism in Réunion
Encyclopedia
Hindus in Réunion constitute a small part of the island's population. The island of Réunion
is said to be host to approximately 250,000 India
n descendants as of 1991. Yet, uncertainty as to the exact number of Hindus in the country results from the fact that many of the members of the Indian population cross-identify with Roman Catholic, Muslim
and Hindu
faiths.
in the Catholic Church at the insistence of their employers, owners or the government administration. Even so, they did not abandon Hinduism in the process.
With the exception of the Muslims who came to the island from Gujarat, all Indians were routinely reassigned as Catholics, more or less by force. Many of them appear to have been converted to that faith during the period of indenture
.
community. This has led to the establishment of many temples and ashram
s. An interesting feature, likely peculiar to Réunion, is the simultaneous observance by some ethnic Indians of both Catholic and Hindu rites, a practice that has earned them the sobriquet of being "socially Catholic and privately Hindu." A perhaps generous local explanation of this phenomenon is that "it is a manifestation of the Hindu religion, which is tolerant of other religions
and has the capacity to co-exist with them."
The island's nascent Hindu revival is presently dealing with very basic matters. The first is how much the thoroughly integrated, educated, and prosperous French- and Creole-speaking Indians of Réunion really want to assert their Hindu identity. The French government gathers no statistics on religious affiliation. Because of this, it is impossible to know accurately how many Hindus there are in Réunion. One estimate, by Religious Intelligence, puts the percentage of Hindus in Réunion at 6.7%.
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
is said to be host to approximately 250,000 India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descendants as of 1991. Yet, uncertainty as to the exact number of Hindus in the country results from the fact that many of the members of the Indian population cross-identify with Roman Catholic, Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
faiths.
History
The history of Hinduism in Réunion stretches back to the mid- and late-nineteenth century. Many early Indian arrivals took on Christian names and had their children baptizedBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
in the Catholic Church at the insistence of their employers, owners or the government administration. Even so, they did not abandon Hinduism in the process.
With the exception of the Muslims who came to the island from Gujarat, all Indians were routinely reassigned as Catholics, more or less by force. Many of them appear to have been converted to that faith during the period of indenture
Indenture
An indenture is a legal contract reflecting a debt or purchase obligation, specifically referring to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, an instrument used for commercial debt or real estate transaction.-Historical usage:An indenture is a...
.
Hinduism today
In recent years, there has been a revival of Hinduism among members of the TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
community. This has led to the establishment of many temples and ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s. An interesting feature, likely peculiar to Réunion, is the simultaneous observance by some ethnic Indians of both Catholic and Hindu rites, a practice that has earned them the sobriquet of being "socially Catholic and privately Hindu." A perhaps generous local explanation of this phenomenon is that "it is a manifestation of the Hindu religion, which is tolerant of other religions
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
and has the capacity to co-exist with them."
The island's nascent Hindu revival is presently dealing with very basic matters. The first is how much the thoroughly integrated, educated, and prosperous French- and Creole-speaking Indians of Réunion really want to assert their Hindu identity. The French government gathers no statistics on religious affiliation. Because of this, it is impossible to know accurately how many Hindus there are in Réunion. One estimate, by Religious Intelligence, puts the percentage of Hindus in Réunion at 6.7%.
External links
- Indentured immigration and social accommodation in La Réunion by Christian Ghasarian, University of California-Berkeley