Hinduism in France

Hinduism is a minority religion in France that is followed by more than 121,312 people in France, which is nearly 0.2% of the nation's population. Most of the Hindus in France are mainly from Indian diaspora, though there are many Hindus from Nepal, Afghanistan, Mauritius and other nations.

French Hindus
An ISKCON temple in Luçay-le-Mâle, France.
Total population
121,312
0.2% of the total Population
Religions
Hinduism
Vaishnavism (majority)
Shaivism and others (minority)
Scriptures
Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Vedas
Languages
Sacred
Sanskrit, Old Tamil

Regional
French and English

Others
Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi, etc. (among diaspora)
Hindu burial in the columbarium of Pere-Lachaise Cemetery

It is the fifth largest in Europe, after those of the United Kingdom, Italy, The Netherlands and Germany.[1]

Emergence of Hindus in France

The initial presence of Hindus in France dates to the early 1700s and primarily consisted of sailors and servants, who eventually converted to Christianity. The Hindu population remained small until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which reduced the travel time between India and Europe. Thereafter, as Indian dancers, musicians, and yogis began to migrate to France, the Hindu population slowly grew. From 1900 to 1920, a temporary Hindu temple was constructed, businessmen, students, and intellectuals began to migrate and settle in Paris, and France also became a destination for refugees fighting for Indian Independence.[2]

Hindu immigration to France was catalyzed by Indian Independence in 1947. In 1971, Hindu Bengalis began to migrate to France. By 1975, nearly 60,000 Indians, 40% of which were Hindu, had migrated from Pondicherry to France. Mauritians also began to migrate to France for work and education after gaining independence. There are now approximately 60,000 Mauritians in France, primarily made up of Hindus and Muslims, and most of them settling in Paris.[2]

The majority of Hindus in France are now Sri Lankan Tamils, whose population surged during the civil war in Sri Lanka as refugees sought asylum in the West. Most refugees aimed for refuge in Great Britain, but as Great Britain tightened their immigration policy, they eventually settled in France. For the same reason, Gujaratis, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis, many of whom practiced Hinduism, settled in France.[2]

Influence of Hinduism in France

In 2022, Durga Puja was celebrated in 12 pavilions across France with various events including worship, offering of Anjali, distribution of prasad, and cultural programs.[3]

Notable personality

French people who were Hindus or were influenced by Hinduism include Victor Cousin,[2] Alexandra David-Néel,[4] Paul Gauguin, René Guénon, Jules Michelet, Mirra Richard, Romain Rolland, Satprem, Paul Verlaine, François Gautier and Voltaire.

Hinduism in French overseas territories

Hinduism in Martinique
Main article: Hinduism in Martinique

Hinduism is followed in the Martinique by the Indo-Martiniquais. Though Indo-Martiniquais comprises approximately 10% of the population of the island of Martinique, only a few are Hindus. Only 15% of Indo-Martiniquais are Hindus.[5]

Hinduism in French Guiana
Main article: Hinduism in French Guiana

As of 2010, Hinduism is followed by 1.6% of the population of French Guiana.[6] It is practiced mostly by the descendants of the Indo-Guyanese, who in 2014 numbered around 360,000.[7]

Hinduism in Réunion
Main article: Hinduism in Reunion

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. Estimates of practicing Hindus vary from 6.7%[8] to 10.7%.[9] Most of the large towns have a functioning Hindu temple.[10] 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.

About 59% of the Gujarati, 40% of the Punjabis, 10% of the Tamils in Réunion are Hindus. 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."

Hinduism in Guadeloupe
Main article: Hinduism in Guadeloupe

Hinduism is practised by Some Indo-Guadeloupeans in Guadeloupe. According to a Statistics, Hinduism is followed by 0.5% of the Guadelopeans.[11]

Notable French Hindus

Famous Hindu Temples
Main article: List of Hindu temples in France
  • Sri Sathya Narayana Padhuga Temple, 6-8 Avenue Anatole France, 94600 Choisy-le-Roi, France[12]
  • Temple Ganesh, 17 Rue Pajol, 75018 Paris, France
  • Radha Krishna Temple, 230 Avenue de la Division Leclerc, 95200 Sarcelles, France[12]

See also

References

Citations
  1. "European Countries With The Highest Number Of Hindus: 2010 To 2050". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  2. Trouillet, Pierre-Yves; Voix, Raphaël (2020-07-07). Hinduism in France. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-43228-4.
  3. "ফ্রান্সজুড়ে ১২টি মণ্ডপে পূজা পাচ্ছেন দেবী দুর্গা". Ekattor TV. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  4. Thévoz, Samuel (2016-07-21). "On the Threshold of the "Land of Marvels:" Alexandra David-Neel in Sikkim and the Making of Global Buddhism". The Journal of Transcultural Studies. 7 (1): 149–186. doi:10.17885/heiup.ts.23541. ISSN 2191-6411.
  5. "Martinique" (PDF). World Maps. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  6. "Religions in French Guiana | PEW-GRF". www.globalreligiousfutures.org. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  7. Heenan, Patrick; Lamontagne, Monique, eds. (2014). The South America Handbook. Routledge. p. 318. ISBN 9781135973216.
  8. "Indian diaspora" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-21. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  9. "Country Profile: Reunion (Department of Reunion)". Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 2015-02-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. Peoples of Africa: Réunion-Somalia. Marshall Cavendish. 2001. pp. 412–. ISBN 978-0-7614-7166-0.
  11. "RELIGIONS IN GUADELOUPE". www.religion-facts.com. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  12. "Famous Hindu Temple in France". World Tour & Travel Guide, Get Travel Tips, Information, Discover Travel Destination | Adequate Travel. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2022-10-17.

Further sources
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