common questions and misconceptions
Is Hinduism only practiced in India?
Hinduism beyond India's borders
For much of history, Hindu kingdoms and culture spread across Southeast Asia. Angkor Wat in Cambodia was built as a Hindu temple. Nepal was a Hindu state for centuries and still has a large Hindu population. Bali, an island in Indonesia, has kept a living Hindu tradition to this day, with its own temples, festivals, and priests. These are not recent arrivals. They go back well over a thousand years.
Where Hindus live today
Hinduism is the world's third-largest religion, and its followers live far beyond South Asia. Large communities exist in Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, and Suriname, where ancestors were brought as indentured workers in the nineteenth century. South Africa has a long-established Hindu community too. In the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia, Hindu communities have grown through migration over the past several decades. Temples, festivals, and religious life are active in all of these places.
The Hindu diaspora today
For many Hindus living far from India or Nepal, the tradition is kept alive through family practice, local temples, and festivals like Diwali and Holi. In some countries, like Mauritius and Trinidad, Hindu festivals are public holidays. The tradition looks a little different from place to place. Some customs vary by region of origin, by language, or by how long a community has been settled. But the core ideas and practices connect these communities to a shared tradition that has never been limited to one country.