In 1981, about eighty percent of Sri Lankan Tamils were Hindus who followed the Shaiva sect.
The rest were mostly Roman Catholics who converted after the Portuguese conquest of Jaffna Kingdom.
There is also a small minority of Protestants due to missionary efforts in the 18th century by organisations such as the American Ceylon Mission.
Most Tamils who inhabit the Western Province are Roman Catholics, while those of the Northern and Eastern Provinces are mainly Hindu.
Pentecostal and other churches, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, are active among the internally displaced and refugee populations.
The 2012 Sri Lanka Census revealed a Buddhist population of 22,254 amongst Sri Lankan Tamils.
Accounting to roughly 1% of all Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The Hindu elite, especially the Vellalar, follow the religious ideology of Shaiva Siddhanta (Shaiva school) while the masses practice folk Hinduism, upholding their faith in local village deities not found in formal Hindu scriptures.
The place of worship depends on the object of worship and how it is housed.
It could be a proper Hindu temple known as a Koyil, constructed according to the Agamic scripts (a set of scriptures regulating the temple cult).
More often, however, the temple is not completed in accordance with Agamic scriptures but consists of the barest essential structure housing a local deity.
These temples observe daily Puja (prayers) hours and are attended by locals.
Both types of temples have a resident ritualist or priest known as a Kurukkal.
A Kurukkal may belong to someone from a prominent local lineage like Pandaram or Iyer community.
In the Eastern Province, a Kurukkal usually belongs to Lingayat sect.
Other places of worship do not have icons for their deities.
The sanctum could house a trident (culam), a stone, or a large tree.
Temples of this type are common in the Northern and Eastern Provinces; a typical village has up to 150 such structures.
The offering would be done by an elder of the family who owns the site.
A coconut oil lamp would be lit on Fridays, and a special rice dish known as pongal would be cooked either on a day considered auspicious by the family or on the Thai Pongal day, and possibly on Tamil New Year Day.

There are several worshipped deities: Ayyanar, Annamar, Vairavar, Kali, Pillaiyar, Murukan, Kannaki Amman and Mariamman.
Villages have more Pillaiyar temples, which are patronised by local farmers.
Kannaki Amman is mostly patronised by maritime communities.
Tamil Roman Catholics, along with members of other faiths, worship at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu.
Hindus have several temples with historic importance such as those at Ketheeswaram, Koneswaram, Naguleswaram, Munneswaram, Tondeswaram, and Nallur Kandaswamy.
Kataragama temple and Adam's Peak are attended by all religious communities.
In 1981, about eighty percent of Sri Lankan Tamils were Hindus who followed the Shaiva sect. The rest were mostly Roman Catholics who converted after the Portuguese conquest of Jaffna Kingdom. There is also a small minority of Protestants due to missionary efforts in the 18th century by organisations such as the American Ceylon Mission. Most Tamils who inhabit the Western Province are Roman Catholics, while those of the Northern and Eastern Provinces are mainly Hindu. Pentecostal and other churches, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, are active among the internally displaced and refugee populations. The 2012 Sri Lanka Census revealed a Buddhist population of 22,254 amongst Sri Lankan Tamils. Accounting to roughly 1% of all Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The Hindu elite, especially the Vellalar, follow the religious ideology of Shaiva Siddhanta (Shaiva school) while the masses practice folk Hinduism, upholding their faith in local village deities not found in formal Hindu scriptures. The place of worship depends on the object of worship and how it is housed. It could be a proper Hindu temple known as a Koyil, constructed according to the Agamic scripts (a set of scriptures regulating the temple cult). More often, however, the temple is not completed in accordance with Agamic scriptures but consists of the barest essential structure housing a local deity. These temples observe daily Puja (prayers) hours and are attended by locals. Both types of temples have a resident ritualist or priest known as a Kurukkal. A Kurukkal may belong to someone from a prominent local lineage like Pandaram or Iyer community. In the Eastern Province, a Kurukkal usually belongs to Lingayat sect. Other places of worship do not have icons for their deities. The sanctum could house a trident (culam), a stone, or a large tree. Temples of this type are common in the Northern and Eastern Provinces; a typical village has up to 150 such structures. The offering would be done by an elder of the family who owns the site. A coconut oil lamp would be lit on Fridays, and a special rice dish known as pongal would be cooked either on a day considered auspicious by the family or on the Thai Pongal day, and possibly on Tamil New Year Day.
There are several worshipped deities: Ayyanar, Annamar, Vairavar, Kali, Pillaiyar, Murukan, Kannaki Amman and Mariamman. Villages have more Pillaiyar temples, which are patronised by local farmers. Kannaki Amman is mostly patronised by maritime communities. Tamil Roman Catholics, along with members of other faiths, worship at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu. Hindus have several temples with historic importance such as those at Ketheeswaram, Koneswaram, Naguleswaram, Munneswaram, Tondeswaram, and Nallur Kandaswamy. Kataragama temple and Adam's Peak are attended by all religious communities.
Sri Lankan Tamils