what is the percentage of hindu in india 2018
Hinduism in India Hinduism is the largest religion in India, with 81.2% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus, that accounts for 1.2 billion Hindus in India[1] as of National Census of India, while 12.2% of the population follow Islam and the remaining 6.6% adhere to other religions (such as Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, various indigenous ethnically-bound faiths, Atheism and Irreligion).[2][3][4] The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Shaivite and Vaishnavite denominations.[5] India is one of the three countries in the world (Nepal and Mauritius being the other two) where Hinduism is the majority.
Hindu temple Many members of the South Asian diaspora have established Hindu mandirs outside India as a means of preserving and celebrating cultural and spiritual heritage abroad. Describing the hundreds of mandirs that can be found throughout the United States, scholar Gail M. Harley observes, "The temples serve as central locations where Hindus can come together to worship during holy festivals and socialize with other Hindus. Temples in America reflect the colorful kaleidoscopic aspects contained in Hinduism while unifying people who are disbursed throughout the American landscape."[148] Numerous mandirs in North America and Europe have gained particular prominence and acclaim, many of which were built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. The Hindu Temple Society of North America, representing Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam (Sanskrit: श्री महावल्लभ गणपति देवस्थानम्, Tamil: ஸ்ரீ மகா வல்லப கணபதி தேவஸ்தானம்), in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is the oldest Hindu temple in the Western Hemisphere, and its canteen feeds 4,000 people a week, with as many as 10,000 during the Diwali (Deepavali) holiday.[149]