Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

is a minority faith in Kenya, constituting 0.13% of the population of Kenya. Due to the efforts of the Hindu Council of Kenya, Kenya is one of only three African countries to recognise Hinduism as a religion. Hindus are free to practise their religion in Kenya, and several Kenyan cities have

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

s. The Hindu temples in Kenya are mostly of north and west Indian architectural style.

History

Hinduism in Kenya mainly comes from coastal trade routes between primarily between Gujarat, Marwar, Odisha and the Chola empire in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

. The influence of Hinduism in Kenya began in early 1st millennium AD when there was trade between East Africa and Indian subcontinent.Constance Jones and James D. Ryan, Encyclopedia of Hinduism, , pp. 10-12 Archaeological evidence of small Hindu settlements have been found mainly in

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...

and coastal parts of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, Swahili coast, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. Many words in

Swahili language Swahili, also known by its local name , is the native language of the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent litoral islands). It is a Bantu language, though Swahili ...

have their etymological roots in Indian languages associated with

. The origin of the Kenyan Gujarati dates back to the late 1800s (early 1900s), when British colonialists brought laborers from India to build the Uganda–Kenya railway. Many of the laborers, rather than travel back to the Indian subcontinent, simply settled in Kenya, and slowly brought with them a host of hopefuls willing to start afresh.

Demographics

One percent of Kenyan population practiced Hinduism as reported by IRF. However, according to the 2019 Census, there were 60,287 Hindus in Kenya, who constitute 0.13% of the population. According to the Pew Research Center estimates there were 60,000 Hindus in Kenya in 2010, or less than 0.25% of the total Kenyan population.

Hindus in Kenya

Today, the Gujarati community in Kenya is estimated at over ninety thousand, and is dispersed throughout the country. Despite varying degrees of acculturation, most have retained their strong Gujarati ties.

ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organization. ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktive ...

Hindu Union of Mombasa The Hindu Union of Mombasa is one of Kenya's oldest Hindu organisation, which is based out of the port city of Mombasa. History The Hindu Union was formed in 1899 after a group of emigrated Gujarati Indians decided to walk village-to-village ...

and HSS (RSS) are the main contributors to the society in large by organizing public events and introducing many welfare programs such as the food relief programs and other services which has attracted many Kenyans and created a good reputation of the Hindu community at large. Pushtimarg Vaishnav Sangh and

Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris are a spiritual movement that originated in Hyderabad, Sindh, during the 1930s. New Dwarikadham Temple, Nyali

There are more than 100 Hindu temples in Kenya, including

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi (EASS Temple) The oldest Swaminarayan Organisation in Kenya, founded in Nairobi in 1932, as East Africa Satsang Mandal, to serve as a meeting point for all Swaminarayan Devotees in the Region.p.206 The East Africa Swaminarayan Satsang Temple, Nairobi was built ...

and BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Nairobi.

Hindu Organisations

The Hindu Council of Kenya is an umbrella body for Hindus in Kenya. The Council is recognized by the Government. Until a few years back, the Hindus were described in the voters' register as 'non-Muslims'. Due to the efforts of the Council, they are now described as 'Hindus'. The Council provides a syllabus and books for Hindu religious education. The

is one of the oldest Hindu organizations in Kenya, being established in 1899, and is home to a large community of Hindus on the coast of Kenya.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (; : ) is a non-profit, social, educational, and cultural organization of the Hindus living outside India. It was founded in 1940s in Kenya, it is currently active in 156 countries and estimates 3289 branches. History ...

(HSS) is part of

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (Hindi for "Sangh family" ...

. HSS was established in 1947 in Nairobi, and since then it has developed and has its centres in different cities like Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Meru. Its main aims are preserve, practice and promote Hindu ideals and values and maintain Hindu cultural identities. HSS carries out many humanitarian activities such as feeding the needy, providing wheel chairs and artificial limbs to amputees, organizing free medical services and blood donation, and is also known for its tree planting program.

Gallery

File:Image_of_Lord_Shiva_statute_at_Hindu_Union_of_Mombasa.jpg, Statue of

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

at Hindu Union. File:Image_of_Hand_Art_Of_Lord_Krishna_At_Hindu_Union.jpg, Art of

Lord Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of ...

at a

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

function. File:Image_of_Shri_Ram_Darbaar_at_Hindu_Union_Mombasa.jpg,

Shri Ram Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...

darbaar at Hindu Union

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

. File:Image_of_Hindu_Havan_taking_place_at_Hindu_Union.jpg, Maharudra rituals taking place in

. File:Image_of_Lord_Nandi_at_the_Shiva_Temple_in_Mombasa.jpg, Lord Nandi statue at

temple.

History

Demographics

Hindus in Kenya

Hindu Organisations

Gallery

See also