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 ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

is the

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

of some

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

n expatriates. Hindus in Sierra Leone are primarily of South Asian descent and are usually traders. There were 3,550

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

(0.05%) in

in 2015, according to Association of Religion Data Archives, ARDA.

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

, the capital and principal city of Sierra Leone, has a large Hindu community, including a Hindu association and a priest. Hindus are allowed

cremation Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre is ...

in Freetown. Following the exodus of

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

s in 1999 during the

Sierra Leone civil war The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), or the Sierra Leonean Civil War, was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberian dictator Char ...

, the Indian community numbers dwindled to about 1500, mostly businessmen of Sindhi origin.

Demographics

In 2001, there were 4,750 Hindus (0.1%) which decreased to 1,942 Hindus (0.04%) in 2007 and then increased to 3,550 Hindus (0.05%) in 2015.

Temples

There is a functioning Hindu temple in Freetown. It is run by the local Temple Committee.https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Sierra_Leone_Feb_2016.pdf

References

Religion in Sierra Leone

Hinduism in Africa, Sierra Leone {{Hindu-stub

Demographics

Temples

See also

References