There are about 20,000

Hindu 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 ...

s (0.35% of the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

) in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

as of 2020. Most of these Hindus are of South Asian descent with the majority (around 75%) of those being ethnically

Tamil Hindus The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Drav ...

from Sri Lanka.

History

Hinduism was first introduced to Norway in 1914 by Swami Sri Ananda Acharya (1881-1945). A small number of Gujarati Hindus came to Norway after the Dictator

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...

expelled the Indians from Uganda 1972. During the Sri Lankan Civil War of 1983, many Tamil Hindus migrated from Sri Lanka to Norway.

Demographics

Ethnic Background of Hindus in Norway

Diaspora Hindus in Norway include Tamil (Sri Lankan and Indian) families, Punjabi families, families from the Uttar Pradesh region, as well as Gujaratis and Bengalis. Specifically among Norwegian Hindus, Sri Lankan Tamils are the dominant ethnicity constituting a large number (roughly half of the entire Hindu population or greater) of around 5000-7000 people.

Hindu Associations in Norway

There are numerous Hindu associations in Norway. *Sanatan Mandir Sabha is a Hindu religious association in eastern Norway with around 900 members. The Sanatan Mandir Sabha SMS was registered on April 14, 1988. *Gujaratis had formed a Gujarati cultural association in the

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

area. *Tamil Cultural center for children who were born in or who have immigrated to Norway exists in Norway. This center has the following activities: **Teaching Tamil **Teaching religion (Hinduism) **Promoting drama, dance, music and sports. * Vishwa Hindu Parishad is registered in Norway.

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. Bhaktiv ...

has a Centre in Norway Address- Oslo, Norway, Jonsrudvej 1G, 0274, Oslode presence.

Hindu Temples in Norway

There are currently 5 Hindu Temples in Norway *Sanatan Mandir Sabha Temple is located at

Slemmestad Slemmestad is a village in Røyken in Asker municipality in Viken, Norway. Slemmestad is located on the west bank of the Oslofjord, west of Oslo. History Historically Slemmestad was located on the old highway running between Oslo and Drammen. ...

, outside of Oslo. It was the first registered Hindu religious community or temple in Norway *Hindu Sanatan Mandir Temple is located in

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such as Konne ...

*The Sivasubramanayar Alayam (also known as the Norwegian Hindu Centre) in

Ammerud Ammerud is a part of Grorud Borough in Oslo, Norway known for its large Le Corbusier style housing blocks. The borough administration is located here. Before 1966 farms dominated this area. Then urban development, part of the trend of suburbani ...

(in Oslo) *The Bergen Hindu Sabha in Danmarksplass (in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

) *Sri Tiller Ganesha Temple in

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

Hindu Festivals in Norway

Most major Hindu festivals such as Diwali are celebrated annually in Norway. Hindus in Norway, mainly Tamil Hindus from Sri Lanka, celebrate the 12-day annual temple festival, the Mahotsav of which processions is the main feature. It is the main annual ritual gathering of the Tamil Hindus in Norway. Indian classical vocalist Sniti Mishra performed at a live concert in Oslo during the Holi festival in 2015. The festival is organized annually by the Norway branch of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

References

External links

International Religious Freedom Report 2006, NorwaySanatan Mandir Sabha Hindu temple in Slemmestad
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929012337/http://213.207.98.217/index.php?q=node%2F33 Processions, Public Space and Sacred Space in the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Norway {{DEFAULTSORT:Norway Hinduism in Norway Hinduism by country, Norway Hinduism in Europe, Norway Religion in Norway