The history of Jainism in Australia is relatively short when compared to the history of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
on the same continent. There are four
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
centres in Australia. The Jain population in Australia was counted in the 2016 census to be 4,047, of whom 38% lived in Greater
Sydney, 31% in Greater
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, and 15% in Greater
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
. The states and territories with the highest proportion of Jains are
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
(0.025%) and
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
(0.022%), whereas those with the lowest are
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
(0.006%) and
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
(0.001%).
History
The Jain community established itself in Australia through immigration. A Jain society has been formed in Sydney.
Exodus of Asians from Uganda in 1972 due to
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 ...
's policies, forced some Jains to migrate elsewhere, like Australia.
Jain Centres
Jain centres and/or societies have been established in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Most of the centres practice Jain unity by making sure every Jain sect comes and prays together. The first two Jain Tirthankars in Australia were established in Hindu temples in Sydney and in Canberra. First Jain association in Australia was formed in Sydney and named Sydney Jain Mandal. Another Jain association in Sydney is known as Vitraag Jain Shwetambar Sangh There is also a community-driven centre — AAJ (meaning 'Today' in Hindi) that serves Jain community in Australia.
See also
*
List of Jain temples
Jain temples and '' tirtha'' (pilgrimage sites) are present throughout the Indian subcontinent, many of which were built several hundred years ago. Many of these temples are classified according to Jain sects. Idols of ...
*
Jainism in Europe
The credit for introducing Jainism to the West goes to a German scholar, Hermann Jacobi, who translated some Jain literature and published it in the series 'Sacred Books of East' in 1884.
In Europe, the largest Jain populations are in Britain ...
*
Jainism in Hong Kong
There are about 500 Jain families in Hong Kong, who immigrated to Hong Kong later than most other Indian groups. They originate mostly from the Indian state of Rajasthan, Gujarat,and other parts of India. Some Jains belong to Hong Kong orig ...
*
Jainism in India
Jainism is India's sixth-largest religion and is practiced throughout India.
Per the 2011 census, there are 4,451,753 Jains in the 1.35 billion population of India, the majority living in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, Ka ...
*
Jainism in the United States
Adherents of Jainism first arrived in the United States in the 20th century. Jain immigration began in earnest in the late 1960s and continues to the present day.
History
In 1893, Virachand Gandhi became the first Jain delegate to visit the ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jainism In Australia