Hinduism in Mongolia
Hinduism in Mongolia is a minority religion; it has few followers and only began to appear in Mongolia in the late twentieth century. According to the 2010 and 2011 Mongolian census, the majority of people that identify as religious follow Buddhism (86%), Shamanism (4.7), Islam (4.9%) or Christianity (3.5). Only 0.5% of the population follow other religions.
"Om" symbol in Mongolian | |
Total population | |
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0.5% of religious Mongolians follow a religion other than Buddhism, Shamanism, Islam or Christianity. | |
Languages | |
Mongolian | |
Religion | |
Hinduism |
During the twentieth century, the socialist Mongolian People's republic restricted religious practices and enforced atheism across the country. The fall of the communist regime in the late 1990s signalled the beginning of an era of religious pluralism and experimentation. Mongolians began practising Hinduism and other world religions and spiritualities, including Mormonism and Christianity.
Spiritual congregations that teach Hindu philosophies including The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, The Art of Living foundation and the Ananda Marga organisation operate in Ulaanbataar. Practices that gain inspiration from Hinduism such as Patanjali Yoga and spiritual vegetarianism are practised in Mongolia; according to Saskia Abraahms-Kavunenko, Mongolian Buddhists have begun to incorporate Hindu spirituality and concepts into their Buddhist customs. Hindu symbols have influenced Mongolian myth, legend, culture and tradition.