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Hinduism in Canada

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Canadian Hindus
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto
Total population
497,000 (2011)
1.45% of the Canadian Population
Regions with significant populations
Ontario · British Columbia · Quebec · Alberta
Languages
English · French · Tamil · Punjabi · Marathi · Gujarati · Hindi · Telugu · Kannada · Indian Languages
Hinduism by country
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America
Caribbean
Oceania
South America
Full list

Canadian Hindus generally come from one of three groups. The first group is primarily made up of Indian immigrants who began arriving in British Columbia about 110 years ago. Hindus from all over India continue to immigrate today, with the largest Indian ethnic subgroups being Gujaratis and Punjabis. This first wave of immigrants also includes Hindu immigrants who were of Indian descent from nations that were historically under European colonial rule, such as Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and parts of coastal Eastern Africa. The second major group of Hindus immigrated from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. In the case of Sri Lankan Hindus, their history in Canada goes back to the 1940s, when a few hundred Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to Canada. The 1983 communal riots in Sri Lanka precipitated the mass exodus of Tamils with over 500,000 finding refuge in countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, France and Switzerland. From then on, Sri Lankan Tamils have been immigrating to Canada in particular around Toronto and Greater Toronto Area. A third group is made up of Canadian converts to the various sects of Hinduism through the efforts of the Hare Krishna movement and their Gurus during the last 50 years.

According to the 2011 census, there are 497,200 Hindus in Canada, up from 297,200 in the 2001 census.[1]

Hindu Population & Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1971 9,790—    
1981 69,505+610.0%
1991 157,015+125.9%
2001 297,200+89.3%
2011 497,200+67.3%
1971 is partial and based on immigration data, real figure is substantially higher.[2]
Year Percent Increase in population percent Increase in Percent
1971 0.05% -
1981 0.28% +0.23% 460%
1991 0.56% +0.28% 100%
2001 0.96% +0.40% 92%
2011 1.45% +0.49% 51%

By province

The Hindu Population in Canada according to the 2011 National Household Survey.[1]

Province Hindus 2001 % 2001 Hindus 2011 % 2011
Ontario 217,560 1.9% 366,720 2.9%
British Columbia 31,495 0.8% 45,795 1.0%
Alberta 15,965 0.5% 36,845 1.0%
Quebec 24,525 0.3% 33,540 0.4%
Manitoba 3,835 0.3% 7,720 0.6%
Saskatchewan 1,590 0.2% 3,570 0.3%
Nova Scotia 1,235 0.1% 1,850 0.2%
New Brunswick 470 0.1% 820 0.1%
Newfoundland and Labrador 400 0.1% 635 0.1%
Prince Edward Island 30 0.0% 205 0.1%
Yukon 10 0.0% 165 0.5%
Northwest Territories 60 0.2% 70 0.2%
Nunavut 10 0.0% 30 0.1%
Canada 297,200 1.0% 497,200 1.5%

By federal electoral district (2011)

The Hindu Population in Canada by federal electoral district according to the 2011 National Household Survey.[1]

Ontario

1. Brampton East - 19.5%
2. Scarborough—Rouge Park - 18.6%
3. Markham—Thornhill - 16.8%
4. Scarborough—Guildwood - 16.2%
5. Scarborough North - 14.5%
6. Etobicoke North - 14.4%
7. Scarborough Centre - 13.2%
8. Mississauga—Malton - 12.8%
9. Brampton West - 11.8%
10. Brampton North - 10.9%

British Columbia

1. Surrey—Newton - 6.2%
2. Surrey Centre - 4.9%
3. Vancouver South - 3.4%
4. Fleetwood—Port Kells - 3.3%
5. Delta - 3.0%

Alberta

1. Edmonton Mill Woods - 4.8%
2. Calgary Skyview - 4.5%
3. Edmonton Riverbend - 3.0%
4. Calgary Forest Lawn - 2.2%
5. Calgary Nose Hill - 1.9%

Quebec

1. Papineau - 4.3%
2. Pierrefonds—Dollard - 4.0%
3. Saint-Laurent - 3.2%

Manitoba

1. Winnipeg South - 3.0%

Early Hindus

Early Hindus maintained their religious traditions in mostly hostile environment which viewed the so-called colored immigrants as a threat to the British culture and way of life of the time. These male pioneers could not marry brides from India up until the 1930s, and did not have the right to vote in Federal elections until 1947. Religious life was centered around homes and Bhajans organized by community members.[citation needed]

Hindu Temple of Ottawa-Carleton
Varasidhi Vinayakar Temple

Since the 1960s many westerners attracted by the world view presented in Asian religious systems including Hinduism have converted to Hinduism. Canada was no exception. Many native born Canadians of various ethnicities have converted during the last 50 years through the actions of ISKCON, Arya Samaj and other missionary organizations as well as due to the visits and guidance of Indian Gurus such as Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Sathya Sai Baba, the controversial Rajneesh and others.[citation needed]

Later Immigrant Hindus

Hindu Sabha Temple in Ontario

Due to the liberalization of Canadian immigration policies many Hindus from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, along with Hindu Indian diasporic communities in Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, and eastern African nations such as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have arrived in the metropolises of Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver from the 1960s onwards.[3] In last 20 years many Hindus from Nepal have migrated to Canada. It is estimated that approximately 8000 to 10000 Nepalese Hindus are residing in Canada with their main concentration in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal. Canada government has pledged to resettle 6500 Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese ethnicity by 2012.The majority of Bhutanese Nepali are Hindus. By 2014 Lethbridge was home to the largest Bhutanese community in Canada.[4] Nearly 6,600 Bhutanese Nepali, also called Lhotshampa had settled in Canada by the end of 2015, with approximately 1,300 in Lethbridge by August 2016.[5]

Temple Societies

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto

These communities have formed over 1000 temple societies across the country that essentially functions community organizations. Some of these associations also have established private schools in Tamil to compete with non-religious and Catholic school boards that most Hindu students go to.[citation needed]

One among the earliest Hindu temples in Canada was established in rural Nova Scotia, in Auld's Cove, near the border to Cape Breton Islands, in 1971. Hindu Sanstha of Nova Scotia was formed by some 25 families living in the area at the time. Lord Krishna is primary deity, and Indian community families from Sydney, Antigonish, New Glasgow, and even Halifax often assemble together to celebrate Hindu festivals. Temple welcomes everyone, people of different faith and culture, to participate in the festivals, in a growing multi-cultural population of the region.

The largest Hindu temple in Canada is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto . It consists of two separate buildings, one of them being the mandir itself and the other being the Haveli, home to a large Sabha Hall, several religious bookstores, a small prayer room, the country's largest Indo-Canadian museum, a water fountain and a large gymnasium. It is the only Mandir built using Hindu traditions. The temple is built in the traditional Hindu style of Shikharbaddha mandir, which is made accordingly to the principles laid out in Shilpa Shastras, scared Hindu texts that describe the canons of traditionally architecture, and describes how the structure of a shikharbaddha mandir symbolically reflects the body of Purusha, or Cosmic Man.[6] It took $40 million to build and opened in 2007, surpassing Hindu Sabha Temple in nearby Brampton, which held the old record. The entire mandir is 32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2).[7][8]

Temples and Temple Societies in Canada

Sringeri Temple of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

Scarborough, Ontario

  • Sri Radha Krishna Temple.[14]
  • Lakshmi Narayan Mandir.[15]
  • Vedic Cultural Centre.[16]
  • Valmiki Ashram.[17]
  • Nithyananda Meditation Academy.[18]
  • Vishnu Satsang Mandir.[19]
  • International Bhakti Yog Sadhana Society - Sadhana Mandir.[20]
  • Bhadra Kali Shakti Mandir.[21]
  • The Shirdi Sai Mandir and Cultural Centre.[22]
  • Sri Nagapooshani Ambika Sametha Nagalingeswara Swamy Temple.[23]
  • Sri Chandramouleeshwara Shivaalayam.[24]
  • Periya Sivan Kovil
  • Nainativu Nagammal Kovil of Canada
  • Sri Ayyappa Samajam Of Ontario.[25]
  • Canada Sri Shanmuganatha Swamy Hindu Temple.[26]
  • Thirupathi Venkatachalapathi Temple
  • Merupuram Sri Maha Pathirakali Amman Temple [27]
  • Sri Meenakshi Amman Society
  • Sri Aathi Parashakthi Hindu Temple.[28]

North of Toronto, Ontario

  • Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre.[29]
  • Hindu Temple Society of Canada.[30]
  • Vishnu Mandir [31]

Mississauga, Ontario

Brampton, Ontario

  • Bharat Mata Mandir [37]
  • Shri Gauri Shankar Mandir [38]
  • Shiva Ganesh Mandir [39]
  • Hindu Sabha Temple
  • Shiv Shakti Gyaan Cultural Sabha
  • Jagannath Temple [40]
  • Bhavani Shankar Mandir & Cultural Centre [41]
  • Sri Ganesha Durga Hindu Temple [42]
  • Sri Sivasubramaniya Hindu Temple
  • Sri Katpaga Vinayagar Hindu Temple [43]
  • Canada Sri Sabari Peedam [44]
Beyond Greater Toronto Area in Ontario

Other Provinces

Organizations

There are several organizations representing the Hindu community in Canada. Among them the Hindu Canadian Network[53][54] is the most prominent umbrella organization.

Contemporary Society

According to a survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in 2013, 42% of the Canadians had a favorable opinion of Hinduism which increased to 49% in the 2016 survey. When asked—would it be acceptable or unacceptable to you if one of your children were to marry a Hindu—in February 2017, 54% Canadians said that it would be acceptable, as compared to 37% in September 2013

According to another survey by the Angus Reid Institute, 32% of respondents say that the influence of Hinduism “in Canada and Canadian public life” is growing. However, the study also found that a majority of Canadians (67%) “don’t know anything/understand very little” about Hinduism, while 4% “understand very well”.[55]

Community and Impact

Hindus in Canada are able to create communities that not only follow religious practices but also provide education, counselling, support and outreach services. These communities allow many Hindus from overseas to comfortably adapt when immigrating to Canada. When Hindu institutions and worldviews are not mirrored in the migrated country, it can hinder the process of adaptation through isolation and loss of identity.[56] Racial-ethnic identity development involves identifying with and relating to a specific group and is found to be associated with particular health behaviors and mental health outcomes.[57] Hindu communities enable Hindu immigrants and their descendants to preserve their culture and identity despite their displacement and maintain physical and symbolic links with their source country; especially immigrants who have been exiled and feel uprooted from their national and cultural identity.

Politics

Many Hindus do not feel connected to the political centres of Canada, and get little attention from politicians. Deepak Obhrai was the first and only Hindu MP in Canada.[58] Dipika Damerla, is the first, and so far only, person from the Hindu community to become a provincial cabinet minister.[59] Other Hindu politicians are Vim Kochhar (the first Hindu appointed to the Senate), Raj Sherman (the first Hindu to lead a Canadian political party), Bidhu Jha (the first Hindu elected to the Manitoba legislature).[60][circular reference]

Anita Anand is the first Hindu cabinet minister in Canada. She became a cabinet minister in 2019.[61]

Controversies

  • In 2013 a Hindu temple in Surrey had three windows smashed. A baseball bat found there after the attack had Sikh markings.[62]
  • In 2018,the Montreal-based production house “Art of Where' advertised yoga-capris carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh. Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism called this highly inappropriate as it hurts Hindus. He also urged “Art of Where” to offer a formal apology.[63]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "2011 National Household Survey". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  2. ^ http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?TABID=2&LANG=E&A=R&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=01&GL=-1&GID=1118296&GK=1&GRP=0&O=D&PID=105399&PRID=0&PTYPE=105277&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2013&THEME=95&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&D1=0&D2=0&D3=0&D4=0&D5=0&D6=0
  3. ^ https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/east-indian.aspx
  4. ^ Tams, Kim (13 May 2014). "Lethbridge home to the largest Bhutanese community in Canada". Global News. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  5. ^ Klingbeil, Annalise (22 August 2016). "How Lethbridge became Canada's Bhutanese capital". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  6. ^ Elgood, Heather (2000). Hinduism and the religious arts. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-8264-9865-6. OCLC 271467496.
  7. ^ "Hindu Sabha Temple Hall Rentals - Hall Rentals in Brampton, ON". localservices.sulekha.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  8. ^ Grant, Hamish (2007-02-21), Hindu Sabha Mandir, Brampton, retrieved 2021-04-02
  9. ^ "Toronto Kalibari – 6815 Professional Court, Mississauga, ON L4V1Y3". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  10. ^ "Bangladesh Canada Hindu Mandir (BCHM) | Bangladesh Canada Hindu Cultural Society (BCHCS) & Bangladesh Canada Hindu Mandir (BCHM)". hindumondir.org. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  11. ^ "ISSO Toronto". issotoronto.org. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  12. ^ "About | Sri Varasiththi Vinaayagar Hindu Temples Of Toronto | Ontario". Sri Varasiththi Vina. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  13. ^ "HOME". www.durka.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  14. ^ "Sri RadhaKrishna Temple- Designed by Dhosting.biz". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  15. ^ "Lakshmi Narayan Mandir | Toronto | Canada". www.lakshminarayantemple.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  16. ^ "Namaste ! Om Shanti Aum! Vedic Hindu Arya Samaj Toronto Canada Site". www.vedicculturalcentre.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  17. ^ "Valmiki Ashram | Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre". valmikiashram. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  18. ^ "Main". Toronto Kailasa, Nithyananda Canada. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  19. ^ "Home". Vishnu Satsang Mandir. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  20. ^ "Sadhana Mandir Toronto – Serving Humanity". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  21. ^ "Bhadra Kali Shakti Mandir". bhadra-kali-shakti-mandir.business.site. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  22. ^ "The Shirdi Sai Mandir and Cultural Center, Toronto, Canada – The Shirdi Sai Mandir – the Shirdi of North America. Dedicated to serving the spiritual needs of Baba's devotees". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  23. ^ "srinagapooshani.com | Website". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  24. ^ "Home | Sri Chandramouleeshwara Shivaalayam". www.shivaalayam.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  25. ^ "Sri Ayyappan – creativenet". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  26. ^ "Canada Sri Shanmuganatha Swamy Hindu Temple". omshanmuga.business.site. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  27. ^ "Merupuram Sri Phathirakali Amman Temple Toronto | When there were neither the creation, nor the sun, the moon, the planets, and the earth, there was only darkness and everything was created from the darkness". ambal.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  28. ^ "Sri Aathi Parasakthi Temple". www.sriaathiparasakthi.org. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  29. ^ "Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre". www.sanatanmandir.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  30. ^ "Richmond Hill Hindu Temple". Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  31. ^ https://vishnumandir.com/
  32. ^ https://www.hinduvision.com/
  33. ^ https://www.rammandir.ca/
  34. ^ http://www.jeyadhurgatemple.com/newlook/
  35. ^ https://shrivitthal.com/
  36. ^ http://sivatemple.ca/
  37. ^ http://bharatmatamandir.net/
  38. ^ http://www.gaurishankarmandir.ca/about-mandir.html
  39. ^ http://www.shivaganeshmandir.com/
  40. ^ http://jagannathtemple.ca/
  41. ^ https://www.bhavanishankarmandir.com/
  42. ^ https://www.ganeshadurga.com/
  43. ^ https://srikatpagavinayagar.com/new/
  44. ^ https://srisabaripeedam.com/new/
  45. ^ http://niagarahindusamaj.org/
  46. ^ http://www.brantfordhindutemple.com/
  47. ^ https://www.hindumandirdurham.com/
  48. ^ http://www.devimandir.com/
  49. ^ https://ajax-pillayar-kovil-ambalavana-vetha-vinayagar.business.site/
  50. ^ https://www.durgatemple.ca/
  51. ^ http://www.sathyasaiottawa.org/
  52. ^ https://hindutemple-halifax.org/
  53. ^ "THE BELINDA STRONACH FOUNDATION | Tony Blair and Belinda Stronach Join in collaboration with Canadian faith and belief leaders". Newswire.ca. 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  54. ^ [1] Archived September 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ https://indianewengland.com/2017/11/32-percent-canadians-feel-hinduism-influence-growing/
  56. ^ Trouillet, Pierre-Yves (2012-12-28). "Overseas Temples and Tamil Migratory Space". South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal (6). doi:10.4000/samaj.3415. ISSN 1960-6060.
  57. ^ "Adaptation and Acculturation | Caring for Kids New to Canada". www.kidsnewtocanada.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  58. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2019-01-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  59. ^ https://m.hindustantimes.com/world-news/hindu-community-is-slowly-coming-of-age-in-canadian-politics/story-sB1ipcobLmlLuDqXldWO4I.html
  60. ^ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_visible_minority_politicians_in_Canada
  61. ^ "Meet Anita Indira Anand, a law professor who became Canada's first Hindu minister". City: World. Businessinsider. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  62. ^ "Surrey Hindu temple vandals caught on camera". cbc.ca. 24 June 2013.
  63. ^ http://www.yespunjab.com/nri-news/item/164774-upset-hindus-urge-montreal-firm-to-withdraw-lord-ganesh-capris-apologize

External links

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