Hinduism in Lithuania

Hinduism is a minority religion and a fairly recent development in Lithuania. Hinduism is spread in Lithuania by Hindu organizations: ISKCON, Sathya Sai Baba, Brahma Kumaris and Osho Rajneesh.

ISKCON ( in lithuanian: Krišnos sąmonės judėjimo) the largest movement and oldest movement as the first Krishna followers date to 1979.[1] and has three centres in Lithuania in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Kaunas. According to a census in 2001, 265 people identified themselves as followers of Krishna movement.[2] The Sathya Sai Baba movement appeared in Lithuania around 1990 and according to the census had 107 followers although they officially have yet to attempt the establishment in Lithuania of that religion.[3]

Brahma Kumaris maintains the Centre Brahma Kumaris in Antakalnis, Vilnius.

Demographics

According to a census in 2001, 265 people identified themselves as followers of Hare Krishna movement,107 identified as Shri Sathya Sai Baba followers,and 12 identified as Osho Rajneesh movement .[4][5]. A total of 384 hindus (0.01% of the population of Lithuania).

According to 2011 census, there are 344 Krishnaites in Lithuania.[6] .The number of followers of Shri Sathya Sai Baba and Osho Rajneesh movement were not published in 2011 census, they officially have yet to attempt the establishment in Lithuania of that movement.They might have been included in the 'other religion' in the 2011 census .

Hindu nationalist claims

According to some Hindu nationalists, Lithuania was a "Hindu-Buddhist" society until Christianization in the 15th century. In this view, Lithuanian paganism was a dharmic religion related to Hinduism and Buddhism. This view has been proposed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu nationalist organization. It has no basis in fact, but is derived from certain similarities between the Lithuanian language and Sanskrit. It has no supporters outside of Hindu nationalist organizations.[7]

Lithuanian Hindus

References

  1. ↑ Krišnos sąmonės judėjimas
  2. ↑ The religious affiliation of the inhabitants of Lithuania as per 2001 census
  3. ↑ Satja Sai Babos fenomenas
  4. ↑ The religious affiliation of the inhabitants of Lithuania as per 2001 census
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110723085123/http://en.religija.lt/showarticle.php?articleID=13
  6. ↑ https://osp.stat.gov.lt/documents/10180/217110/Gyv_kalba_tikyba.pdf
  7. ↑ Douglas R. Spitz and William Urban, "A Hindu Nationalist View of Baltic History", Journal of Baltic Studies, 24.3 (1993): 295–98.
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