Religion in India

Probably no country in the world has given birth to more religions than India. Hinduism and Buddhism originated in India, as did Sikhism and Jainism.

1) Hinduism: About 80 per cent of the people are Hindus. There are nearly 200 Hindu groups, embracing a wide range of beliefs. Hinduism is interwoven with every aspect of Indian life—social relations, government, law, literature, art, and science.

2) Islam: About 11 per cent of the Indian people are Muslims. Most Indian Muslims belong to the Sunnite branch.

3) Christianity: Between 2 and 3 per cent of the people are Christian. About 15 per cent of the Christians are Thomas Christians, who trace their origin to a church they believe was founded in 52 a.d. by the Apostle Thomas. Most other Indian Christians belong to churches established in India by missionaries in modern times. More than half the Christians are Roman Catholic.

4) Sikhism: began in the 16th century as an attempt to unite Hindus and Muslims. Slightly less than 2 per cent of the population are followers.

5) Jainism: began in the sixth century b.c. as an attempt to reform Hinduism.

6) Buddhism: though it originated in India, has only a small following.

7) Zoroastrianism: began in Persia in ancient times; its Indian followers are called Parsis.

8) Judaism: has had a small group in India since the fourth or fifth century A.D