Locations for worship and learning about the principles of Hinduism all over the world.
It is estimated that around a billion of people in the world declare themselves as Hindus, which makes Hinduism the third largest religion in the world. Eighty percent of Hindus live in India, and the only other two countries with a Hindu majority are Nepal (eighty percent) and Mauritius (around fifty percent). Some of the countries in which a more numerous Hindu minority is present are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia (it is the dominant religion on Bali), the United Arab Emirates, Suriname, Guyana and Fiji, while many Hindus also left their homeland and emigrated to developed countries in search of a better life.
Although the number of Hindus in Wester countries is relatively small (usually around one percent or less), there is no lack of places for worshipping the deities of the Hindu pantheon, and magnificent temples built in an Indian style are not encountered seldom. In addition to offering the local Hindu minority a place to gather and worship, temples can also attract curious individuals who wish to directly acquaint themselves with the principles of this ancient spiritual tradition.
Hindus are today present on all the inhabited continents of the world. Excluding, of course, South Aisa, the largest number of Asian Hindus is concentrated in Southeast Asia. The most vibrant Hindu communities can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Phillipines. The largest Hindu temple is also located in Southeast Asia – the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia – although it does not currently function as a temple.
Around two million of Europe’s denizens declare themselves as Hindu, and a large number of them resides in the United Kingdom – according to some estimates, there are even a million and a half individuals belonging to the Hindu religion in this country. The biggest Hindu temple outside India is also located in the UK – the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, while in several years the largest Hindu temple in continental Europe will be opened in The Hague.
Around two and a half million Hindus live in the area of North America, and out of those approximately one and a half million live in the United States. There is no lack of luxuriant temples there either, thus the Hindus in the USA, although they make up merely 0.5% of the population, have over 200 locations for worhsip at their disposal. Oceania counts somewhat under half a million Hindus, out of which half live on Fiji, an island country where around thirty percent of the population is of the Hindu religion. Hindu minorities are also present in Australia (0.5% of the population) and New Zealand (1% of the population).
Hinduism does not know of the concept of proselytism, i.e. spreading one’s faith, but it should not be forgotten that many traditions that sprang from Hinduism have had a large influence on the West in the past several decades. Although the number of converts to Hinduism is quite small, Hindu thought has found many people all over theworld to find their spiritual path. Thus there is a large number of adherents of yoga and meditation and researchers of Indian philosophy all over the world today, though it is unlikely that many of them ever stepped inside a Hindu temple. Here are also various movements that emanated from Hinduism, but consider themselves separate from it – probably the most famous of these is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, i.e. the Hare Krishna movement, which today counts over 400 temples all over the world.
TEMPLE: BHARATIYA MANDIR
LOCATION: Auckland, Novi Zeland (252 -254 Balmoral Road)
CONTACT: tel.: 09 846 2677; e-mail: info@bharatiyamandir.org.nz
TEMPLE: DEVI MANDIR
LOCATION: Pickering, Ontario, Kanada (2950 Brock Rd)
CONTACT: tel.:905-686-8534; e-mail: info@devimandir.com
TEMPLE: HINDU TEMPLE OF CENTRAL TEXAS
LOCATION: Temple, Teksas, SAD (4309 Midway Dr)
CONTACT: tel.: 254.771.1270; e-mail: info@hindutemple.org
TEMPLE: LONDON SRI MURUGAN TEMPLE
LOCATION: London, UK (78 Church Road)
CONTACT: tel.: 020 8478 8433; e-mail: admin@londonsrimurugan.org
TEMPLE: QUAD CITY TEMPLE
LOCATION: Rock Island, Illinois, SAD (9801 14th St W)
CONTACT: tel.: 309-787-HIND (4463); e-mail: info@qchindutemple.com
TEMPLE: MADHYA KAILASH TEMPLE
LOCATION: Midrand, Južnoafrička republika (52 Stag Road)
CONTACT: tel.: +2711 805 3683; e-mail: sarma@icon.co.za
TEMPLE: PRAMBANAN
LOCATION: Yogyakarta, Indonezija
CONTACT: tel.: +62 274 496 402; e-mail: info@borobudurpark.co.id
TEMPLE: SHIVA VISHNU TEMPLE OF SOUTH FLORIDA
LOCATION: Southwest Ranches, Florida, SAD (5661 Dykes Road)
CONTACT: tel.: (954) 689-0471
TEMPLE: SHREE LAKSHMI NARAYAN HINDU TEMPLE BRADFORD
LOCATION: Bradford, UK (321 Leeds Road)
CONTACT: tel.: 01274 395603,; e-mail: info@bradfordmandir.org
TEMPLE: SHRI SHIVA VISHNU TEMPLE MELBOURNE
LOCATION: Melbourne, Australija (52 Boundary Rd)
CONTACT: tel.: +61 3 9782 0878
TEMPLE: SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR
LOCATION: Nairobi, Kenija
CONTACT: tel.: (254 -20) 232 0201
TEMPLE: SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR LONDON
LOCATION: Neasden, London, UK (105-119 Brentfield Road)
CONTACT: tel.: (+44-20) 8965 2651; e-mail: info@mandir.org
TEMPLE: SRI GANESHA HINDU TEMPLE BERLIN
LOCATION: Berlin, Njemačka (Hasenheide 106)
CONTACT: tel.: (+49) (030) 3017353; e-mail: info@hindutempelberli.de
TEMPLE: SRI KRISHNA MANDIR
LOCATION: Greater New Amsterdam, Berbice, Gvajana (1 Gay Park)
CONTACT: tel.:592 333 3429
TEMPLE: SRI LAKSHMI TEMPLE
LOCATION: Ashland, Massachusetts, SAD (117 Waverly Street)
CONTACT: tel.: 508-881-5775; e-mail: FD@srilakshmi.org
TEMPLE: SRI MAHA KALESHWAR MANDIR
LOCATION: La Honda, Kalifornija, SAD (1820 Portola State Park Road)
CONTACT: tel.: 650-941-1152; e-mail: info@srimahakalamandir.org
TEMPLE: SRI MANDIR
LOCATION: Sydney, Australija (286 Cumberland Road)
CONTACT: tel.: (02) 9643 1919; e-mail: srimandir@hotmail.com
TEMPLE: SRI MANIKA VINAYAKAR ALAYAM
LOCATION: Pariz, Francuska (Rue Pajol 17 )
CONTACT: 01 40 34 21 89; e-mail: srimanicka@yahoo.fr
TEMPLE: SRI MEENAKSHI DEVASHTANAM
LOCATION: Pearland, Teksas, SAD (17130 McLean Rd)
CONTACT: tel.: 281-489-0358
TEMPLE: SRI SRINIVASA PERUMAL
LOCATION Singapur (397 Serangoon Road)
CONTACT: tel.: 62985771; e-mail: heb_sspt@pacific.net.sg
TEMPLE: SRI VENKATESWARA
LOCATION: Tividale, UK
CONTACT: tel.: 0121 544 2256,; e-mail: temple@venkateswara.org.uk
TEMPLE: SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE
LOCATION: Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania, SAD (1230 South McCully Drive, P.O. Box 17280,)
CONTACT: tel.: (412)373-3380; e-mail: srivaru@svtemple.org
TEMPLE: SRI VENKANTESWARA TEMPLE
LOCATION: Sydney, Australija
CONTACT: tel.: 02-4294 9233
TEMPLE: SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR TORONTO
LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario, Kanada (61 Claireville Drive)
CONTACT: tel.: 416.798.2277; e-mail: info@canada.baps.org
Silvia Vidović