Hinduism in Switzerland

Interior of Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple in Adliswil (August 2009)

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The 2000 census reported 27,839 residents of Switzerland self-identifying as Hindus (0.38% of the total population; 1.11% in Berne, 1% in Zurich, 0.27% in Geneva). Most of them are Sri Lankan Tamils (81.2%). Approximately 90% of Hindu adherents are foreign-born,^[1] and about a third of them have the status of refugee or asylum seeker. The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu temple in Switzerland,^[2] the Arulmihu Sivan Temple located in Glattbrugg is dedicated to Shiva,^[3] and the latest foundation is the Sri Vishnu Thurkkai Amman Temple in Dürnten in 2010.^[4][5]

In earlier censuses, Hinduism figured together with other non-Abrahamic traditions (mainly Buddhism) as "other churches and communities". These accounted for 0.12% in 1970, 0.19% in 1980, 0.42% in 1990 and 0.78% in 2000 (0.38% Hinduism, 0.29% Buddhism, 0.11% other). Hinduism overtook Judaism as the third largest religion in Switzerland (after Christianity and Islam) during the 1990s and was tied at 0.38% with the New Apostolic Church in 2000.

See also

• Religion in Switzerland
• Buddhism in Switzerland
• List of Hindu temples in Switzerland

References

1. Hinduismus in der Schweiz
2. Religionen in der Schweiz: Hinduismus
3. Simone Thommen Awe (2012-07-02). "Umzug zu Ehren der Götter" (in German). Zürcher Unterländer. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
4. Regula Lienin (2013-07-20). "Ein Pfauentanz für Göttin Amman" (in German). Zürcher Oberländer. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
5. Patrizia Legnini (2010-01-17). "Indische Handwerker bauen Hindu-Tempel – ohne Bewilligung" (in German). Limmattaler Zeitung. Retrieved 2014-12-18.

• 2000 census results (Swiss federal statistics office)
• Swiss Tamils look to preserve their culture, Swissinfo, February 18, 2006.

External links

Media related to Hinduism in Switzerland at Wikimedia Commons