 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 628 (2012) 2% of total Population | |
| Religions | |
| Hinduism | |
| Scriptures | |
| Bhagavad Gita,Vedas | |
| Languages | |
| Sanskrit (sacred) English,Spanish,Llanito &Sindhi |
Hinduism is a minority faith inGibraltar followed by 2% of the population.[1] Most of the Hindus inGibraltar are ofSindhi origin.
According to 2000 census Hindus numbered 491 and made up 1.8% of the population ofGibraltar.[2] According to an estimate from 2012, the population of Hindus made up 2%.[3][1]
The demographics of Hindus from 1970 to 2012:[1]
| Year | Population of Hindus | Percent of Hindus | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 238 | 1.0% | |
| 1981 | 393 | 1.5% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 555 | 2.1% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 491 | 1.8% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 628 | 2.0% | +0.2% |
The first people in Gibraltar fromBritish India are thought to have arrived in 1870 from the area aroundHyderabad (Sindh) taking advantage of the newSuez Canal. The newSindhi merchants were able to establish businesses with local managers that they could manage remotely. Indians faced some resistance fromGibraltarians and in 1921 the seven Hindu traders required licences to operate. By 1950 the number of licences had tripled but the real demand for assistance was when the border was closed by the Spanish and there were no Spanish shop assistants. There were nearly 300 trading licences by 1970.[4]
There was resistance to the Hindu community but arranged marriages were reducing and the community shared common schools with the other groups in Gibraltar. It was said that the date for deciding whether a person was a true Gibraltarian was designed to exclude as many Indians as possible but by 1973 the local Hindu lawyerHaresh Budhrani assessed that Hindus were able to fully join in with the community.[4]
On the day ofDivali in 1993 the community started using theGibraltar Hindu Temple. By 1999 the decoration was complete and thePrana pratishta ceremony was formally performed by a priest from India. The wider community celebrated the new temple when theGovernor of GibraltarRichard Luce formally opened the temple on 1 March 2000.
In 2004 Budhrani was elected the Speaker in the House of Assembly[4] and he later became the first speaker of theGibraltar Parliament.[5]
In 2012 theMayor of Gibraltar made the news when he announced that he was inviting the Hindu community intoGibraltar City Hall to celebrate theHindu festival ofDivali.[6]
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