Hinduism in Mongolia

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Hinduism In Mongolia

"Om" symbol in Mongolian
Total population
0.5% of religious Mongolians follow a religion other than Buddhism, Shamanism, Islam or Christianity.
Languages
Mongolian
Religion
Hinduism

Hinduism in Mongolia is a minority religion; it has few followers and only began to appear in Mongolia in the late twentieth century.^[1] According to the 2010 and 2011 Mongolian census, the majority of people that identify as religious follow Buddhism (86%), Shamanism (4.7), Islam (4.9%) or Christianity (3.5). Only 0.5% of the population follow other religions.^[1]

During the twentieth century, the socialist Mongolian People's republic restricted religious practices and enforced atheism across the country.^[2] The fall of the communist regime in the late 1990s signalled the beginning of an era of religious pluralism and experimentation.^[2] Mongolians began practising Hinduism and other world religions and spiritualities, including Mormonism and Christianity.^[3]

Spiritual congregations that teach Hindu philosophies including The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, The Art of Living foundation and the Ananda Marga organisation operate in Ulaanbataar.^[4] Practices that gain inspiration from Hinduism such as Patanjali Yoga and spiritual vegetarianism are practised in Mongolia; according to Saskia Abraahms-Kavunenko, Mongolian Buddhists have begun to incorporate Hindu spirituality and concepts into their Buddhist customs.^[3] Hindu symbols have influenced Mongolian myth, legend, culture and tradition.^[5]