page_title: Religion in Guyana
section_title: Hinduism
hierarchical_section_title: Religion in Guyana / Religions / Hinduism
caption_attribution_description: English: Main mandit of the Guyanese Arya Samaj
context_page_description: Christianity is the dominant religion in Guyana. According to the 2012 census, approximately 63 percent of the population is Christian. The major groupings compose:
  Pentecostal, 22.8% of the national population, increasing from 17% in 2002
  Anglican, 5.2%, decreasing from 7%, and
  Seventh-day Adventist, 5.4%, increasing from 5% in 2002
  Roman Catholicism, 7.1%, decreasing from 8,1%
  other Christian groups, 20.8%, increasing from 17.9%.
  According to the 2012 census, approximately 25 percent are Hindu, 7 percent are Muslim, and 1 percent practice other beliefs, including the Rastafari movement, Buddhism, and the Baha'i Faith. More than 3 percent of the population do not profess any religion. Between 1991 and 2012, Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism and Mainline Protestant churches all saw significant decline as the national population grew by 3%. This is in contrast to Pentecostalism, which more than doubled, and less-established Christian groups, which nearly quadrupled in the same period.
  The country is ethnically diverse, reflecting East Indian, African, Chinese, and European ancestry, as well as a significant indigenous population.
context_section_description: The number of Guyanese practising Hinduism has been decreasing for many decades now, with 213,282 (28.4%) reported in 2002 against 253,065 (35.0%) in 1991.
  The majority of the East Indian immigrants were Hindu, and their dominant Status differences were attached  and rituals varied . The hindus worshipped the classic pantheon of Vishnu and Shiva.  Hinduism remains the predominant religion of the Indo-Guyanese, although it has been considerably modified.
  Hinduism stresses the festivities accompanying religious rites. Festivals may last several days and are usually held in times of crisis or prosperity. Because the sponsor of a festival provides a tent and feeds a large number of guests, orthodox Hindu rituals require considerable outlays of money. A Hindu family has difficulty fulfilling ritual obligations unless it has accumulated a surplus of cash.
  Since the late 1940s, reform movements have caught the attention of many Guyanese Hindus. The most important, the Arya Samaj movement (Aryan Society), was founded in India in 1875; the first Arya Samaj missionary arrived in Guyana in 1910.  The movement preaches monotheism and opposition to the use of images in worship as well as many traditional Hindu rituals.
caption: Central Vaidik Mandir in Georgetown
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