![]() Hawan at Shri Hinglaj Mata temple during Hinglaj Yatra in Baluchistan | |
Total population | |
---|---|
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Regions with significant populations | |
Sindh | (4,901,107) (8.8%) |
Punjab | (249,716) (0.2%) |
Balochistan | (59,107) (0.41%) |
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | (6,104) (0.02%) |
Religions | |
Hinduism of all sects | |
Scriptures | |
Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita | |
Languages | |
Sanskrit (holy)[2] Sindhi, Punjabi, Seraiki, Marwari, Hindko, Baluchi, Gujarati and others, (including Aer, Dhatki, Gera, Goaria, Gurgula, Jandavra, Kabutra, Koli, Loarki, Tamil, and Vaghri) |
Hinduism by country |
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Full list |
Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Pakistan after Islam.[3] Though Hinduism was one of the dominant faiths in the region a few centuries ago,[4][5][6] Hindus accounted for just 2.17% of Pakistan's population (approx 5.2 million people) in the 2023 Pakistani census.[7] The Umerkot district has the highest percentage of Hindu residents in the country at 54.6%, while Tharparkar district has the most Hindus in absolute numbers at 811,507.[8][9]
Prior to the partition of India, according to the 1941 census, Hindus constituted 14.6% of the population in West Pakistan (which is now Pakistan)[a] and 28% of the population in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).[10][11][12] After Pakistan gained independence from the British Raj, 4.7 million of West Pakistan's Hindus and Sikhs moved to India as refugees.[13] And in the first census afterward (1951), Hindus made up 1.6% of the total population of West Pakistan, and 22% of East Pakistan.[14][15]
Hindus in Pakistan are primarily concentrated in Sindh, where the majority of Hindu enclaves are found.[16] They speak a variety of languages such as Sindhi, Seraiki, Aer, Dhatki, Gera, Goaria, Gurgula, Jandavra, Kabutra, Koli, Loarki, Marwari, Vaghri,[17] and Gujarati.[18] Many Hindus, especially in the rural areas, follow the teachings of local Sufi pīrs (Urdu: spiritual guide) or adhere to the 14th-century saint Ramdevji, whose main temple Shri Ramdev Pir temple is located in Tando Allahyar. A growing number of urban Hindu youth in Pakistan associate themselves with ISKCON society.[19] Other communities worship manifold "Mother Goddesses" as their clan or family patrons.[24] A different branch, the Nanakpanth, follows the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib, also known as the holy book of the Sikhs. This diversity, especially in rural Sindh, often thwarts classical definitions between Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam.[25] Despite being a predominantly Muslim nation, Pakistan's Sindh province boasts a remarkable Hindu heritage and cultural legacy. However, discrimination is increasingly prevalent throughout Pakistan, including in Sindh. Nevertheless, the profound Hindu influence continues to shape the landscape and identity of Sindh.[26]
Though the Constitution of Pakistan provides equal rights to all citizens and is not supposed to discriminate between anyone on the basis of caste, creed or religion, Islam remains the state religion, often meaning Muslims are afforded more privileges than Hindus or other religious minorities.[27] There have been numerous cases of violence and discrimination against Hindus, along with other minorities.[28] There have also been cases of violence and ill-treatment of Hindus, due to strict blasphemy laws.[29]
One of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Pakistan is the shrine of Shri Hinglaj Mata temple in Balochistan.[30][31] The annual Hinglaj Yatra is the largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan.[32]
Prior to the partition of India in 1947 into two separate nation-states, a group of Western-educated Indian Muslims who constituted the Muslim League, the pivotal Muslim political organization in undivided India, ardently advocated the logical of creating a separate homeland for Indian Muslims. There were also debates between the Sanskrit believers Hindus and Arabic believers Muslims.
Perhaps best known as home to Asia's earliest cities, the Harappan sites of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, Pakistan's rich history includes contributions from prominent Buddhist, Hindu, Hellenistic, Jain and Zoroastrian civilizations, as well as those connected to its Islamic heritage.
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When the British Indian Empire was partitioned in 1847, 4.7 million Sikhs and Hindus left what is today Pakistan for India, and 6.5 million Muslims left India and moved to Pakistan.
Most of the Hindu population was in East Pakistan, where they constituted 22% of the population in 1951 and 18.4% in 1961. In West Pakistan, they represented only 1.6% (1951 and 1961) of the population.
Interestingly, Hindus, who were the single largest minority, constituted 22% of East Wing population and only 1.6% of West Pakistan
In Pakistan, the majority of Gujarati-speaking communities are in Karachi including Dawoodi Bohras, Ismaili Khojas, Memons, Kathiawaris, Katchhis, Parsis (Zoroastrians) and Hindus, said Gul Hasan Kalmati, a researcher who authored Karachi, Sindh Jee Marvi, a book discussing the city and its indigenous communities. Although there are no official statistics available, community leaders claim that there are three million Gujarati-speakers in Karachi – roughly around 15 percent of the city's entire population.
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).The worship of the Hinglaj Mata in Balochistan has been one of the most important tourist and religious pilgrimage for the Hindus of Pakistan and the trends has place in history from Medieval India. The origin of the pilgrimage was practised under the rule of Rajput king, Rao Shekha.
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