Hinduism in Belgium
Encyclopedia
Hinduism
is a minority religion in Belgium.
Hinduism is spread to Belgium mainly by ISKCON and Brahma Kumaris.
The average per capita income of Belgium is US$ 23,861. While the per capita income of the Indian community is not available, they are mainly to be found in the professional and more prosperous sections of society. Indians are employed in Software, the Diamond business and a few local industries in cities like Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels and Liege.
A section of immigrants from Palanpur district in Gujarat had entered the port city of Antwerp to work with the Jewish community in the diamond business, and eventually started their own.
The Antwerp Indians still form a very tightly knit group and actively celebrate Indian festivals.
Indian Software companies like Aricent, HCL, TCS and Infosys have a presence in Belgium while Indian Software Professionals are in great demand by multinationals like Swift, Compaq and Alcatel, because they are generally cheaper to employ than local Europeans with the same skills. The professional Indians in Belgium represent the modern, youthful face of India.
Some Farm labourers and Shop-hands, mainly immigrants from North India have also managed to enter Belgium illegally http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter11.pdf
INDIAN CULTURAL CENTRE asbl, Indo-Belgian Association Gent Bhartiya Samaj, Antwerp India Association, Brussels Puja Committee and Shanti Darshan.
The Hindu Forum of Belgium - HFB or FHB - was created by Hindu organisations in Belgium. It was launched on the 16th of March 2007 in Brussels
The Indian community enjoys good relations with the local population. Due to their small size they are not politically active. The Indian community is law abiding.
A handful of Indians work in the financial institutions based in Luxembourg, which boasts an Indian Association. As in the Netherlands, Belgians regularly adopt children from India http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter11.pdf
There are about 250 families engaged in diamond trade in Antwerp. Many of the other Indians living in Belgium are professionals employed with either multinational companies or other professional organisations Indian community in Belgium
.
Centre 1- ISKCON, Antwerpen, Belgium
Centre 2- Local Get-together Program, Gent, Belgium
Centre 3- Local Get-together Program, Gent, Belgium
Centre 4- Bhaktivedanta College
, Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Hindu Vaishnava university in Belgium
Centre 5- Bhaktivedanta Library Services (BLS), Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Centre 6- Govinda's Radhadesh, Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Centre 7- ISKCON Radhadesh, Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
is a minority religion in Belgium.
Hinduism is spread to Belgium mainly by ISKCON and Brahma Kumaris.
Hinduism in Belgium
There are around 6,500 Hindus in Belgium which includes 1,500 Hare Krishnas and 5,000 other Hindus.Indian Community in Belgium
There are about 7,000 persons of Indian origin in Belgium.The average per capita income of Belgium is US$ 23,861. While the per capita income of the Indian community is not available, they are mainly to be found in the professional and more prosperous sections of society. Indians are employed in Software, the Diamond business and a few local industries in cities like Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels and Liege.
A section of immigrants from Palanpur district in Gujarat had entered the port city of Antwerp to work with the Jewish community in the diamond business, and eventually started their own.
The Antwerp Indians still form a very tightly knit group and actively celebrate Indian festivals.
Indian Software companies like Aricent, HCL, TCS and Infosys have a presence in Belgium while Indian Software Professionals are in great demand by multinationals like Swift, Compaq and Alcatel, because they are generally cheaper to employ than local Europeans with the same skills. The professional Indians in Belgium represent the modern, youthful face of India.
Some Farm labourers and Shop-hands, mainly immigrants from North India have also managed to enter Belgium illegally http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter11.pdf
Indian Associations in Belgium
Despite the small size of the community there are several Indian cultural associations. The leading ones areINDIAN CULTURAL CENTRE asbl, Indo-Belgian Association Gent Bhartiya Samaj, Antwerp India Association, Brussels Puja Committee and Shanti Darshan.
The Hindu Forum of Belgium - HFB or FHB - was created by Hindu organisations in Belgium. It was launched on the 16th of March 2007 in Brussels
The Indian community enjoys good relations with the local population. Due to their small size they are not politically active. The Indian community is law abiding.
A handful of Indians work in the financial institutions based in Luxembourg, which boasts an Indian Association. As in the Netherlands, Belgians regularly adopt children from India http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter11.pdf
There are about 250 families engaged in diamond trade in Antwerp. Many of the other Indians living in Belgium are professionals employed with either multinational companies or other professional organisations Indian community in Belgium
ISKCON in Belgium
ISKCON Belgium has centres in Antwerp, Septon and Gent. An Iskcon Temple is located in Radhadesh, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
ISKCON Centres in Belgium
ISKCON has seven centres in Belgium. They areCentre 1- ISKCON, Antwerpen, Belgium
Centre 2- Local Get-together Program, Gent, Belgium
Centre 3- Local Get-together Program, Gent, Belgium
Centre 4- Bhaktivedanta College
Bhaktivedanta College
Bhaktivedanta College, located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium, is a Vaishnava college administered by ISKCON. The programme at Bhaktivedanta College is the study of Vaishnavism. -History:...
, Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Hindu Vaishnava university in Belgium
Bhaktivedanta College
Bhaktivedanta College, located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium, is a Vaishnava college administered by ISKCON. The programme at Bhaktivedanta College is the study of Vaishnavism. -History:...
Centre 5- Bhaktivedanta Library Services (BLS), Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Centre 6- Govinda's Radhadesh, Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
Centre 7- ISKCON Radhadesh, Septon-Durbuy, Belgium
External links
- There are 5,000 Hindus, 3,000 Sikhs and 1,500 Hare Krishnas in Belgium
- The Hare Krishna Movement in Belgium
- Iskcon temple in Belgium
- Namaskar - Hindu Association of Brussels, Belgium
- Gujaratis families dominate 60 percent diamond trade in Belgium
- Brahmakumaris in Belgium
- Balinese Hindus in the Pairi Daiza Temple