Hinduism in Kenya
Encyclopedia
Introduction
Hinduism in Kenya mainly comes from coastal trade routes between primarily between Gujarat and MarwarMarwar
Marwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
.
The origin of the Kenyan Gujarati dates back to the late 1800s (early 1900s), when British colonialists brought laborers from India to build the Uganda-Kenya railway. Many of the laborers, rather than voyage back to the Indian subcontinent, simply settled in Kenya, and slowly brought with them a host of hopefuls willing to start afresh.
Hindus in Kenya
One percent of Kenyan population practiced Hinduism as reported by IRF This is in contrast to 0.14% reported in the Kenyan Census of 2009. http://www.knbs.or.ke/docs/PresentationbyMinisterforPlanningrevised.pdfToday, the Gujarati community in Kenya is estimated at over sixty thousand, and is dispersed throughout the country. Despite varying degrees of acculturation, most have retained their strong Gujarati ties.
There are few hundred Kenyans converted to Hinduism mainly through Hare Krishnas.
Brahma Kumaris and Satya Sai Baba Organisation are also active in Kenya.
Hindu Temples in Kenya
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Mombasa http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi (EASS) http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi (SKSS) http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Eldoret http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Keruyoga http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nakuru http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Kisumu http://www.shreeswaminarayanmandirbhuj.org/addressworld.html
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Haile Selassie Rd., P.O. Box 81284, Mombasa, Kenya http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/africa/mombasa.htm
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan MandirBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir NairobiBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi is a Hindu temple in Nairobi, Kenya. Although there were temples in Africa before this, it is the first traditional stone and marble Hindu temple to be constructed on the African continent and was built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, an international Hindu...
, Forest Road, P. O. Box 40570, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/africa/nairobi.htm - ISKCON Krishna Temple, Nairobi, Kenya
- ISKCON Krishna Temple, Kisumu, Kenya
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Masaai Avenue, P.O.Box 541, Nakuru
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Tagore Road, P.O.Box 3643, Eldoret http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/africa/Eldoret.htm
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Okore Road, P.O.Box 164, Kisumu http://tamilelibrary.org/teli/temple2.htmlhttp://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/africa/Kisumu.htm
- Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Temple http://www.balajikenya.org/
- Sri Ayyapa Seva Samaj/Sri Ayyapa Temple
Hindu Council of Kenya
Hindu Council of Kenya is an umbrella body of Hindus in Kenya, and is associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of the Hindu nationalist Sangh ParivarSangh Parivar
The Sangh Parivar refers to the family of organisations of Hindu nationalists which have been started by members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or are inspired by its ideas. The Sangh Parivar represents the Hindu nationalist movement. It includes the RSS and several dozen smaller...
. The Council is recognised by the Government.
Until a few years back, the Hindus were described in the voter’s register as 'Non-Muslims'. Due to the efforts of the Council, they are now described as 'Hindus'. The Council has been busy in preparing syllabus and books for Hindu religious education http://www.vhp.org/englishsite/d.Dimensions_of_VHP/qVishwa%20Samanvya/vishvahinduparishadabroad.htm
Hare Krishnas in Kenya
Hare Krishnas has a good presence felt in Kenya.Krishna temples was first established in Nairobi and Mombasa in 1969. The same year, one of ISKCON’s most prominent devotees from Africa, HG Shakti Mati devi dasi, was initiated in Nairobi.
Hare Krishnas has 3 Centres in Kisumu
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
, Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
and Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...