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| Hinduism in Réunion | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hinduism in Réunion |
| Type | Minority religion |
| Main places | Saint-Denis, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul |
| Scriptures | Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata |
| Languages | Tamil language, Bhojpuri language, Hindi language, French language |
| Founded | 19th century (indentured migration) |
Hinduism in Réunion is the practice and presence of Hinduism on the French overseas department of Réunion. The community descends largely from indentured laborers from British India, French India territories and migrations linked to colonial networks, and maintains links with transnational institutions in India, Mauritius, South Africa, and Guadeloupe. Rituals, temples, and festivals coexist with influences from Catholic Church in France, Buddhism, and Islam in Réunion.
Indentured migration after the abolition of slavery brought immigrants from Madras Presidency, Bengal Presidency, Bombay Presidency, Goa, Pondicherry and Karikal to work on sugar plantations linked to companies such as the Compagnie des Indes Orientales and colonial plantations administered under Second French Empire. Arrival waves in the mid-19th century included Tamil, Telugu, Bhojpuri, and Marathi speakers who traveled via ports like Port Louis and Mauritius to Saint-Denis. Local records reference contracts issued under the laws of the French Third Republic and interactions with administrators influenced by policies from Napoleon III and later legislators in Paris. Religious continuity was mediated through family networks, temple artefacts shipped from Madras, and pilgrimages connecting with shrines such as Meenakshi Amman Temple and Kashi Vishwanath Temple via returning migrants. Community leaders appear in colonial correspondence alongside organisations comparable to Indian National Congress affiliates and diasporic associations active during the 20th century.
Census and ethnographic surveys indicate Hindus form a minority within Réunion’s population concentrated in urban centers like Saint-Pierre and Le Tampon. Language use reflects heritage languages such as Tamil language, Bhojpuri language, Telugu language and Marathi language alongside French language. Migration flows from Mauritius, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Madagascar and Comoros have affected demographic composition. Studies referencing institutions like the INSEE and regional civic groups illustrate age distributions similar to other diasporas, with second- and third-generation families integrating into professions tied to Université de La Réunion graduates, small business networks and cultural entrepreneurship.
Practices include puja, homa, and life-cycle rituals influenced by South Indian and North Indian traditions associated with deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Kali and local manifestations of Murugan. Major festivals celebrated publicly and privately include Diwali, Navaratri, Maha Shivaratri, Pongal and Thaipusam, often coordinated with local municipal calendars and touring artists from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Ritual specialists and priests trained in liturgical languages such as Sanskrit and Tamil language preside over ceremonies; musicians performing Carnatic music or Hindustani classical music accompany bhajans and kirtans. Votive offerings, lamp processions, and community feasts mirror practices at pilgrimage sites like Rameswaram and Tiruchendur and are sometimes syncretised with practices observed in Mauritius and Réunion Creole cultural forms.
Temples range from small household shrines to larger mandirs in districts of Saint-Denis, Saint-Paul and Saint-André. Notable structures emulate architectural elements from Dravidian architecture and house images of Murugan, Durga and Lakshmi. Community centres often host religious instruction drawing on texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and editions of the Vedas. Some temples maintain ties with heritage sites like Meenakshi Amman Temple and receive visiting priests from Chennai and Pondicherry. Cremation and funeral rites reflect adaptations to French civil regulations and local practices found near municipal cemeteries in Saint-Denis and coastal communes.
Hindu-derived customs have influenced Réunionese cuisine, music, and calendar life; dishes incorporating spices and techniques trace to Tamil cuisine, Bengali cuisine, and Goan cuisine. Instruments and performance styles such as mridangam, nadaswaram and bollywood music-inspired ensembles appear alongside Séga and Maloya genres. Visual motifs and textile traditions reference sari, dhoti, and temple arts tied to workshops in Pondicherry and Madurai. Interactions with institutions like La Poste (France), local schools and cultural festivals produce bilingual cultural programming and exhibitions tied to diaspora memory and links with consular posts such as the Consulate General of India in Réunion.
Associations, cultural societies, and religious trusts coordinate worship, language instruction, and social services; examples include local mandir committees, Tamil cultural associations, and diaspora chapters resembling branches of Indian Council for Cultural Relations-affiliated groups. Community newspapers, radio programmes and NGOs collaborate with municipal bodies and educational establishments like Université de La Réunion to run courses in Tamil language and Hindi language. Charitable networks mirror models used by organisations in Mauritius and South Africa, addressing heritage preservation, youth engagement and interfaith dialogue involving representatives from Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Denis-de-La Réunion and Muslim associations.
Contemporary concerns include language maintenance amid French-language predominance, heritage preservation of temple sites, and negotiation of religious practices within the framework of laïcité as articulated in laws from Third Republic (France) to contemporary legislation. Youth engagement and digital diaspora networks link Réunionese Hindus with online platforms, pilgrimage circuits to Kailash and Tirupati, and transnational advocacy on cultural recognition similar to movements in Mauritius and Guadeloupe. Debates involve heritage conservation, planning permissions in urban communes such as Saint-Denis and socio-economic mobility tied to educational attainment from institutions like CNRS-affiliated researchers, while intercommunal efforts promote multicultural festivals and academic research partnerships.
Category:Religion in Réunion Category:Hinduism by country