|
Religion |
Percentage |
Approx. Population |
|
Hinduism |
95.17% |
6,532,765 |
|
Islam |
2.18% |
149,881 |
|
Christianity |
0.18% |
12,646 |
|
Sikhism |
1.16% |
79,896 |
|
Buddhism |
1.15% |
78,659 |
|
Jainism |
0.03% |
1,805 |
|
Other
Religions |
0.01% |
856 |
|
Not Stated/Not Religious |
0.12% |
8,094 |
Hinduism
Hinduism is the largest religion in the state of Himachal Pradesh with 95.17% of the total population adhering to it. The Shaivism and Shaktism sects of Hinduism are the most followed sects of Hinduism based on the popularity in the state. Except for Lahaul-Spiti, every other district of Himachal Pradesh is a Hindu-majority district.
As a matter of fact, Himachal Pradesh has the highest proportion of Hindu population among all the states and union territories of India.
Islam
Islam is the largest religious minority and second-largest religion of the state of Himachal Pradesh. About 2.18% of the population (nearly 150,000) adheres to the Islam religion and traditions. Chamba district is the district with the largest Muslim population.
Sikhism
Sikhism is the third-largest religion of Himachal Pradesh with 1.16% of the population adhering to it. The majority of the Sikh population lives in the Una district. Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib, Gurudwara Sahib Chail, Baru Sahib Gurudwara, Guru Paonta Sahib are some of the most prominent Gurudwaras in the state.
Buddhism
The Buddhists, which constitute 1.15% of the population of Himachal Pradesh, mainly reside in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. In the Lahaul-Spiti district, nearly 62% of the population adheres to Buddhism making it the only district that is not Hindu major. In terms of absolute population, Kinnaur has the largest number of Buddhists in the state. The supreme spiritual leader of Buddhism, The Dalai Lama, resides in Dharamshala in the Kangra district. Most of the monasteries are in the Lahaul-Spiti district. Tabo Monastery, Key Monastery, Tangyud Monastery, Namgyal Monastery are some of the most famous monasteries in Himachal Pradesh.
Christianity
The total Christian population is about 0.18% of the state's total population which is about 13000 in absolute numbers. Christ Church (Shimla), Christ Church (Kasauli, Solan), St. Patrick's Church (Dalhousie, Chamba) are some of the most famous churches in the state.
Not Stated/Not Religious
About 0.123% of the state's total population is either non-religious (also called areligious) or has not willed to state their religious affiliation.
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- Outline of Himachal Pradesh