View source for Hinduism in Southeast Asia

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{{EngvarB|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}

{{Infobox religious group
|group = Hindus of Southeast Asia
|image = Hinduism Expansion in Asia.svg
|caption = Expansion of [[Hinduism]] in Southeast Asia
|image_size = 250px
|population= {{Circa|'''7,933,717'''|lk=yes}}{{increase}}
<br />(1.40% of the population)
| languages = {{Plainlist|
* '''Sacred language:'''<br />{{Hlist|[[Sacred language#Hinduism|Sanskrit]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] (to some extent)}}<ref name="Wiley-Blackwell1">{{cite book|last1 = Johnson|first1 = Todd M.|last2 = Grim|first2 = Brian J.|title = The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography|url = http://media.johnwiley.com.au/product_data/excerpt/47/04706745/0470674547-196.pdf|access-date = 24 November 2015|year = 2013|publisher = Wiley-Blackwell|location = Hoboken, NJ|pages = 10|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131020100448/http://media.johnwiley.com.au/product_data/excerpt/47/04706745/0470674547-196.pdf|archive-date = 20 October 2013}}</ref>
 }}
'''Predominant spoken languages:'''<br />{{Hlist| [[Balinese language|Balinese]] |[[Tamil language|Tamil]] | [[Javanese language|Javanese]] | [[Tenggerese dialect|Tenggerese]] | [[Osing language|Osing]] | [[Cham language|Cham]] | [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] | [[Malay language|Malay]] | [[Languages of Southeast Asia|other Southeast Asian languages]] | English | and others}}
|region1 = [[Hinduism in Indonesia|Indonesia]]
|pop1 = 4,646,357
|ref1=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/168356.htm|title=religion in Indonesia|website=2009-2017.state.gov}}</ref>
|region2=[[Hinduism in Malaysia|Malaysia]]
|pop2=1,949,850
|ref2=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2777.htm|title=religion in Malaysia|website=2009-2017.state.gov}}</ref>
|region3=[[Hinduism in Myanmar|Myanmar]]
|pop3=820,000
|ref3=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/table-religious-composition-by-country-in-numbers|title=religion in Myanmar|website=pewresearch.org|date=18 December 2012 }}</ref>
|region4=[[Hinduism in Singapore|Singapore]]
|pop4=372,963
|
|region5=[[Hinduism in Thailand|Thailand]]
|pop5=84,000
|ref5=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/thailand#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016|title=religion in Thailand|website=globalreligiousfuture.org|access-date=5 July 2022|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926171829/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/thailand#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010&region_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|region6=[[Hinduism in the Philippines|Philippines]]
|pop6=34,634<ref name="auto"/>
|
|flag=File:Om, This the first word in the world- 2013-10-30 10-55.png
|flag_size=80px
|region8=also present in small numbers in [[Hinduism in Laos|Laos]] and [[Hinduism in Cambodia|Cambodia]]}}{{Hinduism by country}}

'''[[Hinduism]] in Southeast Asia''' had a profound impact on the region's [[Culture of Southeast Asia|cultural development]] and its [[History of Southeast Asia|history]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 April 2017|title=Hindu Wisdom – Suvarnabhumi|url=http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Suvarnabhumi.htm|access-date=2021-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425182329/http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Suvarnabhumi.htm|archive-date=25 April 2017}}</ref> As the [[Brahmic scripts|Indic scripts]] were introduced from the [[Indian subcontinent]], people of Southeast Asia entered the historical period by producing their earliest inscriptions around the 1st to 5th century CE.<ref>{{cite book | title = Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, Metropolitan museum, New York: exhibition catalogues | author = Guy, John | publisher = Metropolitan Museum of Art | year = 2014 | isbn = 9781588395245| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vO_-AgAAQBAJ&q=Indic+script+in+early+Southeast+Asian+kingdom&pg=PA11}}</ref> Today, Hindus in Southeast Asia are mainly [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Overseas Indians]] and [[Balinese people|Balinese]]. There are also [[Javanese people|Javanese]] (also other minorities of Indonesia), and the Balamon [[Chams|Cham]] minority in Cambodia and south central Vietnam who also practice Hinduism.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Religions of South Asia|url=https://asiasociety.org/education/religions-south-asia|access-date=2021-08-09|website=Asia Society|date=25 July 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Hinduism|Hindu]] civilization, which itself formed from various distinct cultures and peoples, including also early Southeast Asian, specifically [[Mon Khmer]] influences,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Lévi|first1=Sylvain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dx5dzJGGBg0C&q=austroasiatic+influence+on+india&pg=PR15|title=Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian in India|last2=Przyluski|first2=Jean|last3=Bloch|first3=Jules|date=1993|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0772-9|language=en}}</ref> was adopted and assimilated into the indigenous social constructs and statehoods of Southeast Asian regional polities. Through the formation of [[Indianized kingdoms]], small indigenous polities led by petty chieftain were transformed into major kingdoms and empires led by a [[Maharaja]] with [[State (polity)|statecraft]] akin to India’s. This gave birth to the former [[Champa]] civilisation in southern parts of [[South Central Coast|South Central Vietnam]], [[Kingdom of Funan|Funan]] in [[Southern Vietnam]], the [[Khmer Empire]] in [[Indochina]], the [[Langkasuka]] Kingdom and [[Kedah Kingdom|Old Kedah]] in the [[Malay Peninsula]], the [[Sriwijaya]]n kingdom on [[Sumatra]], the [[Mataram kingdom]], [[Singhasari]] and the [[Majapahit Empire]] based in [[Java]], [[Bali]] and parts of the [[History of the Philippines|Philippine]] archipelago. The civilisation of India influenced the languages, scripts, written traditions, literatures, calendars, belief systems and artistic aspects of these peoples and nations.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title = The spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia and the Pacific | encyclopedia = Britannica | url = https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism/The-spread-of-Hinduism-in-Southeast-Asia-and-the-Pacific}}</ref>

A reason for the acceptance of Indian culture and religious traditions in Southeast Asia was because Indian culture already bore some striking similarities to indigenous cultures of Southeast Asia, which can be explained by earlier Southeast Asian (specifically [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatic]], such as early [[Munda languages|Munda]] and [[Mon Khmer]] groups) and Himalayan ([[Tibetic languages|Tibetic]]) cultural and linguistic influence on local Indian peoples. Several scholars, such as Professor Przyluski, Jules Bloch, and Lévi, among others, concluded that there is a significant cultural, linguistic, and political Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic) influence on early Indian culture and traditions. India is seen as a melting pot of western, eastern and indigenous traditions.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Lévi|first1=Sylvain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dx5dzJGGBg0C&q=austroasiatic+influence+on+india&pg=PR15|title=Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian in India|last2=Przyluski|first2=Jean|last3=Bloch|first3=Jules|date=1993|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0772-9|language=en|quote=It has been further proved that not only linguistic but also certain cultural and political characteristics of ancient India can be explained by Austroasiatic (Mon-Khmer) elements.}}</ref>

== Ancient era ==
Indian scholars wrote about the Dwipantara or [[Jawa Dwipa]] Hindu kingdom in [[Java]] and [[Sumatra]] around 200 BC. "Yawadvipa" is mentioned in India's earliest epic, the [[Ramayana]]. [[Sugriva]], the chief of [[Rama]]'s army, dispatched his men to Yawadvipa, the island of Java, in search of [[Sita]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ic4BjWFmNIC&pg=PA465|title=History Of Ancient India (portraits Of A Nation), 1/e|date=25 March 2010|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=9788120749108 |via=Google Books}}</ref> It was hence referred to by the Sanskrit name "yāvaka dvīpa" (dvīpa = island). Southeast Asia was frequented by traders from eastern India, particularly [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]], as well as from the [[Chola dynasty|kingdoms]] of South India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hinduism – The spread of Hinduism in Southeast Asia and the Pacific|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism|access-date=2021-08-09|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|language=en}}</ref> The [[Indianised kingdom|Indianised]] [[Tarumanagara]] kingdom was established in [[West Java]] around 400s, and produced inscriptions among the earliest in [[Indonesian history]]. There was a marked Buddhist influence starting about 425 in the region. Around the 6th century, the Indianized [[Kalingga Kingdom|Kalingga]] kingdom was established on the northern coast of [[Central Java]]. The name of the kingdom was derived from [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] east coast of India.<ref name="Coedes">{{cite book|last= Coedès|first= George|author-link= George Coedès|editor= Walter F. Vella|others= trans. Susan Brown Cowing|title= The Indianized States of Southeast Asia|year= 1968|publisher= Uny of Hawaii Press|isbn= 978-0-8248-0368-1}}</ref> These Southeast Asian seafaring peoples engaged in extensive trade with India and China, which attracted the attention of the [[Mongols]], Chinese and Japanese, as well as [[History of Islam|Islamic traders]], who reached the [[Aceh]] area of [[Sumatra]] in the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hinduism in Southeast Asia {{!}} Encyclopedia.com|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/hinduism-southeast-asia|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Medieval Indian scholars also referred to the Philippines as "Panyupayana" (The lands surrounded by water).<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-981-10-7317-5_6 |chapter=Panyupayana: The Emergence of Hindu Polities in the Pre-Islamic Philippines |title=Cultural and Civilisational Links between India and Southeast Asia |year=2018 |last1=Santarita |first1=Joefe B. |pages=93–105 |isbn=978-981-10-7316-8 }}</ref>

Indian Hindu influence began declining around the 11th century, though traces of Hinduism remained in places like Java well into the 16th century, while Bali retained such influences to the modern day.<ref>Ricklefs, Merle C. "Southeast Asia, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam in." In ''Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World: Digital Collection''.: Oxford University Press.</ref>

Examples of the Hindu cultural influence found today throughout Southeast Asia owe much to the legacy of the [[Chola dynasty]]. For example, the great temple complex at [[Prambanan]] in Indonesia exhibits a number of similarities with the South Indian architecture.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A history of India|first=Hermann|last=Kulke|date=2004|publisher=Routledge|others=Rothermund, Dietmar 1933–|isbn=0203391268|edition= 4th|location=New York|oclc=57054139}}</ref>

According to the Malay chronicle ''Sejarah Melayu'', the rulers of the [[Malacca Sultanate]] claimed to be descendants of the kings of the Chola Empire. Chola rule is remembered in Malaysia today as many princes there have names ending with Cholan or Chulan, one such being [[Raja Chulan]], the Raja of [[Perak]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Aklujkar|first1=Ashok|last2=Kalyanaraman|first2=A.|date=1971|title=Aryatarangini: The Saga of the Indo-Aryans.|journal=Pacific Affairs|volume=44|issue=3|pages=451|doi=10.2307/2755739|issn=0030-851X|jstor=2755739}}</ref>

The Chola school of art also spread to Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Thai art with Indian influences|author=Promsak Jermsawatdi|date=1979|publisher=Abhinav Publications|oclc=6237916}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture|url=https://archive.org/details/columbiachronolo00john|url-access=registration|last=Bowman|first=John|editor1-first=John|editor1-last=Bowman|date=31 January 2000|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=9780231500043|location=New York Chichester, West Sussex|doi = 10.7312/bowm11004}}</ref>

Some scholars have pointed out that the legends of [[Ikshvaku (Hinduism)|Ikshvaku]] and [[King Sagara|Sumati]] may have their origin in the Southeast-Asian myth of the birth of humanity from a [[bitter gourd]]. The legend of Sumati, the wife of [[King Sagara|King Sagar]], tells that she produced offspring with the aid of a bitter gourd.<ref>{{cite book | first=Koenraad | last=Elst | author-link=Koenraad Elst|title=Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate | publisher=Aditya Prakashan | year=1999 | isbn=81-86471-77-4| title-link=Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate }}; Sergent, Bernard: Genèse de l'Inde, 1997.</ref>

== Modern era ==
[[File:Bali-Ubud 0704a.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Balinese Hinduism|Hindu]] [[Balinese temple]] offering in [[Bali]], Indonesia]]

Today, vibrant and diverse Hindu communities spread across Southeast Asia, remaining especially in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, [[Medan]] (Indonesia) and the Philippines, mainly due to the presence of [[Tamil people]], who migrated from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia in past centuries. One notably Southeast Asian aspect of Tamil Hinduism is the festival of [[Thaipusam]], while other Hindu religious festivals such as [[Diwali]] are also well-observed by Hindus in the region. In Thailand and Cambodia, [[Thai people|Thai]] and [[Khmer people]] practised Hindu rituals and traditions along with their Buddhist faith, and Hindu gods such as [[Brahma]] are still widely revered.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Tribute to Hinduism: Home|url=http://www.atributetohinduism.com/Suvarnabhumi.htm|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.atributetohinduism.com}}</ref>

In Indonesia, it is not only people of Indian descent who practice Hinduism; Hinduism still survives as the major religion in [[Bali]], where [[native Indonesians]], the [[Balinese people]], adhere to [[Agama Hindu Dharma]], a variant of Hinduism derived from ancient Java-Bali Hindu traditions developed in the island for almost two millennia, often incorporating native spiritual elements.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Swaveda – Articles – Great Expectations: Hindu Revival Moveme...|url=http://www.swaveda.com/articles.php?action=show&id=49|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820025445/http://www.swaveda.com/articles.php?action=show&id=49|archive-date=2004-08-20|access-date=2021-08-09|website=Swaveda}}</ref> Other than the Balinese, small enclaves of [[Javanese people|Javanese]] Hindu minorities are also can be found in [[Java (island)|Java]], such as around [[Tengger mountain range|Tengger]] mountain ranges near [[Mount Bromo|Bromo]] and [[Semeru]] volcanoes, [[Karanganyar Regency]] in [[Central Java]], and near [[Prambanan]], [[Yogyakarta]]. Similarly, Hinduism is also found among the [[Cham people|Cham]] minority in [[Southern Vietnam]] and [[Cambodia]]: just like the Javanese, the majority of them are Muslims but a minority are Hindu. In other parts of Indonesia, the term ''Hindu Dharma'' is often loosely used as an umbrella category to identify native spiritual beliefs and indigenous religions such as Hindu [[Kaharingan]] professed by [[Dayak people|Dayak]] of [[Kalimantan]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=South Asian religions, an introduction (article)|url=https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/south-asia/south-asia-intro/a/south-asian-religions-an-introduction|access-date=2021-08-09|website=[[Khan Academy]]|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:A day of devotion – Thaipusam in Singapore (4316108409).jpg|thumb|[[Hinduism in Singapore|Hindu devotees]] during [[Thaipusam]] festival in Singapore|alt=]]

The resurgence of Hinduism in Indonesia is occurring in all parts of the country. In the early 1970s, the [[Toraja]] people of [[Sulawesi]] were the first to be identified under the umbrella of 'Hinduism', followed by the Karo Batak of Sumatra in 1977 and the Ngaju Dayak of Kalimantan in 1980.  In an unpublished report in 1999, the National Indonesian Bureau of Statistics admitted that around 100,000 people had officially converted or 'reconverted' from Islam to Hinduism over the previous two decades.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swaveda.com/articles.php?action=show&id=49 |title=Swaveda – Articles – Great Expectations: Hindu Revival Moveme |access-date=2004-07-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820025445/http://www.swaveda.com/articles.php?action=show&id=49 |archive-date=20 August 2004  }}</ref>

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, as of 2007, estimated there were at least 10 million Hindus in Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90137.htm|title=United States Department of State|date=14 September 2007 }}</ref>

The growth of Hinduism has been driven also by the famous Javanese prophecies of [[Sabdapalon]] and [[Jayabaya]]. Many recent converts to Hinduism had been members of the families of [[Sukarno]]'s PNI, and now support [[Megawati Sukarnoputri]].  This return to the 'religion of [[Majapahit]]’ (Hinduism) is a matter of nationalist pride.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Next to Indonesian Balinese, the [[Cham people|Balamon Cham]] are now the only surviving native (non-Indic) Hindus in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam there are roughly 160,000 members of the Cham ethnic minority. The majority of them adhere to Islam while some are Hindus.<ref>{{cite news | work = National Geographic | title = The Cham: Descendants of Ancient Rulers of South China Sea Watch Maritime Dispute From Sidelines, The ancestors of Vietnam's Cham people built one of the great empires of Southeast Asia | author = Adam Bray | date = 18 June 2014 | url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140616-south-china-sea-vietnam-china-cambodia-champa/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140620153051/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140616-south-china-sea-vietnam-china-cambodia-champa/| url-status = dead| archive-date = 20 June 2014}}</ref> After centuries being dominated by [[Vietnamese people|Kinh]] (Vietnamese), today there are some efforts to revive Cham culture.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

== Countries ==

{{Bar box|bars={{bar log|10|{{flag|Malaysia}}|Brown|6|.3}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Singapore}}|Red|5.4}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Indonesia}}|Orange|1|.74}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Myanmar}}|Yellow|0.5}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Cambodia}}|DarkGreen|0.33}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Laos}}|LightBlue|0.3}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Thailand}}|DarkBlue|0.4}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Vietnam}}|Purple|0.069}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Philippines}}|Violet|0.03}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|Brunei}}|black|0.02}}
{{bar log|10|{{flag|East Timor}}|Grey|0.012}}
|float=right|left1='''Country'''|right1='''Percentage'''|title='''Percentage of Hindus by country'''|titlebar=#ddd}}
Hinduism is a minority religion of Southeast Asia with a sizeable population in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar. Indonesia has the fourth largest Hindu population of the world, majorly in the Bali island.

===Brunei===
Through allegiance to the Majapahit Empire, Hinduism was widely influenced and adopted by the locals. Later during the 15th century, Arabs invaded {{When|date=February 2025}} Brunei thereby ending Hindu rule due to forced conversions and mass persecution of the citizens.{{Citation needed|reason=This claim needs a reliable source. When did the Arabs invaded Brunei?|date=February 2025}}

===Cambodia===
{{Main|Hinduism in Cambodia}}
[[File:A statue inside the Angkor Wat in Cambodia; January 2020.jpg|left|258x258px|thumb|Statue of [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] at Angkor Wat, converted from a statue of [[Vishnu]]]]

Cambodia was first influenced by Hinduism during the beginning of the [[Kingdom of Funan]]. Hinduism was one of the [[Khmer Empire]]'s official religions.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} [[Angkor Wat]], the largest temple complex in the world (now Buddhist) was once a Hindu temple. The main religion adhered to in Khmer kingdom was Hinduism, followed by Buddhism in popularity. Initially, the kingdom followed Hinduism as its main state religion.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

The Mahadeva's [[Vishnu]] and [[Shiva]] were the most revered deities worshipped in Khmer Hindu temples. Temples such as Angkor Wat are actually known as ''Preah Pisnulok'' (''Vara Vishnuloka'' in Sanskrit) or the realm of Vishnu, to honour the posthumous King [[Suryavarman II]] as Vishnu. Hindu ceremonies and rituals performed by Brahmins (Hindu priests), typically only remained among the ruling elites of the king's family, nobles, and the ruling class.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

[[File:Angkor Vat (6783535194).jpg|thumb|right|[[Angkor Wat]], in [[Cambodia]], is one of the hundreds of ancient Hindu temples in Southeast Asia.]]

The Khmer Empire has developed a complex society where sophisticated culture, art, and architecture flourish. The Khmer king and his officials were in charge of irrigation management and water distribution, which consisted of an intricate series of hydraulics infrastructure, such as canals, moats, and massive reservoirs called ''[[baray]]s''. Society was arranged in a hierarchy reflecting the [[Caste system in India|Hindu caste system]], where the commoners – rice farmers and fishermen – formed the large majority of the population. The [[kshatriya]]s – royalty, nobles, warlords, soldiers, and warriors – formed a governing elite and authorities. Other social classes included [[brahmin]]s (priests), traders, artisans such as carpenters and stonemasons, potters, metalworkers, goldsmiths, and textile weavers, while on the lowest social level are slaves. The extensive irrigation projects provided rice surpluses that could support a large population. The state religion was Hinduism but influenced by the cult of [[Devaraja]], elevating the Khmer kings as possessing the divine quality of living gods on earth, attributed to the incarnation of Vishnu or Shiva.<ref name="God and King">{{cite book |url=http://www.easternbookcorporation.com/moreinfo.php?txt_searchstring=7306 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513032347/http://www.easternbookcorporation.com/moreinfo.php?txt_searchstring=7306 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 May 2006 |title=God and King : The Devaraja Cult in South Asian Art & Architecture |author=Sengupta, Arputha Rani (Ed.) |year=2005 | publisher=National Museum Institute |isbn= 8189233262|access-date=14 September 2012}}</ref> In politics, this status was viewed as the divine justification of a king's rule. The cult enabled the Khmer kings to embark on massive architectural projects, constructing majestic monuments such as Angkor Wat and [[Bayon]] to celebrate the king's divine rule on earth.<ref>{{Cite news|date=14 August 2007|title=Map reveals ancient urban sprawl|language=en-GB|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6945574.stm|access-date=2021-08-09}}</ref>

The empire's official religions included Hinduism and [[Mahayana Buddhism]] until [[Theravada Buddhism]] prevailed, even among the lower classes, after its introduction from Sri Lanka in the 13th century.<ref>[[#Keyes1995|Keyes, 1995]], pp.78–82</ref> Since then, Hinduism slowly declined in Cambodia, and finally being replaced by Theravadan Buddhist as the major faith in the kingdom. Despite this, Hindu rituals continue to play an important role in the kingdom. Like in neighboring Thailand, the ceremony of coronation is conducted mostly by royal Brahmins, during which the sovereign swears in front of the idols of gods Vishnu and Shiva to maintain the ancient national traditions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/royal-cambodian-coronation|title = A Royal Cambodian Coronation}}</ref>

===Indonesia===
{{Main|Hinduism in Indonesia}}
{{see also|Balinese Hinduism|Hinduism in Java}}
[[File:Candi Prambanan; candi Hindu terindah di Asia Tenggara.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The main three towers of the 9th century [[Prambanan]] [[Trimurti]] temple complex, the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia]]

Today in Indonesia, Hinduism is practised by 1.7% of the total population. Hindus constitute 83.29% of the population of [[Bali]] and 5.75% of the population of Central Kalimantan, as of the 2010 census.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sp2010.bps.go.id/index.php/site/tabel?tid=321&wid=0|title=Sensus Penduduk 2010}}</ref> However, between the 4th century to 15th century, Hinduism and Buddhism was adhered by the majority of the population, along with native indigenous [[animism]] and [[dynamism (metaphysics)|dynamism]] beliefs that venerated natural and [[veneration of the dead|ancestral spirits]]. By 15th to 16th-century [[Islam in Indonesia|Islam]] had supplanted Hinduism and Buddhism as the majority religion in the Indonesian archipelago. The influence of Hinduism has profoundly left its marks on the culture of Bali, Java, and Sumatra. Bali has become the last remnant of once Hindu dominated region.

Hindu influences reached the [[Indonesian Archipelago]] as early as first century. In 4th-century, the kingdom of [[Kutai]] in [[East Kalimantan]], [[Tarumanagara]] in [[West Java]], and Holing ([[Kalingga]]) in [[Central Java]], were among the early Hindu states established in the region. The notable ancient Indonesian Hindu kingdoms are [[Mataram kingdom]] (famous for the construction of the majestic 9th-century [[Trimurti]] [[Prambanan]] temple) followed by [[Kediri Kingdom|Kediri]], [[Singhasari]] and the 14th-century [[Majapahit]], the last and largest among Hindu-Buddhist Javanese empires.<ref name="ricklefs">{{Cite book|last=Ricklefs|first=Merle Calvin|title=A history of modern Indonesia since c. 1300 (2nd ed.)|publisher=Stanford University Press / Macmillans|year=1993|isbn=9780804721950}}</ref>{{rp|page=19}}

{{multiple image|perrow=1|total_width=240|caption_align=center
| align = right
| image1 = Bratan Bali Indonesia Balinese-family-after-Puja-01.jpg|caption1=A [[Balinese Hinduism|Hindu]] [[Balinese people|Balinese]] family after puja in [[Pura Ulun Danu Bratan|Bratan temple]]
| image2 = 17 Years of Sekar Jepun 2014-11-01 18.jpg|caption2=A dance performance by [[Balinese Hinduism|Balinese Hindus]]. Many of these dances are rituals reflecting mythical or spiritual stories from Hindu epics and other literature.<ref>Beryl De Zoete, Dance and Drama in Bali, {{ISBN|978-9625938806}}</ref>
}}

The Hindu civilisations have left their marks on [[Indonesian culture]]. The epics ''[[Mahabharata]]'' and ''[[Ramayana]]'', became enduring traditions among Indonesian art forms, expressed in [[wayang]] shadow puppet and [[Dance in Indonesia|dance performances]]. Many [[Indonesian names#Sanskrit-derived names|Indonesian names]] are Sanskrit-based, and [[Indonesian language|Bahasa Indonesia]] contains loads of [[List of loanwords in Indonesian#From Sanskrit|loanwords of Sanskrit origin]]. The vehicle of Vishnu, [[Garuda]], was adopted as both [[National emblem of Indonesia|national emblem Garuda Pancasila]] and flag carrier national airline named [[Garuda Indonesia]].

Today, the Indonesian government has recognised Hinduism as one of the country's six officially sanctioned religions, along with Islam, [[Protestantism]], [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]], Buddhism and [[Confucianism]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hosen  |first=N  |title=Religion and the Indonesian Constitution: A Recent Debate  |journal=Journal of Southeast Asian Studies  |volume=36  |issue=3  |pages=419–440  |publisher=Cambridge University Press  |date=8 September 2005 |url=http://eprint.uq.edu.au/archive/00002795/01/hosen-JSEAS.pdf  |doi=10.1017/S0022463405000238  |s2cid=1636786 |access-date=26 October 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828034442/http://eprint.uq.edu.au/archive/00002795/01/hosen-JSEAS.pdf  |archive-date=28 August 2006 }}</ref>

The Hindu communities in Java tend to be concentrated around built temples (''pura'') or around archaeological temple sites (''candi'') which are being reclaimed as places of Hindu worship. An important Hindu temple in eastern Java is Pura Mandaragiri Sumeru Agung, located on the slope of [[Semeru|Mt. Semeru]], Java's highest mountain. Another Hindu temple, built on a site with minor archaeological remnants attributed to the [[Kingdom of Blambangan]], the last Hindu polity on Java, and Pura Loka Moksa Jayabaya (in the village of Menang near [[Kediri (city)|Kediri]]), where the Hindu king and prophet [[Jayabaya]] is said to have achieved spiritual liberation (''[[Moksha|moksa]]''). Another site is the new Pura Pucak Raung in East Java, which is mentioned in [[Balinese literature]] as the place from where [[Maharishi Markandeya]] took Hinduism to Bali in the 14th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aboutbali.beritabali.com/read/2017/06/17/201706170003/kisah-kedatangan-rsi-markandeya-versi-bali-majapahit-dan-bali-aga|title=Kisah Kedatangan Rsi Markandeya Versi Bali Majapahit dan Bali Aga - Beritabali.com|website=aboutbali.beritabali.com|language=id|access-date=2020-04-19|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926025841/https://www.aboutbali.beritabali.com/read/2017/06/17/201706170003/kisah-kedatangan-rsi-markandeya-versi-bali-majapahit-dan-bali-aga|url-status=dead}}</ref>

An example of resurgence around major archaeological remains of ancient Hindu temple sites was observed in [[Trowulan]] near [[Mojokerto]], the capital of the legendary Hindu empire [[Majapahit]]. A local Hindu movement is struggling to gain control of a newly excavated temple building which they wish to see restored as a site of active Hindu worship. The temple is to be dedicated to Gajah Mada, the man attributed with transforming the small Hindu kingdom of Majapahit into an empire. Although there has been a more pronounced history of resistance to Islamization in East Java, Hindu communities are also expanding in Central Java near the ancient Hindu monuments of Prambanan. On 9 to 12 November 2019, the grand ''[[Abhiṣeka]]'' sacred ceremony was performed in this temple compound. This Hindu ritual was held for the first time after 1,163 years after the Prambanan temple was founded on 856.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dharmadana.id/umat-hindu-diy-gelar-ritual-pensucian-candi-prambanan-pertama-setelah-ribuan-tahun/|title=Umat Hindu DIY Gelar Ritual Pensucian Candi Prambanan Pertama Setelah Ribuan Tahun » Badan Dharma Dana Nasional|date=13 November 2019|website=Badan Dharma Dana Nasional|language=id-ID|access-date=2020-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.thejakartapostimages.com/images/view/41261| title=Upacara Abhiseka di Candi Prambanan Yogyakarta by {{!}} The Jakarta Post Images|website=thejakartapostimages.com|access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref> The ''Abhiṣeka'' ceremony was meant to cleanse, sanctify and purify the temple, thus signify that the temple is not merely an archaeological and tourism site, but also restored to its original function as a focus of Hindu religious activity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bumn.go.id/borobudur/berita/1-Abhiseka-Prambanan|title=Abhiseka Prambanan|last=Kurnia|first=Fadjrin|website=bumn.go.id/|language=id|date= 5 November 2019|access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref>

===Laos===
Hinduism makes up less than 0.1% of the population of Laos. Approximately 7,000 People of Laos are Hindus {{citation needed|date=January 2020}}.

Ancient Laos used to be a part of Hindu Khmer Empire. The [[Wat Phou]] is one of the last influences of that period. The Laotian adaptation of the Ramayana is called ''[[Phra Lak Phra Lam]]''.

===Malaysia===
{{Main|Hinduism in Malaysia}}
[[File:Taipusam Batu Caves, 2012 - panoramio (6).jpg|thumb|[[Thaipusam]] festival at [[Batu Caves]] Temple in [[Malaysia]]. The majority of Malaysian Hindus are [[Tamil Malaysians|Tamils]].]]

Hinduism is the fourth largest religion in Malaysia. About 1.78&nbsp;million Malaysian residents (6.3% of the total population) are Hindus, according to 2010 Census of Malaysia.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_content&id=1215 2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia (Census 2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914022602/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_content&id=1215 |date=14 September 2014 }} Department of Statistics Malaysia, Official Portal (2012)</ref>

Most Malaysian Hindus are settled in western parts of [[Peninsular Malaysia]]. Indian Hindus and Buddhists began arriving in Malaysia during the ancient and medieval era. A large number of Hindus from [[South India]] were brought to Malaysia by [[British colonial empire]] during the 19th and 20th century, as [[indentured labourers]] to work on coffee and sugarcane [[plantation]]s and tin mining; later they were deployed in large numbers, along with [[Chinese Buddhism|Chinese Buddhists]], on rubber plantations. The British [[Kangani system|''kangani'' system]] of recruitment, designed to reduce labour turnover and enhance labour stability, encouraged Hindu workers to recruit friends and family from India to work in British operations in Malaysia. The ''kangani'' system brought numerous [[Tamils|Tamil]] Hindus into Malaysia by early 1900s.<ref>Sandhu (2010), Indians in Malaya: Some Aspects of Their Immigration and Settlement (1786–1957), Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0521148139}}, pp. 89–102</ref> By 1950s, about 12.8% of Malaysian population professed to be a Hindu.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Siddha Community|url=http://www.siddha.com.my/|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.siddha.com.my}}</ref>

After Malaysia gained its independence from British colonial empire in 1957, it declared its official state religion as [[Islam]] and adopted a discriminatory constitution as well as the Sedition Act of 1971 which limited public debate on Malaysia's treatment of religion, language and citizenship policies.<ref name=2011report/><ref name=gandg>Gill & Gopal, Understanding Indian Religious Practice in Malaysia, J Soc Sci, 25(1-2-3): 135–146 (2010)</ref><ref>Raymond Lee, Patterns of Religious Tension in Malaysia, Asian Survey, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Apr. 1988), pp. 400–418</ref> In recent decades, there have been increasing reports of religious persecution of Hindus, along with other minority religions, by various state governments of Malaysia and its [[Sharia]] courts.<ref name=2011report>[http://www.refworld.org/docid/502105a42d.html 2011 Report on International Religious Freedom – Malaysia] U.S. State Department (2012)</ref><ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/222357.pdf Religious Freedom Report 2013 – Malaysia] U.S. State Department (2014)</ref> Hindu temples built on private property, and built long before Malaysian independence, have been demolished by Malaysian government officials in recent years.<ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/208456.pdf Religious Freedom Report 2012 – Malaysia] U.S. State Department (2013)</ref> Since the 1970s, there has been large scale emigration of Hindus (along with Buddhists and Christians) from Malaysia.<ref>[http://www.orfonline.org/cms/export/orfonline/modules/issuebrief/attachments/malaysia_1203067850658.pdf Malaysian Indian Community: Victim of ‘Bumiputera’ Policy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913194927/http://www.orfonline.org/cms/export/orfonline/modules/issuebrief/attachments/malaysia_1203067850658.pdf |date=13 September 2014 }} ORF Issue Report (2008)</ref><ref name=akaur>Amarjit Kaur, [http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2013/02/20/aliens-in-the-land-indian-migrant-workers-in-malaysia/ Indian migrant workers in Malaysia – part 1] Australian National University</ref><ref name=akaur2>Amarjit Kaur, [http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2013/02/21/aliens-in-the-land-indian-migrant-workers-in-malaysia-part-2/ Indian migrant workers in Malaysia – part 2] Australian National University</ref>

Malaysian Hindus celebrate Deepavali (festival of lights), [[Thaipusam]] (Lord Murugan festival), [[Thai Pongal|Pongal]] (harvest festival) and [[Navaratri]] (Durga festival).

===Myanmar===
{{main|Hinduism in Myanmar}}
[[File:Hindu temple procession cart, Yangon.jpg|thumb|left|A Hindu procession in Yangon, Myanmar]]

Hinduism in Burma is practised by about 840,000 people, though a reliable census data is unavailable<ref>[http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/table-religious-composition-by-country-in-numbers/ Table: Religious Composition by Country, in Numbers] Pew Research Center (December 2012)</ref> Most Hindus in Myanmar are [[Burmese Indians]]. In modern Myanmar, most Hindus are found in the urban centres of [[Yangon]] and [[Mandalay]]. Ancient Hindu temples are present in other parts of Burma, such as the 11th century [[Nathlaung Kyaung Temple]] dedicated to Vishnu in [[Bagan]]. Hinduism in Myanmar has also been influenced by Buddhism with many Hindu temples in Myanmar housing statues of the Buddha.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275|title = Myanmar's Tamils seek to protect their identity|work = BBC News|date = 6 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontiermyanmar.net/en/myanmars-hindu-community-looks-west|title=Myanmar's Hindu community looks west|date=18 May 2016}}</ref>

Aspects of Hinduism continue in Burma today, even in the majority Buddhist culture. For example, [[Thagyamin]] is worshipped whose origins are in the Hindu god [[Indra]]. Burmese literature has also been enriched by Hinduism, including the Burmese adaptation of the Ramayana, called [[Yama Zatdaw]]. Many Hindu gods are likewise worshipped by many Burmese people, such as [[Saraswati]] (known as Thuyathadi in Burmese), the goddess of knowledge, who is often worshipped before examinations; Shiva is called ''Paramizwa''; Vishnu is called ''Withano'', and others. Many of these ideas are part of thirty-seven [[Nat (spirit)|Nat]] or deities found in Burmese culture.<ref>Thant Myint-U (2001), The Making of Modern Burma, Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0521799140}}, pp. 27–47</ref>

===Philippines===
{{see also|Hinduism in the Philippines|Religion in pre-colonial Philippines}}
[[File:Filippine, provincia di agusan, immagine hindu, statuetta in oro massiccio, xiii secolo.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Agusan image]] statue (900–950 CE), discovered in 1917 on the banks of the Wawa River near [[Esperanza, Agusan del Sur|Esperanza]], [[Agusan del Sur]], [[Mindanao]] in the [[Philippines]]]]

Before the arrival of [[Islam in the Philippines|Islam]] in [[Sulu Island|Sulu]] in 1450 and [[Christianity in the Philippines|Christianity]] with [[Ferdinand Magellan]], who sailed from Spain in 1521, the chiefs of many communities across the islands were called ''[[Raja]]s'', and the script was derived from [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]]. The concept of [[karma]] is readily understood across various [[Ethnic groups in the Philippines|Philippine peoples]] as part of the traditional worldview, and derived concepts exist such as ''kalma'' in [[Pampangan language]], and [[Gabâ]] in [[Visayan languages]]. The names of precolonial deities, such as [[Bathala]], ultimately come from Hinduism as do many other religious terms and ideas, even as most Filipinos today are Christian. The vocabulary of all [[Philippine languages]] reflect different degrees of Hindu influence.{{Cn|date=June 2025}}

The number of followers of [[Hinduism in the Philippines|Hinduism]] today stand at 0.3% of the Philippine population at 34,634<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=178c |title=National / Regional Profiles |website=thearda.com |access-date=2024-05-04}}</ref>

Today, there is a Hindu temple (attended mostly by [[Sindhis|Sindhīs]]) on Mahatma Gandhi Street, and the Khalsa Diwan Indian Sikh Temple [[Gurdwara|gurdwāra]] on United Nations Avenue. Both are in the traditionally Indian enclaves of [[Paco, Manila|Paco]] and [[Pandacan]], two districts of the [[Manila|City of Manila]], and are some 15 minutes away from each other by foot.<ref>In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the ISKCON temple was right beside the Hindu Temple.</ref> There are currently around 22 gurdwāras nationwide, with most congregants being Indians, Sri Lankans and Nepalese. There are also various [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishna]] groups in the country that are gaining in popularity, as well as the presence of [[Ananda Marga]] and [[Brahma Kumaris]] communities, among others.

[[File:Extract from Inskripsyon sa Binatbat na Tanso ng Laguna.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Laguna Copperplate Inscription]] (c. 900), the oldest extant document in the Philippines, shows Hindu influences from names to titles. Its inscribed date follows the [[Shaka era]].]]

===Singapore===
{{Main|Hinduism in Singapore}}
[[File:Little India- Serangoon Road Singapore Diwali 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Diwali]] in Little India, Singapore]]

The introduction of Hinduism to Singapore dates back to the early 10th century, during the [[Chola]] period. Immigrants from [[Southern India]], mostly [[Tamil people|Tamils]], arrived as labourers for the [[British East India Company]], bringing with them their religion and culture. Their arrival saw the building of [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian]] temples throughout the island, and the beginnings of a vibrant Hindu culture. The first temple is [[Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore|Sri Mariamman Temple]] in Singapore's [[Chinatown, Singapore|Chinatown]]. There are currently about thirty main temples in Singapore, dedicated to various gods and goddesses from the Hindu pantheon. Today, two government bodies deal with Hindu affairs: The Hindu Endowments Board and The Hindu Advisory Board.

Hindus are a minority in Singapore, comprising about 10.1 percent of its citizens and permanent residents in 2010. Among 15 years or older population, there were about 558,000 Hindus; 37% of all Hindus in Singapore speak [[Tamil language|Tamil]] at home, another 42% speak English.<ref>[http://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/publications_and_papers/cop2010/census_2010_release1/cop2010sr1.pdf Census of population 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113154937/http://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/publications_and_papers/cop2010/census_2010_release1/cop2010sr1.pdf |date=13 November 2013 }} Singapore Department of Statistics (2011)</ref> [[Diwali|Deepavali]] is a major Hindu festival and a [[Public holidays in Singapore|public holiday]] observed in Singapore.<ref>[http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave-and-holidays/Pages/public-holidays-2014.aspx Public Holidays] Ministry of Manpower, Singapore</ref>

===Thailand===
{{Main|Hinduism in Thailand}}
[[File:Thailand-3749 - Four Faces Buddha (Brahma) (6042345760).jpg|thumb|left|upright| A murti of [[Brahma]] in [[Chiang Mai]], [[Thailand]]]]

A number of Hindus remain in [[Thailand]], mostly in cities. In the past, the nation came under the influence of the [[Khmer Empire]], which had strong Hindu roots. Despite the fact that today Thailand is a [[Buddhism in Thailand|Buddhist majority nation]], many elements of [[Culture of Thailand|Thai culture]] and symbolism demonstrates Hindu influences and heritage. For example, the popular epic, ''[[Ramakien]]'', is based on the [[Ramayana]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Ramakien | work = Royal Thai Embassy | url = http://www.thaiembassy.no/News/joe_louis/en_Ramakien.html | access-date = 31 July 2017 | archive-date = 17 September 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200917100212/https://thaiembassy.no/News/joe_louis/en_Ramakien.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> The [[Emblem of Thailand]] depicts [[Garuda]], the ''[[vahana]]'' (vehicle) of Vishnu.<ref>{{cite web | title = The concept of Garuda in Thai society | url = http://emuseum.treasury.go.th/articles-en/537-garuda-coin.html | access-date = 31 July 2017 | archive-date = 24 March 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190324085902/http://emuseum.treasury.go.th/articles-en/537-garuda-coin.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>

The Thai city, [[Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city)|Ayutthaya]] near Bangkok, is named after Ayodhya, the birthplace of [[Rama]]. Numerous rituals derived from Brahmanism are preserved in rituals, such as the use of holy strings and pouring of water from conch shells. Furthermore, Hindu deities are worshipped by many Thais alongside Buddhism, such as [[Brahma]] at the famous [[Erawan Shrine]], and statues of [[Ganesh]], [[Indra]], and [[Shiva]], as well as numerous symbols relating to [[Hindu deities]] are found, e.g., [[Garuda]], a symbol of the monarchy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thailand's Hinduism|url=http://www.thaindian.com/about-thailand/thailand-hinduism-4053.html|access-date=9 August 2021|website=India Thai|archive-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428030627/http://www.thaindian.com/about-thailand/thailand-hinduism-4053.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Reliefs in temple walls, such as the 12th-century ''[[Prasat Sikhoraphum]]'' in [[Surin Province]], show a dancing Shiva, with smaller images of [[Parvati]], [[Vishnu]], Brahma and Ganesha.<ref>[http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/sikhoraphum/sk02.html Sikhoraphum], Thailand, Arts & Archaeology Journal</ref>

The [[Devasathan]] is a Hindu temple established in 1784 by King [[Rama I]]. The temple is the centre of Brahminism in Thailand. The royal court Brahmins operate the temple, they perform several royal ceremonies per year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hinduism – page 1/4|url=http://www.thaiworldview.com/bouddha/brahma.htm|access-date=2021-08-09|website=www.thaiworldview.com}}</ref>

An annual [[Giant Swing]] ceremony known as ''Triyampavai-Tripavai'' was held in major cities of Thailand until 1935, when it was abolished for safety reasons.<ref>{{cite book |author=M. E. Manickavasagom Pillai |title=Dravidian Influence in Thai Culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=soFCAAAAYAAJ |year=1986 |publisher=Tamil University |page=69 }}</ref> The name of the ceremony was derived from the names of two [[Tamil language]] Hindu chants: ''[[Thiruvempavai]]'' and ''[[Thiruppavai]]''. It is known that Tamil verses from ''Thiruvempavai'' — ''poet pratu sivalai'' ("opening the portals of Shiva's home") — were recited at this ceremony, as well as the [[Coronation of the Thai monarch|coronation ceremony]] of the [[Monarchy of Thailand|Thai king]].<ref name="Upendra_1986">{{cite book |author=Upendra Thakur |title=Some Aspects of Asian History and Culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m42TldA_OvAC&pg=PA27 |year=1986 |publisher=Abhinav |isbn=978-81-7017-207-9 |pages=27–28 }}</ref> According to T.P. Meenakshisundaram, the name of the festival indicates that Thiruppavai might have been recited as well.<ref>{{cite book |title=Consider Our Vow: Translation of Tiruppāvai and Tiruvempāvai Into English |author=Norman Cutler |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2fMOAAAAMAAJ |year=1979 |publisher=Muttu Patippakam |page=13 }}</ref> The swinging ceremony depicted a legend about how the god created the world. Outside shops, particularly in towns and rural areas, statues of [[Nang Kwak]] as the deity of wealth, fortune and prosperity (version of [[Lakshmi]]) are found.<ref>Ara Wilson (2008), The Sacred Geography of Bangkok's Markets, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Volume 32.3, September 2008, page 635</ref><ref>Jonathan Lee, Fumitaka Matsuoka, Edmond Yee and Ronald Nakasone (2015), Asian American Religious Cultures, ABC, {{ISBN|978-1598843309}}, page 892</ref>

The elite, and the royal household, often employ Brahmins to mark funerals and state ceremonies such as the [[Royal Ploughing Ceremony]] to ensure a good harvest. The importance of Hinduism cannot be denied, even though much of the rituals has been combined with Buddhism.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/july-august-september-2003/2003-07-thailand-hinduism/ |title=Thailand Hinduism |work=Hinduism Today|date=1 July 2003}}</ref>

According to the Thai Census of 2005, there are 52,631 Hindus living in Thailand, making up just 0.09% of the total population.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://popcensus.nso.go.th/show_table.php?t=t5&yr=2543&a=1 |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 February 2013 |archive-date=28 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728083815/http://popcensus.nso.go.th/show_table.php?t=t5&yr=2543&a=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Vietnam===
{{See also|Cham people|Hinduism in Vietnam}}
[[File:Danses Cham.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Cham people|Balamon Cham]] dancers in [[Po Nagar]]]]

The first recorded religion of the Champa was a form of [[Shaivism|Shaiva Hinduism]], brought by sea from India. Hinduism was an important religion among the Cham people (along with Buddhism, Islam, and indigenous beliefs) until the sixteenth century.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Phuong|first1=Tran Ky|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GUHeBgAAQBAJ&q=cham+people+hinduism&pg=PA6|title=The Cham of Vietnam: History, Society and Art|last2=Lockhart|first2=Bruce|publisher=NUS Press|year=2011|isbn=978-9971-69-459-3|pages=4–6}}</ref> Numerous temples dedicated to [[Shiva]] were constructed in the central part of what is now Vietnam. The mainly Hindu [[Óc Eo]] archeological site in [[Mekong River Delta]] in southern Vietnam, dates back to the 7th century and earlier. The [[Champa]] civilisation was located in the more southern part of what is today Central [[Vietnam]], and was a highly Indianized Hindu Kingdom, practising a form of [[Shaivite]] Hinduism brought by sea from India. [[Mỹ Sơn]], a Hindu temple complex in central Vietnam built by the [[Cham people]] is still standing albeit in ruins in [[Quảng Nam Province]], in Vietnam. Since the 15th century under the growing Vietnamese kingdom from the north, Champa was conquered and reduced as a polity. The Chams were subsequently absorbed by the [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] and today are recognised as one of the many ethnic minorities of Vietnam {{citation needed|date=January 2020}}.

The ''[[Chams]] Balamon'' (Hindu [[Brahmin]] Chams) form a minority of the Cham population in Vietnam while most of the Chams are known to follow Islam and are known as ''Cham Bani''. The term Balamon is considered to have been derived from Brahmin,<ref name="Sơn p.105">Champa and the archaeology of Mỹ Sơn (Vietnam) By Andrew Hardy, Mauro Cucarzi, Patrizia Zolese p.105</ref> however, another study suggests that 70% are considered to descend from the Nagavamshi Kshatriya caste<ref>''India's interaction with Southeast Asia'', Volume 1, Part 3 By Govind Chandra Pande, Project of History of Indian Science, philosophy, and Culture, Centre for Studies in Civilizations (Delhi, India) p.231,252</ref> (pronounced in [[Cham language|Cham]](?) as "Satrias"), and claim to be the descendants of the Champa Empire.<ref>[https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35433.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2004], U.S. Department of State.</ref> In any case a sizeable proportion of the Balamon Hindu Cham are considered [[Brahmins]].

Hindu temples are called ''Bimong'' in the [[Cham language]] and the priests are called ''Halau Tamunay Ahier''.

The exact number of Hindus in Vietnam are not published in Government census, but there are estimated to be at least 10,000 Balamon Hindus, with another 4,000 Hindus living in [[Ho Chi Minh City]]; most of whom are of Indian ([[Tamil people|Tamil]]) or of mixed Indian-Vietnamese descent. The [[Mariamman Temple, Ho Chi Minh City|Mariamman Temple]] is one of the most notable Tamil Hindu temples in Ho Chi Minh City. Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan Provinces are where most of the Cham ethnic group (≈65%) in Vietnam reside according to the last population census. Cham Balamon (Hindu Cham) in Ninh Thuan numbered 7,000 in 2002 inhabiting 6 of 34 Cham villages.<ref name="Sơn p.105"/> If this population composition is typical for the Balamon Cham population of Vietnam as a whole then approximately 10% of Balamon Chams in Vietnam are Hindu.

Hinduism is practised by the Balamon Cham people of Vietnam, particularly in the [[Ninh Thuan]] province (10.4%) and [[Bình Thuận Province|Binh Thuan]] (4.8%).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Doc_Download.aspx |url=http://www.gso.gov.vn/Modules/Doc_Download.aspx?DocID=12724 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430081600/http://www.gso.gov.vn/Modules/Doc_Download.aspx?DocID=12724 |archive-date=30 April 2020 |website=gso.gov.vn |language=Vietnamese}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=February 2024}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Hinduism|Asia}}
* Indian religions in Southeast Asia
** [[Buddhism in Southeast Asia]]
** [[Jainism in Southeast Asia]]
** [[Indianised kingdom]]
** [[Balinese Hinduism]]
* Spread of Indian influence
** [[Greater India]]
** [[Indian diaspora]]
** [[Buddhism in Southeast Asia]]
** [[History of Indian influence on Southeast Asia]]
** [[Indianization of Southeast Asia]]
* Trading routes
** [[Indus–Mesopotamia relations]]
** [[Indian maritime history]]
** [[Indian Ocean trade]]
** [[Silk Road]]
** [[Ancient maritime history]]
{{Clear}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Cœdès|first= George|author-link= George Cœdès|editor= Walter F. Vella|translator=Susan Brown Cowing|title= The Indianized States of Southeast Asia|year= 1968|publisher= University of Hawaii Press|isbn= 978-0-8248-0368-1}}
* {{cite book|first=Lokesh |last=Chandra|publisher=International Academy of Indian Culture|year=2000|title=Society and culture of Southeast Asia: Continuities and changes |location=New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture and Aditya Prakashan}} 
* {{cite book|first=R. C.|last=Majumdar|title=Study of Sanskrit in South-East Asia}}
* [[R. C. Majumdar]], ''India and South-East Asia'', I.S.P.Q.S. History and Archaeology Series Vol. 6, 1979, {{ISBN|81-7018-046-5}}.
* R. C. Majumdar, ''Champa'', ''Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East'', Vol.I, Lahore, 1927. {{ISBN|0-8364-2802-1}}
* R. C. Majumdar, ''Suvarnadvipa'', ''Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East'', Vol.II, Calcutta,
* R. C. Majumdar, ''Kambuja Desa or an Ancient Hindu Colony in Cambodia'', Madras, 1944
* R. C. Majumdar, ''Hindu Colonies in the Far East'', Calcutta, 1944, {{ISBN|99910-0-001-1}} Ancient Indian colonisation in South-East Asia.
* [[R. C. Majumdar]], History of the Hindu Colonization and Hindu Culture in South-East Asia
* {{cite book|author=Daigorō Chihara|title=Hindu-Buddhist Architecture in Southeast Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wiUTOanLClcC|year=1996|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-10512-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Hoadley|first=M. C. |year=1991|title=Sanskritic continuity in Southeast Asia: The ṣaḍātatāyī and aṣṭacora in Javanese law|location=Delhi|publisher=Aditya Prakashan}}
* {{cite book|last=Hughes-Freeland|first=F.|year=1991|title=Javanese visual performance and the Indian mystique|location=Delhi|publisher=Aditya Prakashan}}
* {{cite book |editor-surname=Pande |editor-given=Govind Chandra |editor-link=Govind Chandra Pande |title=India's Interaction with Southeast Asia |series=[[Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture|History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization]], vol. 1, part 3 |year=2006 |url={{Google books|dnVuAAAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |place=Delhi |publisher=[[Centre for Studies in Civilizations]] |isbn=9788187586241}}
* {{cite book|title=The journey of the Goddess Durga: India, Java and Bali by Ariati|first=Ni Wayan|last=Pasek|year=2016|isbn=9788177421521|publisher=Aditya Prakashan|location=New Delhi}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.petra.ac.id/english/kti/cent_kal/tiwah/ Hindu-Kaharingan Tiwah ceremony in Borneo]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906140505/http://www.niu.edu/cseas/outreach/ArtsofSEAsiaSyllabus.pdf Hindu influence in Southeast Asia]
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/7277928.stm Heritage bid unites border rivals]

{{India-related topics in Philippines}}
{{Asia in topic|Hinduism in}}

[[Category:Hinduism in Southeast Asia| ]]
[[Category:Hinduism in Asia|Southeast Asia]]
[[Category:Religion in Southeast Asia]]