Hinduism is the third largest religion in Malta after Christianity and Islam. However, it's not recognized as a formal religion.[1][2] As of the 2021 census, there are 6,411 Hindus in Malta that constituted 1.42% of its population.[3]
In 2021, Charles J. Muscat wrote Ekam Sat: Il-Verità Waħda: Esperjenza tal-Veda Dharma Ġabra ta' testi ewlenin u riflessjonijiet prattići, an anthology of South Asian religious texts in Maltese including the Vedas and Upanishads.[4]
Demographics
In 2010, there were about 840 Hindus in Malta.[5] According to the 2021 Census, there are 6,411 Hindus in Malta. of which 135 are Maltese Citizens and 6,276 Hindus are non-Maltese residents. Hindus form 0.04% of the Maltese Citizens and 6.02% of the non-Maltese residents. Hinduism is practiced mainly by the Indian Maltese and Nepalese Maltese people.[3]
District-wise Hindu Population
The District wise Hindu Population of Malta is shown below: [3]
| District | Percentage of Hindus(%) | Population of Hindus | Total Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Harbour District | 1.11 | 749 | 67,175 |
| Northern Harbour District | 3.06 | 3224 | 1,05,309 |
| South Eastern District | 0.68 | 395 | 58,448 |
| Western District | 0.5 | 259 | 51,695 |
| Northern District | 2.53 | 1557 | 61,547 |
| Gozo and Comino District | 0.78 | 227 | 29,130 |
Northern Harbour District has the highest percentage of Hindus and Western District has the lowest percentage of Hindus.[3]
Ethnicity
Majority of the Hindus in Malta is of Asian origin, mainly Indian and Nepalese Hindus. There are 286 Caucasian Hindus, 164 Hispanic/Latino Hindus, 107 African and 51 Arab Hindus.[3]
Community life
A first floor flat is used as a temporary Hindu meeting point that is known as Maltese-Indian Community Centre.[6]
Hindus in Malta privately celebrate Diwali, Holi,[7] Onam,[8] and other Hindu festivals.
Cremation controversy
Hindu deceased were buried using Catholic burial rites after the British left in 1964, rather than being cremated as required by their religion. Under British rule of Malta, cremation took place at the Lazaretto cemetery in Manoel Island. One Hindu leader in the United States, Rajan Zed, implored the Maltese government in 2019 to subsidize cremations abroad for Hindus in Malta.[9][10][11]
Status
Hinduism, along with other Indian religions (like Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism) and Judaism are not recognized in Malta and are treated as cults.[2] In 2010, Hindu and Jewish groups urged Pope Benedict XVI to intervene to ensure that Malta treats all religions equally before the law, but the Pope did not intervene.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Hindus seek Pope's intervention to bring equality of religions in Malta". Timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- 1 2 "Malta considers Hinduism a cult - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Census of Population and Housing 2021 Final report: Religious Affiliation, pages 159-168" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-04-07.
- ↑ Zammit, Lara. "Eastern thoughts in the Maltese tongue". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- ↑ Vassallo, Carmel. "The changing map of world religions". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- ↑ "Religious Communities To Join If You've Just Moved To Malta". lovinmalta.com. 16 February 2018.
- ↑ "Malta's Indian community heralds spring with colour". Timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ↑ "WATCH: Kerala Indians in Malta celebrate Onam Festival in a big way - TVM News". Tvm.com.mt. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ↑ "Hindus urge Malta government to subsidise cremation abroad". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- ↑ "Hindus Seek Right To Cremation In Malta As 'Burial Hinders Soul's Journey'". Eurasia Review. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- ↑ Diacono, Tim (2019-08-01). "Hindus Pressure Malta For Temple And Crematorium As They Warn Religious Rights Not Being Respected". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2022-07-31.