imported>Rasnaboy: /* Christianity */ Grammar

2021-07-05T17:47:22Z

Christianity: Grammar

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{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Chennai (2011)<ref name=religion2011>{{cite web|title=Population By Religious Community - Tamil Nadu|year=2011|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|format=XLS|publisher=Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Hinduism]]
|value1 = 80.73
|color1 = Orange
|label2 = [[Islam]]
|value2 = 9.45
|color2 = Green
|label3 = [[Christianity]]
|value3 = 7.72
|color3 = DodgerBlue
|label4 = [[Jainism]]
|value4 = 1.11
|color4 = Brown
|label5 = [[Buddhism]]
|value5 = 0.06
|color5 = Yellow
|label6 = [[Sikhism]]
|value6 = 0.06
|color6 = DarkKhaki
|label7 = Other religion
|value7 = 0.04
|color7 = GreenYellow
|label8 = Not religious
|value8 = 0.83
|color8 = Black
}}

[[Chennai]] is religiously cosmopolitan, with its denizens following various religions, chief among them being [[Hinduism]], [[Islam]], [[Christianity]], [[Sikhism]], [[Jainism]], [[Buddhism]], and [[Zoroastrianism]]. Chennai, along with [[Mumbai]], [[Delhi]] and [[Kolkata]], is one of the few Indian cities that are home to a diverse population of ethno-religious communities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article2728177.ece |title=The magic of melting pot called Chennai|work=The Hindu|date=19 December 2011|access-date=29 December 2012}}</ref> With the majority of the people in India following Hinduism, Chennai, like other Indian cities, is home to more Hindus than any other religion. Chennai has centres of worship for a multitude of faiths. According to 2001 census, majority of the population are Hindus (81.3 percent), Muslims (9.4 percent), Christians (7.6 percent), Jains (1.1 percent), Sikhs (0.06 percent), and Buddhists (0.04 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chennai.tn.nic.in/shb-pdf/SHB001%20-%20AREA%20POPULATION.pdf |title=Area and Population|pages=1–3|publisher=Government of Tamil Nadu|access-date = 28 December 2012}}</ref>

==Hinduism==
{| class="wikitable" align="right" style="font-size: 90%"
! colspan="9" |Religions and their adherents (in percentage of total population)
|-
! Census
! Hindu
! Muslim
! Christian
! Jain
! Buddhist
! Sikh
! Others
! Not Stated
|-
! 1901
| 80.6
| 11.3
| 8.0
| 0.05
| 0.02
| 0
| 0.02
|-
! 1911
| 80.2
| 11.4
| 8.1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0.35
|-
! 1921
| 81.2
| 10.1
| 8.4
| 0.2
| 0.1
| 0
| 0
|-
! 1931
| 80.4
| 10.8
| 8.4
| 0.4
| 0.05
| 0
| 0
|-
! 1941
| 79.9
| 12.3
| 5.9
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2.31
|-
! 1951
| 81.6
| 9.9
| 7.8
| 0.4
| 0.07
| 0.07
| 0.09
|-
! 1961
| 85
| 7.5
| 6.9
| 0.5
| 0.02
| 0.04
| 0.07
|-
! 1971
| 84.1
| 8.5
| 6.6
| 0.7
| 0.03
| 0.05
| 0.01
|-
! 1981
| 84.4
| 8.1
| 6.4
| 0.7
| 0.1
| 0.04
| 0.06
|-
! 1991
| 83.9
| 8.7
| 6.4
| 0.9
| 0.02
| 0.04
| 0.03
|-
! 2001
| 81.3
| 9.4
| 7.6
| 1.1
| 0.04
| 0.06
| 0.23
|-
! 2011
| 80.7
| 9.45
| 7.7
| 1.1
| 0.06
| 0.06
| 0.04
| 0.8
|}

Hinduism is the native faith of Chennai. The origin of Hinduism in the city dates back to antiquity. The temple towns of [[Mylapore]], [[Triplicane]], [[Thiruvottiyur]], [[Saidapet]] and [[Thiruvanmiyur]], which are now part of Chennai city, had been visited by the Saivite saints called [[Nayanmars]]. The saint [[Vayilar]] Nayanar was born and brought up in Mylapore. [[Sambandar]] gives a physical description of Mylapore in his hymns:

{{cquote|In Mylapore of beautiful groves,<br>The waves creep up to the shore and then dance on it<br>As do the fisherfolk who spear the many fish in the waters,<br>Kapaleeswaram in its plenty celebrates the Thiruvadhirai festival,<br>Is it done for you to miss this excitement, Poompavai? (English translation)}}

The early dubashes or Indian merchants who worked for the [[British East India Company]] were devout Hindus. The [[Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple|Chennakesava Perumal Temple]], considered to be the chief Hindu temple of Madraspatnam and first to be built since the founding of the city in 1640, was constructed by the dubash [[Beri Thimappa]] in 1646. Chennai is also an important centre of the [[Ramakrishna Order]] whose oldest institution the [[Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai|Sri Ramakrishna Math]] was founded in Chennai in May 1897. According to a 1981 estimate, there were about 600 Hindu temples in Chennai, including the Chennakesava Perumal Temple, [[Mallikesvarar Temple, Chennai|Chenna Mallesvarar Temple]], [[Kapaleeswarar Temple]], [[Parthasarathy Temple]], [[Vadapalani Andavar Temple]], [[Ashtalakshmi Kovil]], [[Kalikambal Temple]] and the [[Thiruvalluvar Temple]].

<gallery class="center" widths="200px">
File:Bakthavtsala perumal gopuram.jpg|[[Bhaktavatsala Perumal temple, Thirunindravur|Bakthavathsala Perumal Temple]], [[Tiruvottiyur]]
File:Kapaleeswarar1.jpg|[[Kapaleeshwarar Temple]], [[Mylapore]]
File:Vadapalani murugan temple tank.jpg|[[Vadapalani Andavar Temple|Vadapalani Murugan Temple]], [[Vadapalani]]
File:Ramakrishna Mutt Chennai.jpg|[[Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai|Sri Ramakrishna Mutt]], [[Mylapore]]
</gallery>

==Islam==
[[File:Thousand Lights Mosque (6708375421).jpg|thumb|210px|Thousand Lights mosque on [[Anna Salai]]]]
Islam was introduced in the city during the [[Mughal era]] and is currently the second largest religion of Chennai, accounting for around 9.4 percent of the population according to the 2001 census. An overwhelming majority of Chennai Muslims belong to the [[Sunni]] sect although a small [[Shia]] minority does exist. Majority of Muslims of Chennai speak Tamil, while a small minority speak Urdu in a Tamilized version, [[Dakhini]]. The "Urdu" speakers mentioned in the previous sentence are mostly the Shias and a small number of Sunni Muslims. The rest of the Sunni Muslims and some Shias speak only [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and other Indian languages.

==Christianity==
[[File:Santhome Basilica.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Santhome Basilica]] in [[Chennai]], built over the site where [[Thomas the Apostle|St. Thomas]] is believed to be originally interred]]
Christianity was introduced in Chennai by the [[Twelve Apostles|Christian apostle]] [[Thomas the Apostle|St. Thomas]], who is believed to have preached in the city between the years 52 CE and 70 CE.<ref name="Erwin Fahlbusch">The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 5 by Erwin Fahlbusch. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pudgfh¡blishing - 2008, Page 285. {{ISBN|978-0-8028-2417-2}}.</ref><ref>A. E. Medlycott, (1905) "India and the Apostle Thomas"; Gorgias Press LLC; {{ISBN|1-59333-180-0}}.</ref><ref>Thomas Puthiakunnel, (1973) "Jewish colonies of India paved the way for St. Thomas", The Saint Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India, ed. George Menachery, Vol. II.</ref> St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of [[Jesus Christ]], was martyred in [[St. Thomas Mount]] in the southern part of the city and was buried in [[Mylapore]].<ref name="britannica">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/592851/Saint-Thomas|title=Saint Thomas (Christian Apostle) -- Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=britannica.com|access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Farmer|first=David|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Fifth Edition Revised|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=418|isbn=978-0199596607}}</ref> San Thome Basilica, one of the earliest churches in the city, was built in 1523 by Portuguese explorers, over the supposed tomb of St. Thomas.<ref name=santhomebasilica>{{cite web |url=http://www.santhomebasilica.com/basilica.html |title=Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas |publisher=SanThomeChurch.com |access-date=20 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302134756/http://www.santhomebasilica.com/basilica.html |archive-date=2 March 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The city has one of the highest population of Christians among major Indian cities, accounting for 7.6 percent of the city's population. The [[Roman Catholic]] plays a major role in Chennai's Christian population.

==Sikhism==
The earliest arrival of Sikhs in the city is not known officially as there are no records. However, the migration is said to have been consistent before, during, and after the [[partition of India]]. As of 2012, there were about 300 Sikh families residing in the city, which increased to about 500 odd families by 2019.<ref>{{cite news
| title = How Chennai's Sikh community is celebrating Guru Nanak jayanti
| newspaper = The New Indian Express
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Express Publications
| date = 12 November 2019
| url = https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2019/nov/12/how-chennais-sikh-community-is-celebrating-guru-nanak-jayanti-2060372.html
| access-date = 16 December 2020}}</ref> A [[Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha Gurudwara, Chennai|gurudwara]] is located behind the [[Teynampet Congress Grounds]]. Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha, established in 1949, is a centre for social, religious and spiritual activities and is a common point for the Sikh families in the city to converge during special occasions and festivals.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Sampath
| first = Janani
| title = We call ourselves Tamilian Punjabis
| newspaper = The New Indian Express
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Express Publications
| date = 25 March 2013
| url = http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1515452.ece
| access-date = 30 March 2013}}</ref>

==Jainism==
Jainism was one of the oldest religions of Chennai and, alongside Buddhism, was introduced in the pre-Christian era. There are both North-Indian and [[Tamil Jains]] in the city, although the former outnumber the latter. There are about 100 Jain temples in the city built by the North-Indian Jains, whereas there are only 18 Tamil Jain temples catering to roughly 1,500 Tamil Jain families.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Jain
| first = Mahima
| title = Tamil Jain?
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 28 December 2013
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/tamil-jain/article5504164.ece
| access-date = 27 April 2014}}</ref> The Adheeshwar Jain temple in [[Puzhal]], dedicated to Adi Bhagwan, Adeeswar, Adinath, Adi Jain, and Rishabhadev, is believed to be of 1st century BCE.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://digambarjaintirthkshetra.com/tirth_detail.php?tempId=MTI3MjM=
| title = Adeeswar Jain Temple (12723)
| date = n.d.
| publisher = Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra
| access-date = 31 October 2020
}}</ref> [[George Town, Chennai|George Town]] has the greatest share of Jain temples in the city. A North-Indian-styled Jain temple was built at Adhiyappa Naicken Street in 1899. There are two more Jain temples on [[Mint Street, Chennai|Mint Street]]. The [[Shantinath Jain temple, Chennai|Shantinath temple]] in [[T. Nagar]] is one of the most important [[Swetambar]] Jain temples in the city. Other major Jain temples include those in [[Chintadripet]], [[Vepery]], and [[Puzhal]].

==Buddhism==
[[File:Buddhist temple Chennai Tamil Nadu India.jpg|thumb|220px|Statue of the Buddha at the [[Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Centre, Chennai|Buddhist temple]] in Chennai]]
Buddhism is another ancient religion of Chennai introduced in the pre-Christian era. The city's only Buddhist temple, the [[Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Centre, Chennai|Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Centre]], is located at [[Egmore]].

==Zoroastrianism==
[[File:PARSI TEMPLE @ FIRE TEMPLE, Dar-e-Meher - panoramio.jpg|thumb|210px|Royapuram fire temple, the only Parsi temple in Chennai]]
Parsis first arrived in the city in 1809 from [[Coorg]] when the ruling King's brother sent a deputation to the Governor of [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St. George]] to deliver a picture. Hirijibhai Maneckji Kharas was the first Parsi to land in the city, who was accompanied by five other Parsis and two priests who bought land at [[Royapuram]] opposite the Catholic Church. By 1900s, the Parsis established themselves well in the city, dealing in cars, cycles, perfumes and dyes. The first Iranis came to Madras around 1900 and soon became known for their Irani cafes and also established or managed theatres. There was no official priest in the community for over 100 years till 1906. There was no place of worship until the [[Royapuram fire temple, Chennai|Royapuram fire temple]] was built in 1909.<ref name="Hindu_100YearsOfFireTemple">{{cite news
| title = Parsi community celebrates 100 years of fire temple
| location = Chennai
| date = 11 July 2010
| url = http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/11/stories/2010071162800500.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100714233635/http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/11/stories/2010071162800500.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 14 July 2010
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 24 April 2014}}</ref> As of 2010, there were about 250 Parsis in Chennai. Many of them live in [[Royapuram]].<ref name="TOI_ParsisToCelebrateMilestone">{{cite news
| last = Mathai
| first = Kamini
| title = Parsis go all out to celebrate milestone in Chennai
| newspaper = The Times of India
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Times Group
| date = 12 July 2010
| url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Parsis-go-all-out-to-celebrate-milestone-in-Chennai/articleshow/6156672.cms
| access-date = 24 April 2014}}</ref>

==Other religious organisations==
===Theosophy===
Chennai is the international base of the [[Theosophical Society]], a spiritual organisation dedicated to the study of world religions and inter-faith dialogue. Since 1882, Chennai has been the headquarters of the Theosophical Society.<ref>[[William Forsell Kirby|Kirby, W. F.]] (January 1885). [https://archive.org/details/timeamonthlymag00abdygoog/page/n56  "The Theosophical Society"]. ''Time'' (London) '''XII''' (1): 47-55. (London: Swan Sonnenschein). {{OCLC|228708807}}. Google Books Search. Retrieved 2011-01-12. Profile by the [[entomologist]] and [[folklorist]] [[William Forsell Kirby]].</ref>

==See also==
* [[History of Chennai]]
* [[Demographics of Chennai]]
* [[Religion in India]]
{{Portalbar|Religion}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Chennai Topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Places of worship in Chennai|state=collapsed}}
{{Hinduism in India|state=collapsed}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

[[Category:Religion in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Culture of Chennai]]

Religion in Chennai - Revision history

imported>Rasnaboy: /* Christianity */ Grammar