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Hindu Dharma in Armenia
Hindu Dharma in Armenia (Hindi: आर्मीनिया में हिन्दू धर्म) is a minor aspect of the country's religious landscape, primarily represented by The International Society for Krishna Consciousness and a small community of Indian students with Hindu backgrounds.
History[edit]
As early as the 2nd century BCE, a colony of Indians existed along the upper Euphrates in Armenia.[1][2] According to the writings of Zenobius Glak, two Indian princes fled from Ujjain to Armenia in 149 BCE, where they received a warm welcome and were allocated land for settlement. They constructed a temple dedicated to Hindu deities in the town of Ashtishat. Over time, their community expanded into 20 villages, collectively referred to as Hindkastan, which is the Armenian term for India. At its peak, the Hindu population in Armenia exceeded 15,000 individuals.[3] This flourishing of Hindu villages continued until the advent of Christianity in Armenia in 301 CE, which marked a significant shift in the religious landscape of the region.[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ Priyatosh Banerjee (1992). New Light on Central Asian Art and Iconography. Abha Prakashan. p. 82. ISBN 9788185704210.
- ↑ Kennedy, J (April 1904). "The Indians in Armenia. 130 B.C.-300 A.D." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Cambridge University Press. 36 (2): 309–314. doi:10.1017/S0035869X00031749. JSTOR 25208635. S2CID 162742520. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ↑ Mkrtchyan, Naira (July 2005). "Indian Settlement in Armenia and Armenian Settlements in India and South Asia". Indian Historical Review. 32 (2): 64–87. doi:10.1177/037698360503200204. ISSN 0376-9836.
- ↑ Memoir of a Hindu Colony in Ancient Armenia, by Johannes Avdall, Esq., M. A. S., Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume V, Issue 54, 1836, II.