Hinduism in Belgium

Hinduism is a minority religion in Belgium. It is practised by both immigrants from across Asia and native Belgians. Hinduism is not officially recognised in Belgium, although attempts have been made by the Hindu Forum of Belgium (HFB) to make Hinduism an officially-recognised religion in Belgium. Many Hindu temples and organisations exist in Belgium.

Demographics A survey conducted by universities across Belgium in 2001 reported that there were about 6,500 Hindus in the country. In 2015, the Association of Religion Data Archives reported that there were 7,901 Hindus in Belgium. In 2010 and 2020 the population of Hindus was less than 0.1% of the general population, according to Pew research data. In 2014, Hinduism was reported to be growing 'quickly' in Belgium. In 2023, the Hindu Forum of Belgium estimated the Hindu population to be 40,000 of which half are Western converts to Hinduism.

Hindus in Belgium have a variety of nationalities. Alongside people of Belgian origin, Hindus in Belgium come from Sri Lanka, South Africa, Nepal, Mauritius, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. History Due to the influence of the Theosophical society in Europe, Hindu philosophy was introduced to Belgium in the late nineteenth century. The Belgian Theosophical society at the time had 500 members.

Influence of Yoga Hinduism garnered royal interest when Queen Elisabeth began to practice yoga in the 1940s after the World War. Andrê Van Lysebeth, a Belgian yoga instructor referred to as the 'cobra man', introduced yoga to a wider audience in the 1960s.

1970s Movements In the 1970s, Osho gained a following in Belgium and an ashram was established in Leuven in 1974. The Transcendental Meditation movement became popular in Belgium in the 1970s. Its founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, visited Belgium in 1972 and spread his teachings whilst residing in Knokke. The Flemish Transcendental Meditation society was established in 1972 in conjunction with this movement.

Migration Hinduism expanded in Belgium through the process of migration. Hannelore Roos identifies three periods of South Asian migration in Belgium. The first period involved merchants that migrated along diamond trading routes established during the British colonial rule. These merchants were largely Jain, rather than Hindu, and settled in Antwerp in the 1960s.Their success attracted more Indian diamond merchants to migrate, including a lower socieconomic class of Hindus from Kathiawar and Jain and Hindu merchants from Rajasthan. By 2012, around 500 Indian families lived in Antwerp, of which 300 were Jain and 200 were Hindu. The second period of migration were political refugees that arrived in Belgium. In the 1970s Asians fled Idi Amin's government in Uganda and in the 1980s Sikhs fled violence in Punjab. The third most recent period of migration is the arrival of highly skilled Indian professionals in the 2000s. According to the National Informatics Centre in India, illegal immigrants from India work in Belgian farms and shops.

A distinct wave of later migration from Nepal occurred to in the coastal city of Ostend. A government amnesty programme regularised the migrants in 2009 and by 2012 there were around 150 Nepalese residents in Ostend.

Temples and Organisations

Temples

Shiva Temple Belgium Sanatana Dharma organisation in Flemish Ardennes - Oudenaarde - East-Flanders. Launched on September 10, 2020

Brussels Mandir Around the year 2000, Indian families who had migrated to Brussels (Belgium) used to gather together in a local church or school to worship and celebrate Maa Durga Jaagran. These families nurtured a dream to build and maintain a full-fledged Hindu Temple in Brussels. Although it seemed a far behind idea back then, over the years the Indian community grew and the Hindu Mandir Association held fundraisers to build the Temple. Through patience and planning, the soft opening ceremony for the Brussels Mandir was performed on 19 February 2012 with donation from the Indian community of Brussels who ardently wished to make this dream a reality. Services are every Sunday and special events take place for the major Hindu festivals at the Mandir in Evere (Brussels) Alongside traditional worship, yoga and classical Indian dance classes take place at the Mandir.

Balinese Temples Two Balinese Temples exist in the Pairi Daiza botanical garden in Belgium.

The 4-hectare (9.9-acre) Kingdom of Ganesha, which was opened in 2009, is the largest Indonesian garden in Europe, and reproduces the plant life and feel of the Indonesian archipelago, particularly Bali. Its collections include Pura Agung Shanti Buwana Balinese Hindu temple, East Nusa Tenggara and Toraja traditional houses and miniature replicas of Borobudur and Prambanan temples. In August 2009 the Indonesian government has sent a pair of Sumatran elephants to enliven the Indonesian Park. It is the first endangered animal breeding loan program that Indonesia ever had in Europe.

Organisations Some Hindu organisations hold religious and cultural events. The Brussels Puja Committee hosts multicultural Hindu events. It was founded in 1994 by Indian, Bengali and Nepali students at Vrije Universiteit Brussels to celebrate Saraswati Puja and has since grown. The committee has members that originate from 'Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Nepal [and] Sri Lanka'. The Sarbajanin Puja Samity Belgium (SPSB) in Anderlecht hosts Bengali Hindu events such as Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Saraswati Puja and Rabindra Jayanti. The organisation brings together Bengali Hindus of Indian and Bangladeshi origin. Every year, since 2006, SPSB commissions a murti of Durga to be made in Kumortuli, Kolkata and has it flown to Belgium for the annual Durga Puja celebrations. Two Nepali Hindu organisations exist in Belgium, the Sanatan Dharm Seva Parisad and the Jayatu Sanskritam association. Both were established in 2008. The Hindu Forum of Belgium (HFB or FHB) was created by Hindu organisations in Belgium. It was launched on 16 March 2007 in Brussels.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Gaudiya Vaishnava movement, has been active in Belgium since the 1970s. The organisation's main centre is Radhadesh in Septon-Durbuy in the Ardennes. Enrico Castro Montes and Idsebald Goddeeris note that the site was procured at the end of 1979, and Johan Leman and Hannelore Roos state that the organisation officially moved to the Radhadesh site in 1981. All four scholars concur that the site was officially named 'Radhadesh' and provided non-profit status in 1980. Bhaktivedanta College, founded in 2002, is a Hindu university run by ISKCON at the Radhadesh site. Since 1998, the organisation distributes weekly free vegetarian meals in Liège. Unlike other Hindu organisations in Beligum, ISKCON's membership is mainly made up of western converts rather than Hindus of South Asian origin. Indian Organisations Indian orgnisations in Belgium often celebrate Hindu festivals. The Antwerp Indian Association, founded in 1979, regularly celebrates Diwali and Holi. The Indian Students Association of Leuven also celebrate Holi and Diwali, extending their invitations to Indians beyond the Hindu community.

State Recognition In 2013, the Hindu Forum placed an application for official recognition of Hinduism as a religion by the state. In 2022, a subsidy grant was awarded to the Belgian Hindu community, an initial step towards official recognition. The Belgian government provides state funding for officially recognised religions. In 2022, 281.7 million Euros were awarded to officially recognised religions, out of which 41,500 Euros was granted to the Belgian Hindu community for use in 2023. This amount is said to double annually.

According to the Ipsos survey, about 40% of the participants considers Hindus as real Belgians and about 35% stated that Hindus are not true Belgians.

Hinduism in Belgium

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