 |
THE PEOPLE
|
 |
RELIGION
Hindu religion includes the Vedic worship of the great forces
of nature. It also preaches the doctrine of Karma and believes in the Pauranic Avataras. The aboriginals with their totems still have strong faith in animistic ways of life and also find their own place in the Hindu system of religion. All the individuals, the families, castes and sub-castes, worship the omnipotent and omnipresent Almighty in any of His manifestations according to their different traditions. However, the impact of the western education, the modern concepts of social equality, justice, and individual freedom has changed the outlook of the rising generation. With the spirit of questioning generated by the emphasis on reason in modern education, and in the context of the tremendous tempo of the progressive age, many of the old social and religious customs and practices appeared to be insipid and contrary to the new values. Public opinion gradually underwent a change which was reflected in the new attitude to religion.
According to the Census of 1961 the number of persons following the major religions in the district was as follows: -
TABLE No. 12
POPULATION BY RELIGION IN AMRAVATI DISTRICT, 1961
Religion |
Total Rural Urban |
Person |
Males |
Females |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) | |
Buddhists |
T |
176,069 |
88,547 |
87,522 |
|
R |
157,476 |
78,159 |
78,317 |
|
U |
18,593 |
9,388 |
9,205 | |
Christians |
T |
4,214 |
2,187 |
2,027 | |
R |
2,562 |
1,350 |
1,212 | |
U |
1,652 |
837 |
815 | |
Hindus* |
T |
925,090 |
480,406 |
444,684 | |
R |
687,822 |
354,305 |
333,517 | |
U |
237,268 |
126,101 |
111,167 | |
Jains |
T |
6,846 |
3,567 |
3,279 | |
R |
2,298 |
1,187 |
1,111 | |
U |
4,548 |
2,380 |
2,168 | |
Muslims |
T |
119,882 |
62,761 |
57,121 | |
R |
60,238 |
31,380 |
28,858 | |
U |
59,644 |
31,381 |
28,263 | |
Sikhs |
T |
537 |
320 |
217 | |
R |
130 |
74 |
56 | |
U |
407 |
246 |
161 | |
Other Religious Persuasions |
T |
134 |
68 |
66 | |
Religion not stated |
T |
8 |
5 |
3 | |
Total Population |
|
1,232,780 |
637,861 |
594,919 | |
Rural |
910,586 |
467,487 |
443,099 | |
Urban |
322,194 |
170,374 |
151,820 |
* This includes persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who numbered 48,702 (m. 24,846; f. 23,856) and 54,881 (m. 27,765; f. 37,116), respectively and formed a part of the Hindus.
These figures of religion show that the Buddhists constitute 14.28 per cent of the district population; the Christians 0.34 per cent, the Hindus (including the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) 75.04 per cent, the Jains 0.55 per cent, and the Muslims 9.72 per cent. The Sikhs number 537 (m. 320; f. 217) and persons of other religious persuasions' (who may be zoroastrians) 134 (m. 66; f. 68). Of the Hindus 5.24 per cent belong to the Scheduled Castes and 5.93 per cent to the Scheduled Tribes.
|
