Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements. These movements stress the spiritual science aspects of the Hindu traditions, creating a form that is egalitarian that does not discriminate based on Jati (ethnic group), gender, or race.

Active Hindu communities are to be found in all parts of the world. In particular, the former Soviet Union countries and Poland have thriving Hindu communities due to the missionary work of the Hare Krishnas. It is notable that most of the Hindu movements, with the exception of Hare Krishna movement, reflect a more Smarta-like ideology.

There are groups in India that are actively engaged in getting women and those from socially disadvantaged jatis to become priests of Vedic ritual.

The new movements look up to Swami Vivekananda; Rabindranath Tagore;Ramana Maharshi; Shri Aurobindo (for his Integral Yoga); A.C._Bhaktivedanta_Swami_Prabhupada (founder of the modern Hare Krishna movement); Swami Ramatirtha; Narayana Guru, Paramhansa Yogananda; Shrii Shrii Anandamurti and for inspiration. More recently, the work of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Sathya Sai Baba, Shirdi Sai Baba who has many Muslim followers, Swami Muktananda, Swami Chinmayananda, Dayananda Saraswati, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and Ammachi has inspired millions to create new centers of spiritual development. In the intellectual field, the writings of Ananda Coomaraswamy, Ram Swarup, Sita Ram Goel, Subhash Kak and David Frawley have been influential.

In social work, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, Pandurang Shastri Athavale, Baba Amte and Shrii Shrii Anandamurti have been most important. Sundarlal Bahuguna created the chipko movement for the preservation of forestlands according to the Hindu ecological ideas.

The increasing popularity of yoga and meditation has helped

A socio-cultural organisation called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was formed by Dr.Keshav Baliram Hegdewar in 1925.The motto was to unite Hindus,make them rise over their caste differences and work for the glory of the Hindu Rashtra(Bharat).

In Indonesia there are several movements in favour of return to Hinduism in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. Balinese Hinduism, known as Agama Hindu Dharma, has witnessed great resurgence in recent years.

Shrii Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar (founder of Ananda Marga) composed 5018 songs called Prabhat Samgeet from 1982-1990 and initiated a new renaissance in indian world of samgeet.

The Hindu Renaissance

Since the late 1970's, Hinduism has been going through what the Hindu community calls a "Hindu Renaissance". British rule in India and western cultural influence had weakened the faith, but the popularity of Hinduism in the West and activism of certain influential leaders, such as Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, reversed this trend. Instead, today Hindus who live in foreign countries are building temples for Ganesa, Murugan and Siva in varied places such as Norway and Australia.

In India, followers of the Hindu faith have been increasingly proud of their faith and heritage. The new developments regarding the fallacies of the Aryan invasion theory as well as increased recognition of India as the rightful homeland for Hindus have contributed, as well as consistent economic growth of the country.

Hinduism has a widespread and widely accepted magazine called , which has played a fundamental role in uniting widespread communities as well as reviving and bringing to light old precepts of

Hinduism and the West

Since the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s, there have been an increasing number of Western devotees of various Hindu lineages and practices. These have come about not only through the Hare Krishnas, but also through the Universalist teachings of such Hindu figures as Sri Ramakrishna, and the yoga teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. The growing number of Indian immigrants relocating into the West, and the subsequent building of Hindu temples to meet the spiritual needs of these newly established Hindu communities, has also resulted in Westerns having ready access to traditional teachings. Many Western converts were introduced to Hinduism after attending the Western temples and then embracing the tradition. There can also be no doubt that the fitness revolution's ecstatic love-affair with yoga in the 1990's has helped spur on new interest in the teachings of Hinduism in the West.

More and more texts are being written by Western-born Hindu converts specifically for a new Western audience, the vast bulk of which have little to no experience with Sanskrit which renders traditional literature all but useless. Some of the more notable instructional texts are the Shaivistic teaching series of the Western-born Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's Himalayan Academy, which includes a book on how to convert to Hinduism, along with the instructional texts on beginning a mantra practice by Western-born, traditionally Vedic-trained Hindu priest, Thomas Ashley-Farrand, also known as Namadeva, and the Devi Mandir publications of the modern saint Shree Maa and Western-born sadhu Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

Along with the traditional Hindu lineages that are opening their doors to Westerners, there are also many non-traditional spiritualities that are also embracing the beliefs and practices of Hinduism to varying extents. The Universalist Unitarian Church often makes room in their schedule to host events tied to Hindu holidays and celebrations, during which non-Hindus can learn more about the tradition and begin to take part in the observances. There are also several NeoPagan and Wiccan traditions, such as SHARANYA, which teaches traditional Shakta Tantra within a Western Wicca-influenced context, and Shakti Wicca, a "Western Universalist Shakta Bhakti Tradition", which seeks to provide a synergistic, syncretic spirituality based on a combination of Hindu Shaktism and eclectic Wicca's educational, ritual, and training structure.

See also

• Survey of Hindu organisations
• Hinduism in Southeast Asia
• Shakti Wicca