Hindus currently make up approximately 15% of the Sri Lankan population, and are almost exclusively Tamil speaking apart from immigrants from India and Pakistan such as the Sindhis, Telugus and Malayalees. In the 1915 census they made up almost 25% of the population. Due to assimilation, emigration and conversion to various sects of Christianity and to Buddhism today they are a smaller and still dwindling minority. Hinduism is dominant in the Northeastern province, where Tamil people are in significant numbers. Hinduism is also practised in the central regions (where there are significant numbers of people of Indian Tamil descent) as well as in the capital, Colombo.

Mythical origins

The first major Hindu reference to Sri Lanka is found in the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana (The story of Rama), thought to have been written around 500 B.C. The Ramayana tells of the conquest of Lanka in 3000 B.C. by Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Rama's quest to save his abducted wife, Sita, from Ravana, a Hindu king of Sri Lanka, and his fearsome hordes, is, according to some scholars, a poetic account of the early southward expansion of Vedic civilization. Ramayana also mentioned about a land bridge between India and Sri Lanka, known as Rama's Bridge, was constructed during the rule of Rama. It is now mostly submerged, with only a chain of limestone shoals remaining above sea level. According to temple records this natural causeway was formerly complete, but was breached by a violent storm (probably a cyclone) in 1480. Many believers allege that the sand bar islands connecting Sri Lanka to India is the remains of the bridge as seen in satellite images.

Historic roots

The earliest Hindus were Prakrit speaking immigrants from India who settled amongst the indigenous people. But they were converted to Buddhism during King Ashokas rule in India due to Buddhist missionary activities in Sri Lanka. However it was activity from across the Palk Strait that truly set the scene for Hinduism's survival in Sri Lanka. Military activity by South Indian and Orissan rulers followed by slow and steady migration of people from the Deccan Peninsula brought Hindu religious practice and tradition to Sri Lanka. Shaivism (devotional worship of Lord Shiva) was the dominant branch practised by the Tamil peoples thus most of the traditional Hindu temple architecture and philosophy of Sri Lanka drew heavily from this particular strand of Hinduism.

Conflict & Coexistence

From 400 AD onwards, military campaigns by rulers from South India and Orissa (then known as Kalinga Desa) counter-attacks by the Singhalese Buddhists rulers from the Sri Lankan interior, heralded a period of great turmoil wherein the Hindu Tamils and the Buddhist Singhalese would struggle for territorial control and

In time, a form of bloody stalemate was reached wherein Tamils began to get firmly established in the Northern and Eastern areas, with the Singhalese inhabiting the South and Central regions. This period also saw the establishment of an indigenous Tamil kingdom centered around Jaffna, in 1400.

But there is also great evidence of Hindu kings from South India and Kalinga becoming Buddhists and ruling over both Hindus and Buddhists. Some such as Chola King Ellalan/Elara reigned as a Hindu but in a manner acceptable to the Buddhist. Great Sinhala Buddhists kings such as Nissanka Malla were born Hindus. This practice continued till the elapse of the Kandyan kingdom in 1815. Also Buddhists kings were also known donate resources to upkeep of great Hindu temples.

Further many Hindu deities who have ethnic Tamil origins such as Kannaki and Ayyanar have become as part of the Sinhala Buddhist worship system. These deities are known as Pathini and Ayyanayake respectively. Along with other traditional gods within the Hindu pantheon such as Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma.

European invasion

The arrival of European colonialists brought profound consequences to both Hindu and Buddhist communities. In 1505, a Portuguese fleet, under the command of Captain–major Don Lourenco de Almedia, arrived off the coast of Sri Lanka. Eventually deals were struck between rival native rulers and the Portuguese. Formal treaties between the two groups thereby formerly heralded the entry of the alien forces in the political arena of Sri Lanka.

Eventually over time, the Europeans were able to take advantage of the fractured nature of Sri Lankan politics, eventually culminating in successful military wins against the rebellious natives, most notably against the Hindu Tamils in the North, whose leaders were made to swear allegiance to the king of Portugal in return for maintaining their distinct laws and customs.

However, any so-called rulers had merely become puppets of their European overlords until in the end, further rebellion caused the Tamil kingdom of Jaffna to fall in the hands of the Portuguese in June 1619, when the incumbent ruler and his family were arrested and taken prisoner. According to the Portuguese administrative arrangements, the jurisdiction of Jaffna came directly under the Viceroy at Goa.In Goa, the deposed ruler was tried for high treason by the Portuguese High Court (Relaco), found him guilty of all charges leveled against him and was duly sentenced to death. Ultimately, the last Tamil Hindu king was hanged in the year 1621.

Conversion attempts

While attempting to control their newly-won lands in Asia, the Portuguese were also actively encouraging Hindu Tamils to convert to Catholicism. In 1618(??), following some serious Tamil revolts, the Council of the Jesuit Society had resolved that those Tamils who converted to Christianity would be spared of death. Others encouraged to embrace the Catholic creed included the wives and children of murdered Tamil leaders.

Tellingly, the surviving three children of the executed Tamil King of Jaffna, had been converted to Catholicism when young and were later sent to Portugal for their studies.

Portuguese were marginally more successful in converting numerically more Tamils of the coastal regions of Both Sri lanka and India as they were able to intercede on behalf of these fishing communities against the machinations of the Muslim merchant guilds who had monopolized pearling and other trading activities till then. By eliminating the Muslim middlemen, the Portuguese won the loyalty of these people. But further inland their attempts would yield only minimal results.

During the British colonial period a large scale attempt to convert Tamil Hindus to Protestantism by American Baptist, Presbyterian Missionaries along with British Methodist and Anglican was attempted via building Schools and Hospices. Again they were only marginally successful. Conversion attempts today by various Christian sects, Bahais, Mormons and Islamic missionary activity is still ongoing. The ongoing civil war and the recent Tsunami has given further impetus to these efforts. Nevertheless majority of Sri Lankan Tamils still remain loyal to their ancestral Hindu religion

Philosophical roots

The elite and the upper classes amongst the Tamils adhere to what is known as the Saiva Siddhanta or Dvaita school of Shaivism. Sidanta is opposed to the mainstream Vedanta school of India. Adherents of various Dvaita school both amongst the majority Vaishnavites and minority Shaivites can been seen across India. But amongst Sri Lankan Hindus, it is the Dvaita Siddhanta school of thought that commands elite loyalty. Dvaita Saiva Siddhanta school differentiates between the soul, god and actions or Karma as opposed to the unity of the soul and god as expounded by the Vedanata school. Most elite temples follow what is known as Agamic rituals which are highly Sanskritzed rituals along with usage of Tamil hymns by specialized singers known as Ootuvar.

Most other Sri Lankan Hindus follow what is commonly known as folk Hinduism without the baggage of philosophical school of thought They usually worship a village, clan or tribal deity within or outside the accepted pantheon of Hindu deities. Some local Deities are Kannaki, Mariamman, Draupati, Ayyanar,Vairavar and worship of weapons such as Vel or the lance. They might worship it in a formal temple structure, forest grove or an open plain. They might or might not use the help of Brahmin priests. Localized rituals are employed but share common features across India specifically South India. Such rituals are Kavadi Attam or penance dancing, Tee Midi or fire walking ], trance due to possession by local gods and animal sacrifices to appease local gods or spirits.

But all Hindu students are taught Hinduism as a compulsory subject from Grade 1 to Grade 11 will learn Saiva Siddhanta as the preferred religious sect. Due to this many traditional believes and rituals may eventually fade away to be replaced by an "accepted" mode of worship.

Social reformers & religious teachers

As an reaction as well as effort to arrest the conversion efforts of missionaries there arose many religious reformers that wanted to modify the existing Hindu practices to better able to stand up to western Christian critique. Few of them are prominent, such as Arumuka Navalar and Vipulananda Adigal. Amongst religious teachers or Gurus, Kaddai Swamy and Yogaswamy]stands out whose spiritual descendant founded the Hawaii Saiva Siddhanta Church in the USA. It is a prominent Hindu organization based in the Christian West.

Well known Hindu temples

As most prominant Hindu places of worship were concentrated on the coastal areas, all were destroyed by the Portuguese zealots during the post 1505 AD colonial era. Hindus in Sri Lank believe that the Island once had 5 prominent temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Namely Naguleswaram in the North, Tiru Keethiswaram in the North West, Tiru Koneswaram Temple in the East, Munneswaram in the West and unanmed(??) temple at Devundara in the South. All were destroyed by the Portuguese during the colonial period. Of these apart from the temple in the South all have been rebuilt during the British or post independent era.

Apart from these temples there are other prominent temples such as the newly constructed Ponnabalvaneswarm temple in the capital Colombo and the Nallur Murugan Temple constructed the Jaffna during the medieval period that are still important to current day Hindus.

There are also places of worship and temples that are sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka. The prominent one is Katirkamam/Kataragama Temple dedicated to Lord Kartikeya/ Murugan/Skanda. Also Adams Peak a mountain top that is also known as Sri Pada by the Buddhists and Sivanolipada Malai by the Hindus.

Future of the community

In the long term, as a dwindling minority, the future doesn’t look good for the survival of a community after almost 2,500 years of continual presence in Sri Lanka. The effects of the civil war, lower fertility rates, emigration and gradual conversion and assimilation into the mainstream Sinhala Buddhists way of life will eventually spell doom for the community. Meanwhile the religion is surviving in it's ethnic enclaves both in Sri Lanka and abroad.