Hinduism in Italy

Hinduism is practised by 0.4% of the people in Italy. It is practised by 0.1% of the Italian citizens and 2.9% of the immigrant population. In 2012, there were about 90,000 Hindus in Italy.Table: Religious Composition by Country, in Numbers Pew Research Center (December 2012) In 2015, the population increased to 120,000. As of 2023, the population is around 223,000 - the second largest Hindu community in Europe after the United Kingdom, and the largest Hindu community in the European Union. History Hindu spiritual leaders and teachers visited Italy in the early 20th century. Paramahansa Yogananda first visited Italy in 1935 before settling in the United States and establishing the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF). After the publication of the Italian edition of the Autobiography of a Yogi was published in 1951, Italian members of the SRF held meditation groups and other public events. Yogananda's belief in how his teachings aligned with Christianity allowed the SRF to grow. In 1960, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi visited Italy and introduced Transcendental Meditation. Other groups established a presence in the following decades: Shri Ram Chandra Mission (1972), International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) (1973), Sathya Sai Baba Organisation (1977), and Vishwa Nirmala Dharma Movement (1982). Beginning with the 1980s, academics began studying the Hindu diaspora and how Hindu beliefs and practices were received within Italy and Europe. In 2012, the Italian Parliament recognised Hinduism and Buddhism as official religions, the first ever designation for religions other than Judaism or Christianity. Demographics Although there are no exact figures for the number of Hindus in Italy, estimates rely on immigration from countries with large Hindu communities, like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In 2017, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka ranked sixth, eighth, and twelfth, respectively, in terms of citizens requesting visas. During the Sri Lankan civil war, migrants sought asylum in Italy. In a 2019 report, Eurispes (Institute of Political, Economic, and Social Studies) estimated 180,000 Hindus lived in Italy (150,000 of South Asian origin; 30,000 of Italian origin). In 2020, Jacobsen estimated 200,000 Hindus of South Asian origin lived in Italy, the second largest after the United Kingdom and tied with the Netherlands, and France. YearPopulationPercent of Total PopulationChange 2012 90,000 0.1% N/A 2015 120,000 0.2% 0.1% 2021 180,000 0.3% 0.1% 2023 223,000 0.4% 0.1%

Hindu organisations

Italian Hindu Union (UII) The Italian Hindu Union (, UII) was established in 1996 by Swami Yogananda Giri of the Gitananda Ashram along with the Indian Embassy and scholars to represent Hindus in Italy. The UII signed an agreement with the Italian government in 2007, in accordance with Italian Constitution Article 8, which regulates the relations with religious minorities. This designation allows the IHU to receive funding like other federally recognized religious minorities, federal accreditation of Hindu training courses for teachers in public schools, and the presence of Hindu ministers in public hospitals.

The UII consists of 16 communities and four centres, including the Gitananda Ashram, which approximates 5000 individuals (about half Italian) and 50,000 Hindus from Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu. However, other groups which established themselves beginning in the 1950s had received legal recognition prior to the UII's conception, and the majority of Hindus living in Italy are unaffiliated with the UII.

Self-Realisation Fellowship (SRF) Paramahansa Yogananda first visited Rome and Asisi in 1935. After the publication of Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi in 1951, the SRF began holding public gatherings, like meditation groups. Yogananda believed that his teachings overlapped with Christianity, which allowed his followers to engage in interfaith dialogue and for the SRF to grow in Italy. As of 2020, the SRF remains unaffiliated with the UII and includes 10,000 Italian members across three centres, twelve groups, and 53 meditation circles.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced TM to Italy in 1960. As of 2020, there are 54 TM centres in Italy. David Lynch promoted TM on Italian television. Lynch's foundation also expressed interest in creating TM training courses in schools.

Shri Ram Chandra Mission Established in Italy in 1972 by followers of Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, the group teaches yogic principles that align with European lifestyle without emphasising specific attire or changing names. The group was legally constituted in 1988. As of 2020, the organisation has 28 centres and 300-400 Italian members.

Matha Gitananda Ashram The Hindu monastery Matha Gitananda Ashram is located atop a hill 520m high in Località Pellegrino, Altare, in the inland of Savona. The ashram was established in 1984 by Swami Yogananda Giri (born Paolo Valle) and serves as the national headquarters of the UII. The ashram follows Saiva Siddhanta and Srividya traditions.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) arrived in Italy in 1973, opening its first center in Rome. Prabhupada visited Rome in 1974 and gave a public lecture. ISKCON later established centres, rural communities and Govinda vegetarian restaurants in various parts of Italy. In 1998, the Italian government recognized ISKCON as an ente morale ("moral institution").

Sathya Sai Baba Organisation The organisation's first centre in Italy was established by an Italian engineer in 1972. As of 2020, the organisation encompasses 26 national centres with over 2000 active members. The Italian branch also communicates its teachings on Radio Sai Italia and runs its own publishing house.

Sri Aurobindo Established on Lake Orta in Piedmont in 1978 by German followers of Sri Aurobindo led by Michel Montecrossa, the Mirapuri community focuses on the practice of integral yoga. The community oversees educational projects with children and runs the Mirapuri International Research Academy which hosts lectures on meditation and New Age spirituality.

In 1986, an Italian follower of Sri Aurobindo, Giovanni Tonioni, and his French partner, Mira Alfassa Richard, established The Sri Aurobindo and Mère Centre in Modena. The centre was to emulate Auroville, which Richard established in Pondicherry in 1963. As of 2020, about twenty centre had twenty residents. The community supports itself through a cooperative, the Germoglio Group, which oversees activities like construction and publication. Sahaja Yoga Movement Nirmala Srivastava introduced her meditation techniques when she came to Rome in 1981. Headquartered at the Cabella Ashram in the Ligurian Apennines, the group had 700 members as of 2020.

Babaji Movement The group's first centre opened in 1979 in Cisternino, followed by another centre in Asti (1989). These two sites operated independent of one another until 2008 when Maha Muniraji advised they unify into the Herakhandi Samaj Association.

Hindu Temples Hindu immigrant communities unaffiliated with the Indian Hindu Union oversee about twenty Hindu temples. In 2011, the Temple of Pegognaga, the second largest Hindu temple in Italy at the time after the Matha Gitananda Ashram in Altare, was inaugurated by the consul general of India, Sanjay Kumar Verma. Other temples include the Shri Vishnu Temple in Milan (2011), Maha Shiv Shakti Mandir Temple (2016).

Religious Life Under the 2012 law that recognised Hinduism as an official religion, Diwali is designated as the official Hindu religious holiday. Ministers (e.g., swamis) perform Hindu rites of passages (e.g., marriages, funerals) in ashrams and temples.

Hinduism in Italy

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