Religion in Maharashtra is characterised by the diversity of religious beliefs and practices.
According to the 2011 census, Hinduism was the principal religion in the state at 79.83% of the total population, while Muslims constituted 11.54% of the total population. Maharashtra has India's largest Buddhist and Jain populations. Buddhism accounted for 5.81% in Maharashtra's total population, with 6.53 million followers, which is 77% of all Buddhists in India. Jains, Christians and Sikhs constituted 1.25%, 0.96%, 0.2% of the population respectively. Maharashtra also is home to the Parsi (Zoroastrian) community and has a community of Jews known as Bene Israel.
Statistics + Religion in Maharashtra as per censusReligion 19511961197119811991 2001 2011 Hinduism 28,642,30432,530,90141,307,28751,109,45764,033,213 77,859,385 89,703,057 Islam 2,436,3573,034,332 4,233,0235,805,7857,628,755 10,270,485 12,971,152 Buddhism 2,4872,789,5013,264,2233,946,1395,040,785 5,838,710 6,531,200 Jainism 337,578485,672703,664939,392965,840 1,301,843 1,400,349 Christianity 433,290560,594717,174795,464885,030 1,058,313 1,080,073 Sikhism 41,434 57,617101,762107,255161,184 215,337 223,247 Other 109,11495,10185,10274,386122,612 236,841 178,965 Not stated n/a n/an/a6,29399,76897,713 286,290 Total 32,002,56439,553,71850,412,23562,784,17178,937,187 96,878,627 112,374,333 * starting in 1956 most people belonging mostly to the Mahar community have converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in Maharashtra + Religion in Maharashtra (%)Religion 19511961197119811991 2001 2011 Hinduism 89.5082.2481.9481.4081.12 80.37 79.83 Islam 7.617.678.409.259.66 10.60 11.54 Buddhism 0.017.056.476.286.38 6.03 5.81 Jainism 1.061.231.401.501.22 1.34 1.25 Christianity 1.351.421.421.271.13 1.09 0.96 Sikhism 0.130.150.200.170.20 0.22 0.20 Other 0.340.240.170.120.16 0.24 0.17 Not stated n/an/a n/a0.010.13 0.11 0.25 Total 100100100100100 100 100
District-wise DistrictPopulation (2011)Religion-wise population (2011)HinduismIslamBuddhismJainismChristianitySikhismOthersNot statedPop%Pop%Pop%Pop%Pop%Pop%Pop%Pop%Ahmednagar45,43,159410714390.403207437.06338980.75387180.85227660.554310.1214080.03130520.29Akola18,13,906110780961.0735725319.6932803318.08102050.5644830.2515040.083890.0342300.24Amravati28,88,445205517771.1542141014.5938389113.29113600.3972230.2522420.0732880.1272230.25Aurangabad37,01,282254543868.7778667721.253090938.35309810.84159910.4351420.1410050.0369550.19Beed25,85,049217467284.1332039512.39684822.6587190.3420970.088240.033990.0294610.36Bhandara12,00,334100935284.08265022.2115445812.8621450.1810170.098310.0835550.2924740.21Buldhana25,86,258184542471.3635423613.6936422914.09122420.4735310.1416680.065520.0244060.17Chandrapur22,04,307178008580.75922974.1928673413.0138610.17107010.4952510.25231881.0521900.09Dhule20,50,862182546089.011879019.16134050.65128180.6336530.1814220.079120.0452910.26Gadchiroli10,72,94292741186.44210631.96826957.714540.0438720.366810.06300472.8067910.63Gondia13,22,507115386187.25261571.981252829.4715680.1318270.1421600.1650800.3865720.49Hingoli11,77,34586319973.3112755210.8317667915.0152780.459920.086430.061030.0128990.25Jalgaon42,29,917345761581.7456026113.241438653.40274040.6570910.1730910.0896620.23209280.49Jalna19,59,046150464176.8027422113.991525407.7996190.49125420.6416290.103360.0135180.18Kolhapur38,76,001337990687.202865587.39297660.771548823.99155730.4015700.0512740.0464720.16Latur24,54,196200698481.7836766414.98665352.7163870.2623870.099350.053100.0129940.12Mumbai30,85,411187376260.7377317325.061342574.351660005.38845552.74134710.4390990.30310941.01Mumbai Suburban93,56,962633713267.73179578819.194695685.023436393.673224763.45472880.51183540.19227260.24Nagpur46,53,570349220275.043909748.4066805014.35245280.53346670.74204690.44104990.24121810.26Nanded33,61,292250174174.4347195114.0435418910.5450490.1539020.12135400.4012730.0396470.29Nandurbar16,48,295152161892.31961825.8349690.3161910.3784670.516850.0429070.1972760.44Nashik61,07,187523700985.7569305211.35947831.55382120.62239460.3989120.1617950.0394780.15Osmanabad16,57,576143762386.7317892510.79282161.7145300.279420.063100.021950.0168050.41Parbhani18,36,086132838572.3530636416.6818789910.2462380.3420810.1113710.072620.0134860.19Pune94,29,408809025485.796737047.143404043.611277861.351341921.42270900.2998730.12261050.28Raigarh26,34,200223937085.012274658.631217914.62122600.46174520.6674770.2811590.0772260.27Ratnagiri16,15,069130721180.9418719711.591134677.0233470.2119900.122300.02950.0115320.09Sangli28,22,143244031286.472396078.50382101.35874533.1090980.3212600.047690.0354340.19Satara30,03,741269195289.621469704.891413154.70128100.4344080.1511820.046760.0244280.15Sindhudurg8,49,65178038491.85262643.36247622.9110460.12154711.822190.0153~14520.17Solapur43,17,756379542487.9044125410.22354970.82281340.6598820.2312790.035680.0257180.13Thane1,10,60,148871605578.81135563012.264496174.061720521.562807002.54391490.3598620.09370830.33Wardha13,00,774105709681.27538544.1417541713.4856630.4326960.2121470.1616570.1422540.17Washim11,97,16085994971.8314267211.9217933014.9884760.7117070.155180.043810.0341270.34Yavatmal27,72,348225140181.212392368.632498749.01114220.4145670.1615960.0537450.14105070.38
Hinduism
Hindus form 79.83% of the state's total population as per 2011 census and Hinduism plays an important role in the lives of the Maharashtrian people in their day-to-day life. Ganesha, incarnations of Vishnu such as Vitthala, Rama, Krishna and Dattatreya, as well as Hanuman, Shiva and Parvati are popular with Hindus of Maharashtra. Shiva is worshipped mainly in the form of lingam, with a metal mask covering it at some temples.Pattanaik, D. (2006). Shiva to Shankara: Decoding the phallic symbol. Indus Source. The Warkari tradition holds a strong grip on the local Hindus of Maharashtra. The public Ganesha festival started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the late 19th century is very popular. Marathi Hindus also revere Bhakti saints associated with varkari sects such as Dnyaneshwar, Savata Mali, Tukaram, Namdev, Janabaii and Chokhamela. Many religious figures from 19th and 20th century are revered.They include Swami Samarth, Gajanan Maharaj, Sai baba of Shirdi, Tukdoji Maharaj, Gondavalekar Maharaj, and Gadge Maharaj.Larios, B. (2022). Interleaf B:“This Is My Shirdi”. Devotional Spaces of a Global Saint: Shirdi Sai Baba's Presence.
Maharashtra has significant Hindu populations with origins in other states and regions of India, which adds to the diversity of temples and traditions in the state. The state has numerous recently built temples by groups such as the Swaminarayan sect, ISKCON, and South Indian communities.
Ceremonies, rituals, and festivals
The main life ceremonies in Hindu culture include those related to birth, weddings, initiation ceremonies, as well as death rituals. Other ceremonies for different occasions in Hindu life include Vastushanti and "Satyanarayan" which is performed before a family formally establishes residence in a new house. Satyanarayana Puja is a ceremony performed before commencing any new endeavour or for no particular reason. Invoking the name of the family's gotra and the are important aspects of these ceremonies for many communities.
Like most other Hindu communities, the Marathi people have a household shrine called a devaghar with idols, symbols, and pictures of various deities for daily worship. Ritual reading of religious texts known as pothi is also popular in some communities.
In some traditional families, food is first offered to the preferred deity in the household shrine, as naivedya, before being consumed by family members and guests. Meals or snacks are not taken before this religious offering. In present times, the naivedya is offered by families only on days of special religious significance.
Many Marathi people trace their paternal ancestors to one of the seven or eight sages, the saptarshi. They classify themselves as gotras, named after the ancestor rishi. Intra-marriage within gotras (Sagotra Vivaha) was uncommon until recently, being discouraged as it was likened to incest.
Most Marathi families have their own family patron or protective deity or the Kuladevata. This deity is common to a lineage or a clan of several families who are connected to each other through a common ancestor. The Khandoba of Jejuri is an example of a Kuladaivat of some families; he is a common Kuladaivat to several castes ranging from Brahmins to Dalits. The practice of worshiping local or territorial deities as Kuladaivats began in the period of the Yadava dynasty. Other family deities of the people of Maharashtra are Bhavani of Tuljapur, Mahalaxmi of Kolhapur, Mahalaxmi of Amravati, Renuka of Mahur, Parashurama in Konkan, Saptashringi on Saptashringa hill at Vani in Nasik district, and Balaji.
At birth, a child is initiated into the family ritually. The child's naming ceremony may happen many weeks or even months later, and it is called the barsa. During the naming ceremony, the child's paternal aunt has the honor of naming the infant. When the child is 11 months old, they get their first hair-cut. This is also an important ritual and is called Jawal. In the Maratha community, the maternal uncle is given the honour of the first snip during the ceremony.
In Brahman, CKP and Gaud Saraswat Brahman communities when a male child reaches his eighth birthday, he undergoes the initiation thread ceremony variously known as Munja Vratabandha, or Upanayanam. 96 kuli marathas generally conduct the Upanayanam ceremony before marriage.
Marathi Hindu people are historically endogamous within their caste but exogamous with their clan (gotra). Cross-cousin alliances are allowed by most Marathi Hindu communities. Hindu marriages, take place by negotiation.Studies show that most Indians' traditional views on caste, religion, and family background have remained unchanged when it came to marriage, that is, people marry within their own castes,Singh, J. P. (2005). The contemporary Indian family. Handbook of world families, 129-166.[] and matrimonial advertisements in newspapers are still classified by caste and sub-caste.
Elements of a traditional Marathi Hindu wedding ceremony include seemant poojan on the wedding eve. The dharmic wedding includes the antarpat ceremony followed by the vedic ceremony which involves the bridegroom and the bride walking around the sacred fire seven times to complete the marriage. Modern urban wedding ceremonies conclude with an evening reception. A Marathi Hindu woman becomes part of her husband's family after marriage and adopts the gotra as well as the traditions of her husband's family. After weddings and after thread ceremonies, many Maratha and Deshastha Brahmin families arrange a traditional religious singing performance by a Gondali group. Women from Hindu community are given a necklace called mangalasutra during the wedding ceremony by the groom. This is worn as a symbol of marriage by women throughout their married life.Agarwal, P. (2021). downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information. bristol. ac. uk.Gowda, G. (2018). Mangalasutra-The Sacred Pendant of Women As Symbol of Marriage in India. SAARC Culture, 22.
Marathi Hindu people dispose their dead by cremation. The ashes are gathered in an earthen pitcher and immersed in a river on the third day after death. This is a 13-day ritual with the pinda being offered to the dead soul on the 11th and a Śrāddha ceremony followed by a funeral feast on the 13th. Cremation is performed according to vedic rites, usually within a day of the individual's death. Śrāddha becomes an annual ritual in which all forefathers of the family who have passed on are remembered.