Hindu Deities on Stamps across the Globe

 

The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu and is believed to have been used for the people who lived beyond the river Indus (Sanskrit: Sindhu). Presently, about 15-16 percentage of the global population or around 1.2 billion adherents worldwide are Hindus. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion of the world. Nepal (81.3%) and India (79.8%) are two Hindu majority countries. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam.

                                               

The other counties having  Hindu percentage of their total population are Bangladesh (8.5%), Indonesia (3.8-6.9%), Sri Lanka (12.6%), Pakistan (1.8%), Malaysia (6.3%), Singapore (5%), USA (0.7%), Thailand (0.1%), United Kingdom (1.7%), Canada (1.45%), South Africa (0.9-1.1%), Mauritius (48.5%) , Bhutan (22.6%), Suriname (22-27%),  Fiji (27.9%), Kuwait (12%), UAE (5-20%),Trinidad and Tobago (18.2%), Guyana (24.8%), Australia (1.9%), Qatar (13.8%), Philippines, New Zealand (2.1%), Yemen (0.7%), Oman (3%), Gibraltar (2%) 

                                         

 Hindu Percentage of Population across the Globe

Stamps across the globe are printed to honour the nations pride, heroes, events, culture and symbols and in their own way they spread their messages wherever they reach.

The Hindu deities have found their place in many countries across the globe on their postage stamps. Let us see not all, but Hindu Deities featured on a few countries' postage stamps, listed in alphabetic order, with India at the end.

Antigua and Barbuda. A dual-island nation in the West Indies, is part of the Leeward Islands and consists of two inhabited main Islands, Antigua and Barbuda and a number of smaller Islands. It became independent in 1981 but is still British in many of its traditions. The percentage of Hindus is 0.4%.

                                           

Antigua and Barbuda 2013, Rakshasa, Indra, Vaayu

Cambodia. Has a population of over 15 million. Although 97.9 % of the population is Buddhist, before Buddhism arrived, Hinduism was one of the Khmer Empire's main religions.

                                           

Combodia set, Angkor Wat temple, 1973, Apsara, and Devata stamps

                                           

                Ram and Sita, 2006
  

                                                                    

         Miniature sheet, Matasya with Hanuman, 2006

                                             

                    Cambodia 1964 Hanuman

                                           

Sketch of Angkor Wat, a drawing by Louis Delaporte, 1880

 

Czech Republic. Has a total population of 10.6 million. Hinduism is a minority faith followed by 0.023% of the population. The Hare Krishna (ISKON) became an officially recognized religion in 2002, having four temples.

                                           

                  Czechoslovakia 2009, Ramayana

                                          

              Czechoslovakia 2007 Shiv, Parvati, Ganesha

East Germany. Is a former country that existed from 1949 to 1990 and is commonly described as a communist state. Hindus constituted only about 1% of the country's population. However now unified Germany has Europe's second largest temple known as Sri Kamadchi Ampai Temple, Hamm

                                             

East Germany 1979, Durga, Mahavira, Todi Ragini, Asavari Ragini

                                           

                Sri Kamadchi Ampai Temple, Hamm

French India was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian subcontinent beginning in the second half of the 17th century, till they were de facto incorporated into the Republic of India in 1950 and 1954. The enclaves were Pondicherry, Karikal, Yanaon (Andhra Pradesh), Mahe (Malabar coast) and Chandernagor in Bengal.

                                           

               French India, 1914, blessings from Brahma 

Grenada. In the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. It consists of a number of Islands and is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago. It has a population of about 1.1 million and has a Hindu percentage of 0.15. 

                                              

                   Grenada, 1993, Hanuman protecting Sita

Indo-Caribbeans are Indian people or descendants who live in the Caribbean and spread across the world by now.

Guyana. A country on the northern mainland of South America and a part of the main Caribbean region. It is the third smallest sovereign state by area in South America. It has a population of 0.7 million and has 24.8% Hindu population.

                                            

                        Guyana, 2011, Shiva

                                            

Guyana, 1969, Phagwah (Holi), Krishna with Radha

                                            

     Gyana, 1969, Phagwah (Holi) Krishan with Gopis

Indonesia. Consists of more than seventeen thousand Islands and a population of 270 million. It is the world's most populated Muslim majority country with Hindu's comprising 1.69 percentage of the population. The majority of the Hindu community live in the Island of Bali (82.5%), Sulawesi (since 1963, brought by Balinese migrants), Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra.

                                             

Indonesia 1962 Jatayu, Hanuman, Ravana, Maricha, Sita, Ram

                                            

                          1994, Ganesha series,

                                          

                    Indonesia, 2010 Arjuna, Krishna, Hanumaan

   

                                           

Indonesia, 2012 Bhima, Arjuna, Yudhistra, Nakula, Sehdeva

                                             

Laos is a socialist state and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It has a population of 7.45 million and has about 0.1 percent of Hindu population.

                                         

                Laos, Ramayana series, 1955, set of 6 stamps.

                                            

                    Laos 1974 Saraswati, Indra, Brahma

   

                                              

                    Laos, 1969, Sita's Agni Pariksha

Nepal is a landlocked country with a Hindu population of 81.3 percent, the maximum percentage in any country.

                         

              Nepal, 1991, Marriage of Rama and Sita

                                    

                      Nepal, King Janaka, 1974

 

Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa with a population of 22 million. It is a Muslim dominated country with about 25,000 Hindus. Most reside in Lagos.

                                           

                 Niger, Ganesha, 2014 

 

Thailand, formerly called Siam has a population over 66 million. Although the present Hindu population is just about 0.03%, in the past the nation came under the influence of Khmer Empire, which had strong Hindu roots. Despite the fact that today Thailand is a Buddhist majority nation, many elements demonstrate Hindu influence and heritage.

                                            

Thailand, 2005, Ram meeting Sita, Ravana, Hanuman, Ram fighting Ravana.

                                           

                    Thailand Indonesia Ramayana 2016

 

                                           

Thailand 1973, Ashoka Vatika, Ravan's Parasole, Anara Sena crossing sea and others

                                                   

Devasathan, built in 1784, official center of Hinduism in Bangkok

United States is the third most populous country in the world with more than 328 million people. About 1% population are Hindus.

                                            

USA, custom made postage stamps in denominations of 44 cents, featuring Lakshmi, Murgan, Sai Baba, Shiva-Parvathi, Sri Krishna, Lord Venkateshwara and Vinayaka in January 2010

Yemen. Is the second largest Arab sovereign state in the peninsula and its territory encompasses 200 islands. All minorities put together only account for 1% of the total population. 

                                                  

     Yemen Arab Republic, 1968, Krishna and Radha

India. The second most populous country with a population of about 1.3 billion. It has 79.8% Hindus.

                                         

               Trimurti, 1949, Elephanta Caves Sculpture

                                             

Ramayana, 11 commemorative postage stamps, 2017, miniature sheet

                                           

         ASEAN, Commemorative Summit 2018, stamp set

  

                                         

                                           

Radha, miniature painting from Kishangarh, National Museum, 1973

Reference: Stampboard,