Religion in Bhutan
Religion in Bhutan
Main page

Religion in Bhutan

logo
Community Hub0 subscribers
What are your thoughts?
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Religion in Bhutan

Bhutan is a Buddhist country by constitution and Buddhism plays a vital role in the country.

The official religion in Bhutan is Buddhism, which is practiced by 74.7% of the population. Hinduism is followed by 22.6% of the Population.

The freedom of religion is guaranteed by the King.

In the past, approximately 75% of the population of 770,000 followed either the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school, the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism or another school of Buddhism. Almost 22% of citizens (mainly Lhotshampas) practiced Hinduism.

The constitution states that Buddhism is the state's “spiritual heritage”; It also states that the king must be Buddhist, but must also be the “protector of all religions.”

The Sharchops, descendants of the country's probable original inhabitants, make up most of the eastern population. It is reported that some Sharchops practice Buddhism combined with elements of Bon whereas others practice animism and Hinduism.

In the early 2000s, the Ngalop people, descendants of Tibetan immigrants, comprised the majority of the population in the western and central areas and mostly followed the Drukpa Lineage of Kagyu Vajrayana. The government supported both Kagyu and Nyingma Buddhist monasteries. The royal family practiced a combination of Nyingma and Kagyu Buddhism and many citizens believe in the concept of "Kanyin-Zungdrel," meaning "Kagyupa and Ningmapa as one."

Hindus, mainly in the South, practice Hinduism. There are about 175,000 Hindus mainly of Lhotshampa ethnicity living in Bhutan. They form about 23% of the country's population, and Hinduism is the second largest religion of Bhutan.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.