Hinduism in Oman

Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Oman, practised by 5.5% of its population.

History


For centuries, Muscat attracted Hindu merchants involved in various trades, including pearls and grains. Hinduism first came to Oman in 1507 when Kutchi-speaking Hindus arrived in Muscat from the Kutch region in India. There were at least 4,000 Hindus in Oman in the early 19th century. In 1895, the Hindu presence in Muscat came under attack by the Ibadhis and by 1900, the number of Hindus decreased to 300. During the independence of Oman, only a few dozen Hindus remained. The historical quarters of al-Waljat and al-Banyan are no longer occupied by Hindus.

Demographics
Oman is the only country in the Middle East with an indigenous Hindu population. There are at least 1,000 Hindus in Oman with Omani citizenship. According to the CIA, there are 259,780 Hindus constituting 5.5% of population.

Temples
There are two officially recognized Hindu temples in Oman. The Shiva temple in Muscat (Motishwar Mandir) in Oman is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the Middle East region. The other is the Krishna Temple, also in Muscat.

Famous Omani Hindus

 * Kanaksi Khimji was the only Hindu Sheikh in the world
 * Hemal Mehta, cricketer
 * Ajay Lalcheta, cricketer
 * Suraj Kumar, cricketer