Thirteen years ago, Hinduism Today magazine tried to formulate ten Hindu megatrends that would shape that religion’s future.
In its October-December, 2002, issue, the magazine updates its megatrends to include: an increase in Hindu pride, confirmation of which are the building of new “magnificent temples” and the unprecedented rise in awareness of Hindu identity in India. Newspapers and magazines in India are running regular articles on Hindu concepts. A less positive side of this surge in Hindu pride is however the use of violence by an activist minority in the name of Hindu protection, as evidenced by the March riots in Gujarat.
Hinduism is no longer threatened by decline in countries of old diaspora (Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Trinidad, Malaysia). But young Hindus in the diaspora tend to be not strongly religious and follow “the prevailing trend away from religion”. Some of them — especially Hindi-speaking — have increasing difficulties in order to understand lectures by priests in high Hindi. Cross-cultural marriages in the diaspora are on the increase.
At the same time, the worldwide interest for Hinduism or aspects of it is still on the rise. Ayurveda (Hindu-based healing and medicine) has “become a household word in the past 10 years.” And Hindus increasingly claim the scholarship on Hinduism and Hindu history, instead of leaving it in Western hands. The role of women continues to grow, as exemplified by increasingly popular women gurus such as Mata Amritanandamayi “The number of women priests has dramatically increased since 1989, and they’ve found acceptance from the general population.”
But the problems of Hindu priesthood have not yet found a solution: temple priesthood (often hereditary) is in decline, average priests are not well-trained and not well-educated, with young brahmins choosing other professions in which they can earn a reasonable salary.The 2002 update also emphasizes the benefits of modern technologies for Hinduism worldwide.
“Hinduism is benefiting immensely from the Internet.” It allows an easy access to information on Hinduism. Another new phenomenon in India are religious television channels, although quality is said to be uneven.
— By Jean-François Mayer