Hinduism in West Bengal
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 64.4 million (2011 Census) (70.5% of West Bengal's population) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Majority in all districts except Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur and Malda. | |
| Languages | |
| Majority: Bengali Minority: Nepali and Hindi | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism and others |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
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Hinduism is the largest religious tradition in the Indian state of West Bengal with approximately 70.54% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus (as of 2011). The Hindus in West Bengal mostly belong to the Shakta (the Kalikula tradition), minority to Vaishnavite and a small community belong to Shaivite and other denominations. The vast majority of Hindus in West Bengal are Bengali Hindus numbering around 55 million and comprising 60.2% of the state population of 91.35 million (2011) but a notable section of non-Bengali Hindus also exist, particularly among Marwaris, Biharis, Odias, Gurkhas, Sindhis, Gujaratis and various tribal communities such as Koch, Santals, Munda, Mech people and particularly Adivadis numbering around 9.4 million comprising rest 10.3% of the state population.
Hinduism had existed in the region of Bengal before the 16th century BC and by the 3rd century, Buddhism and Jainism were popular too. Gaur, the first sovereign Hindu kingdom in Bengal with its capital in Karnasubarna in modern-day Murshidabad district, was set up by Shashanka, a Shaivaite king who ruled approximately between 600 AD and 625 AD. The modern structure of Bengali Hindu society was developed during the rule of the Sena dynasty in the 12th century AD. West Bengal has been home to several famous religious teachers, including Sri Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna, Rammohan Roy and Swami Vivekananda.