Hinduism in Azerbaijan

Hinduism in Azerbaijan has been tied to cultural diffusion on the Silk Road. The major center center for Hinduism in the region was Surakhani, the site of the Atashgah mandir, built in the 18th century as a place for homam by South Asian traders [ [http://sify.com/news/international/fullstory.php?id=13267652 Rare Hindu temple in Muslim Azerbaijan] - Sify.com] .

During the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, Hindu traders visited present-day Azerbaijan for Silk Road trade. The area was traversed by Hindu traders coming mostly from Multan and Sindh (Pakistan). The Atashgah (in Surakhani) was created for those traders to worship while in the area. Most of the traders left around the advent of the British Raj. The ceremonies were officiated by a Punjabi pandit [ [http://www.nchtuk.org/content.php?id=218 Pre – Islamic Vedic Culture in Afganistan] - NHCTUK] . The Zoroastrian locals of the Surakhani also worshipped at the local mandir, and the population of devotees swelled [ [http://azeri.org/Azeri/az_latin/manuscripts/land_of_fire/english/112_observations_farid.html Observations from the Ancients] Farid Bakharov - Azerbaijan International]

In the 1880s the Czar of Russia, Alexander III went to Azerbaijan to witness one of the last Hindu ceremonies performed there. After the 1890s nearly all of the original Hindu merchants in Azerbaijan had passed away or left for South Asia. [ [http://www.avesta.org/modi/baku.htm My Travels Outside Bombay] - Ervad Shams-Ul-Ulama Dr. Sir Jivanji Jamshedji ModiB. A., Ph. D. C. I. E.]

In Modern Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijan Daily Digest states that very few Azeri people have become Hare Krishna [ [http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/azerbaijan/hypermail/200108/0101.html AZERBAIJAN MOVES TO IMPOSE TIGHTER CONTROL OVER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS] - Eurasian net] and they are mostly represented by members of ISKCON. [ [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71368.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2006, Azerbaijan] - U.S. State Department]

Possible Hindu Community in Azerbaijan

There are over 500-600 Indians in Azerbaijan, and since 80% of India is Hindu, it is likely that at least some of the Indian residents are Hindus.

A few Indians are former students now engaged in trading, running catering and restaurant business, dealing in pharmaceuticals or employed in the private sector.

There are a number of Indians working at all levels in the oil and gas industry in Azerbaijan, and some are likely Hindus. Many UAE based suppliers of safety and other related drilling equipment to the major oil exploration/contractors have Indians, and possibly Hindus, on their roll.

The pharmaceutical sector is also well represented by Indian nationals and some of them are heading their representative offices.

Indian Association Azerbaijan is an unique forum for all Indian citizens, people of Indian origin and all other communities, cultures and civilisations across the world residing in Azerbaijan to come together. Mr. Sobi T. Abraham is the President of the Indian Association Azerbaijan. The First ever Indo - Azeri festival was organised under the chairmanship of Mr. Sobi T. Abraham and the event was organised at the boulevard on 10th July 2004.

Recently, about 36 Indian students have enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine at the Khazar University, a private University [http://meaindia.nic.in/foreignrelation/azerbaijan.pdf]

Indian men residing in Azerbaijan [ [http://meaindia.nic.in/foreignrelation/azerbaijan.htm Azerbaijan ] ]

Hare Krishna in Azerbaijan

Hare Krishnas are registered in Baku. [ [http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/azerbaijan/hypermail/200204/0018.shtml Azerbaijan Daily Digest ] ]

Members of the Hare Krishna community – have a registered a private room for a temple in Baku but nowhere else in Azerbaijan.

In October 2002, authorities returned 20,000 of the 35,000 books seized in 1996 from the Baku Society of Krishna Consciousness [ [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24344.htm Azerbaijan ] ]

Hare Krishnas interview to Forum 18

Hare Krishnas were banned by the local administration in the town of Gusar [Qusar] in north-eastern Azerbaijan from distributing their books in summer 2005.

Babek Allahverdiev told Forum 18 at the Baku temple on 18 October that “Local administration said that Hare Krishnas can’t spread Krishna teachings as they aren't registered locally, though they have some devotees in the town,". He further said that "Azerbaijan is one country, but officials are dividing it up."

He said the local administration in nearby Khudat [Xudat] , close to the border with Russia, had banned a group of local devotees from meeting in summer 2004, telling them to go to Baku if they wanted to meet legally [ [http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=689 Forum 18 Search/Archive ] ]

Aja-Das, who leads Baku's Hare Krishna community, complained of the onerous system for inviting foreigners on a "normal working visit" to give lectures to the community. "We have to invite them through the State Committee and the Foreign Ministry," he told Forum 18 from Baku on 8 August. "There are a lot of checks and it takes a lot of effort. If only it could be easier".

"We can only get registration in Baku," Aja-Das of the Hare Krishna community told Forum 18. "We want to work in the whole country, not just in Baku." He cited continuing restrictions on Hare Krishna work outside the capital. "In some places we have been stopped from distributing literature. It wouldn't be bad if this was changed so that religiouscommunities can work across the country [ [http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=22414&sec=36&cont=7 WorldWide Religious News-AZERBAIJAN: Religious minorities want religious freedom ] ]

ee also

*Fire Temple of Baku

References

External links

* [http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1980 ISKCON in Azerbaijan]
* [http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=7062&sec=28&con=38 AZERBAIJAN: Destruction for Krishna books as religion chief denies censorship]
* [http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=19309&sec=59&con=38 AZERBAIJAN: Selective obstruction of foreign religious workers]
* [http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=2399 Krishna stopped from preaching outside Baku]
* [http://www.addk.net/eng/dini_ichmalar_uk.html List of Registered Religions in Azerbaijan]
* [http://sify.com/news/international/fullstory.php?id=13267652 Rare Hindu temple in Muslim Azerbaijan]
* [http://hindusutra.com/archive/2007/05/20/in-search-of-an-ancient-hindu-temple-in-azerbaijan/ In search for an ancient Hindu temple in Azerbaijan]