Mumbai is a religiously diverse, cosmopolitan city where Hinduism is the majority religion, practiced by approximately 66–74% of the population. Islam is the second-largest religion (about 19–21%), followed by smaller populations of Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. The city also hosts a significant Parsi (Zoroastrian) community.
Hindus form 79.83% of the state's total population as per 2011 census and Hinduism plays an important role in the lives of the Maharashtrian people in their day-to-day life.
During the 19th century, Muslims migrated to Mumbai in large numbers: some wealthy Bohra traders, while many Julaha weavers moved to Mumbai to work in the textile mills there. These mill workers were joined by many Marathas who moved to Mumbai for the same purpose.
Hinduism is the largest and most practised religion in India. About 79.8% of the country's population is Hindu. India is home to 94% of the global Hindu population, making it the largest homeland of Hindus worldwide. The vast majority of Indian Hindus belong to Vaishnavite, Shaivite, and Shakta denominations.
Hinduism is a religion in which each individual is the central focus of his or her own religious enterprise, whereas in Christianity, God and God alone is the focus.
The most popular way to say hello in Hindi is namaste (नमस्ते), which means “I bow to you.” When you use this greeting, you're acknowledging something special in the person you're meeting. People typically join their palms together in front of their chest and slightly bow their head while saying it.
1995 – Bombay renamed Mumbai: The Maharashtra government officially changed the name from “Bombay” to “Mumbai” on 4 March 1995. The name Mumbai was chosen to honor Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the Koli community, the city's original inhabitants.
A recent study has identified Mumbai as the best Indian city for dating and finding love, with 72% of locals finding it relatively easy to find love there.
Lakshadweep. Lakshadweep, a union territory consisting of a group of islands in the Arabian Sea, has the highest proportion of Muslims in India, with 96.58% of its population following Islam.
Vitthoba, along with other incarnations of Vishnu such as Rama and Krishna, Hanuman, Dattatreya, and Shaiva deities such as Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha, are popular with Hindus of Maharashtra.
Almost every Indian language and many foreign languages are spoken in Mumbai. Marathi, the state language, is the dominant Indian language, followed by Gujarati, Hindi, and Bengali (Bangla).
King Bhimdev founded his kingdom in the region in the late 13th century and established his capital in Mahikawati (present day Mahim). He belonged to either the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri in Maharashtra or the Anahilavada dynasty of Gujarat.
When someone greets you with 'namaste,' the most common response is to say 'namaste' back. This mirrors the respect and acknowledgment given to you. If you're not comfortable using the term, it's perfectly okay to respond with a simple hello or your usual greeting.
India recognizes 22 official languages in its Constitution's Eighth Schedule, including Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri (Meitei), Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu, reflecting the nation's vast linguistic diversity, with Hindi and English serving broader roles in central government.
All research and editorial content is developed and curated by Mosaica. Read about our process. In many parts of India and during formal occasions, it is common for people to greet with the traditional Hindu greeting of “Namaste” ('I greet the divine within you').
Islam is a monotheistic faith, and Muslims adhere to sharia law. Hinduism is a polytheistic faith whose followers follow religious laws called the dharma.
