Jainism in Australia
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Australian Jains
| pop = 5,851{{Sfn|Dundas|2002|p=271}}
| region1 = {{flag|Australia}}
| languages = English
Indian Languages
| religions = Jainism
}}
{{Jainism}}
The history of Jainism in Australia is relatively short when compared to the history of Christianity on the same continent. There are four Jain centres in Australia.{{cite web|url=http://jains.australians.com/ |title=Welcome to Jains in Australia! |publisher=Jains.australians.com |access-date=2013-08-19}} The Jain population in Australia was counted in the 2016 census to be 4,047, of whom 38% lived in Greater Sydney, 31% in Greater Melbourne, and 15% in Greater Perth.{{cite web|url=https://auth.censusdata.abs.gov.au/webapi/jsf/tableView/tableView.xhtml|title=Census Table Builder|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|access-date=2017-07-08}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The states and territories with the highest proportion of Jains are Western Australia (0.025%) and Victoria (0.022%), whereas those with the lowest are Queensland (0.006%) and Tasmania (0.001%).{{cite web|title=Census TableBuilder - Dataset: 2016 Census - Cultural Diversity|url=https://guest.censusdata.abs.gov.au/webapi/jsf/tableView/tableView.xhtml|work=Australian Bureau of Statistics – Census 2016|access-date=29 July 2017|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114122905/https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml|url-status=dead}} As per the latest census (2021), the Jain population in Australia is 5,851, which is a 44.5% increase between 2016-2021.{{Cite web |last=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=July 4, 2022 |title=Religious affiliation in Australia |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/cultural-diversity-census/2021/Census%20article%20-%20Religious%20affiliation%20in%20Australia.xlsx |access-date=23 February 2024 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}
History
The Jain community established itself in Australia through immigration.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XubfClGnIAUC&pg=PA19 |title=Historical Dictionary of Jainism - Kristi L. Wiley - Google Books |isbn=9780810850514 |access-date=2013-08-19|last1=Wiley |first1=Kristi L. |year=2004 |publisher=Scarecrow Press }} A Jain society has been formed in Sydney.{{cite book |last1=Shah |first1=Natubhai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qLNQKGcDIhsC&pg=PA80 |title=Jainism: The World of Conquerors - Natubhai Shah - Google Books |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers |year=2004 |isbn=9788120819382 |access-date=2013-08-19}}
Exodus of Asians from Uganda in 1972 due to Idi Amin's policies, forced some Jains to migrate elsewhere, like Australia.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=loQkEIf8z5wC&pg=PA263 |title=Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-violence - Google Books |isbn=9788120815346 |access-date=2013-08-19|last1=Titze |first1=Kurt |last2=Bruhn |first2=Klaus |year=1998 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. }}{{cite web |url=http://www.jainsamaj.org/rpg_site/literature2.php?id=603&cat=42 |title=on www.jainsamaj.org ( Jainism, Ahimsa News, Religion, Non-Violence, Culture, Vegetarianism, Meditation, India. ) |publisher=Jainsamaj.org |access-date=2013-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416212148/http://www.jainsamaj.org/rpg_site/literature2.php?id=603&cat=42 |archive-date=16 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}
Jain Centres
Jain centres and/or societies have been established in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Most of the centres practice Jain unity by making sure every Jain sect comes and prays together. The first two Jain Tirthankars in Australia were established in Hindu temples in Sydney and in Canberra.{{cite web |url=http://australians.com/index.php/jains-australians-com/jains-australians-com-first/ |title=Jains in Australia }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=http://www.srimandir.org/ |title=Jains in Australia}} First Jain association in Australia was formed in Sydney and named Sydney Jain Mandal.{{cite web |url=http://australians.com/index.php/jains-australians-com/jains-australians-com-begining/ |title=Jains in Australia }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Another Jain association in Sydney is known as Vitraag Jain Shwetambar Sangh {{cite web|url=http://vitraagjainsangh.org |title=VJSS}} There is also a community-driven centre — AAJ (meaning 'Today' in Hindi) that serves Jain community in Australia. {{cite web|url=https://aaj.org.au/ |title=AAJ}}
See also
{{Portal|Religion|Australia}}
References
{{reflist}}
=Works cited=
- {{citation |last=Dundas |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Dundas |title=The Jains |url={{Google books|X8iAAgAAQBAJ |plainurl=yes}} |edition=Second |date=2002 |orig-date=1992 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-26605-5 |location=London and New York}}