Introduction to Spirituality in India
Rohit Singh was born into a Hindu family, but he does not identify as religious. However, the 24-year-old occasionally goes to both the local temple and in Gurudwara, a place of veneration and assembly in Sikhism. Singh also believes in astrology, and this month has joined his cousins on the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage of supporters of Lord Shiva, one of the three great Hindu deities who were worshiped in India.
The Rise of Spirituality Among Indian Youth
"I’m not religious, I’m spiritual," he said. "I don’t go to the temple as often as my parents, I sometimes go for the calm and peaceful atmosphere. I started going when I couldn’t find a job and my mental health was worst." The inhabitant of Gurugram, a technology and financial center directly outside the capital, New Delhi, has still not found a job. But he says his spirituality helped his mental health. "Many of my friends are like me. We just want to comfort," he says.
Global Trends in Religion
Interest in religion decreases worldwide. A study by the Pew Research Center showed that religious affiliation has dropped by 1% worldwide from 2010 to 2020. During the same period, the percentage of people who had no religious belonging rose from 23% to 24.2%. But in India, it is a different story. In the same Pew study, the world population of Hindus – 95% in India, where they form 80% of the population – kept stable, while the number of Muslims that represent more than 14% of Indians grew.
Gen Z and Spirituality
In contrast to many around the world, India’s youth, which constitutes 65% of its population, seem to be backed up with religion and spirituality. But they do it in their own way. A YouGov-Mint survey showed that 53% of the Indian Gen Z refers to people who were born between 1997 and 2012-that religion is important and 62% of them regularly pray. An MTV youth study in 2021 showed that 62% of Indian Gen Z believes that spirituality helps them to gain clarity. Almost 70% stated that they felt safer after prayer.
The Role of Spirituality in Mental Health
"Gen Z has many different vocabulary that you can apply to to explain what you feel, what differs from earlier generations," psychologist Manavi Khurana told. "Terms such as healing, grounding, contact with self. Spirituality, religion, well-being, and well-being are mixed up, even though they also have crossings," added Khurana. She is the founder of the Karma Care in Delhi, who is a mixture of millennial and Gen Z customers. "There are also many people who combine with Hinduism in view of the current political climate," said Khurana.
Less Rituals, More Personalization
Surya, 27, is a solo traveler and influencer with more than 290,000 followers on Instagram. Many of their trips are climbed spiritually. Surya has traveled to a number of important Hindu pilgrimage sites and festivals, including the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Kedarnath, and the Haridwar Kumbh in 2021. She says that social media platforms and influencers have made religion more accessible to younger generations, but there is more than that. "Spirituality is no longer considered ‘boring’ or only for the elderly. It becomes a way to find peace in a chaotic modern life," she said.
Government Promotion of Hinduism
During a speech to Parliament this year, the Indian Prime Minister said that the youth "take their traditions, their faith, and convictions with pride and reflect a strong connection to the cultural heritage of India". He spoke in front of the Maha Kumbh Mela, who took place from January to February this year and saw thousands of younger participants. The government has pumped money into the development and promotion of important religious sites such as Ayodhya.
Spiritual Content on Social Media
Since social media play such an important role in the interests of young people in spirituality and deal with spirituality, some critics say that these public platforms have less authentic or performative experience. The psychologist Khurana says that this gives an element of the truth that the relationship between youth and religion or spirituality does not make unauthentically. Yoga, meditation, astrology, and even spiritual leaders and speakers who use a reliable language appeal to the country’s youth. According to a survey 2023 of OMTV, a spiritual app for spiritual stories, 80% of the Indians aged 18 to 30 years old online with spiritual or religious content.
