Hinduism in Armenia

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Contents 1 Introduction 2 Indians in Armenia 3 Transcendental Meditation in Armenia 4 Hare Krishnas in Armenia 5 ISKCON Centre/ Temple in Armenia 6 Timeline of Harassment of Hare Krishna members 7 External links

[edit] Introduction

Hinduism in Armenia has a long tradition dating back to the first millennium C.E. The prevalence of the religion declined quite a bit after the 4th century CE when Christians invaded Armenia and slaughtered all of the Hindus and pagans remaining in the area.

[edit] Indians in Armenia

There are 200 Indians in Armenia or Indians represent 0.005% of the total population of Armenia [1]

There are some 700 Indian students in Armenia, most studying medicine (annual tuition fee US$ 3,400) [2]

[edit] Transcendental Meditation in Armenia

Transcendental Meditation is active in Armenia. It teaches Meditation and Yoga in Armenia

[edit] Hare Krishnas in Armenia

In 1990 ISKCON was, for the first time, officially registered as a religion in Armenia. There are now about 250 ISKCON members resident in Armenia and ISKCON maintains congregations in the towns of Gyumri, Kirovakan, Eghnadzor, Kapan and Ashtarak.

The only previously registered religious group that was denied reregistration in 2004 was the Hare Krishnas, whose membership had dropped below the 200‑member threshold.

[edit] ISKCON Centre/ Temple in Armenia

ISKCON Temple is located in Yerevan, Armenia at St. Krupskaya 18, 375019 Yerevan

[edit] Timeline of Harassment of Hare Krishna members

Systematic harassment of Hare Krishna members, by priests of the majority Armenian Apostolic church, police and local government officials are given below

On July 10th,1992 the Hare Krishna temple in Yerevan was attacked by arsonists.

In June 1993 a few members of the Society went to the Republic of Nagorny Karabakh to open a free food distribution centre for local people. In Stepanakert ISKCON was granted facility to distribute free food on the premises of a former restaurant. Within a month of the programme starting, a group of armed men broke into the premises and demanded, on behalf of the government, that our members leave the country within 24 hours.

On September 23 1993 Mikhael Unjugulyan, a Krishna devotee, was severely beaten before the inhabitants in his village of origin, Oshakan.

In April 1994, thirty tons of religious books were dispatched from ISKCON in Moscow for the temple in Yerevan. The books were seized by the customs at Masis station before they reached Yerevan.

On April 18, 1994 Hare Krishna member Artur Khachatryan was attacked by a group of fifteen members of the Armenian Army in an Officer's Club in Yerevan.

On July 4, 1994 two female members of the Hare Krishna Society in Yerevan, Anaite Arzumanian and Mariana Dorunz, travelled to the neighbouring town of Sisyan, to distribute religious literature and minister to local sympathisers. They were intercepted on route by two priests of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Father Narek from Sisyan and an American priest of the Avat Mission (a branch of the Armenian Apostolic church), Father Zenob. Supported by soldiers of the Armenian army, the priests confiscated more than 150 books and proceeded to light a bonfire with them, an act which attracted much local attention. The priests and their supporters then forcibly ripped the clothing off the women, twisted their arms, tore their religious neckbeads off their necks and threw these articles into the bonfire. This scene was witnessed by many of the local people. This incident was reported to Mr. Robert Patterson of the American embassy in Armenia, and to the special correspondent of Espress-chronika in Armenia, Michail Dabasyan.

On July 26, 1994 another ISKCON member Karo Mkrtchyan was seriously beaten and threatened with murder by six members of the Dashnaktzusyun Party (a nationalist political party). Again any religious books or paraphernalia he carried were confiscated.

On August 28th. ten armed thugs stormed the Hare Krishna Temple in Yerevan. They completely vandalised the place of worship, desecrated the altar, and severely assaulted the temple President, Ivan Dallakyan.

On the 3rd. September a member called Grigoryan Kamo was arrested by the local police and taken into custody

[edit] External links

• Indian imprint on Armenia
• The Unknown Chapter in the History of Ancient India and Armenia
• Persecution of Hare Krishna Members in Armenia
• Indian Students in Armenia
• [http://www.iskcon.com/icj/2_2/armenia.html

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