Before coming to Sri Lanka, I assumed Buddhism would be a theme that would dominate the country. And it is. But I have been struck by Sri Lanka’s religious diversity, too.
According to this Wikipedia page 70% of Sri Lankans are Buddhist, 15% are Hindus, 7.5% are Muslim, and 7.5% are Christian. The page also says that a 2008 survey declared Sri Lanka the 3rd most religious country in the world “with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life.” Interesting and I would say, fairly accurate.
I was in Hatton many months ago. It’s a relatively small town close to Nuwara Eliya, but it’s got all four major world religions packed in next to each other. This is not that unusual for many Sri Lankan towns, but the proximity of these institutions next to each other did strike me.
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