Washington: The increasing strength of Hindus in the US received its recognition as US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said from the inaugural podium that America is now a nation of "Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus".
"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers," Obama said in his speech as he urged fellow Americans to user in an era of responsibility.
"We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace," Obama said.
While adherents of Hinduism have been in this country for more than a century, a 2001 study estimated that there are 1.1 million Hindus in the US (0.4 per cent of the total population). However, in the last one decade, the population of Hindus has increased significantly.
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