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The bulk religion population of Himachal Pradesh is Hindus, 95.77% of the total population (1981 census). The Muslims occupy the second position 1.63%. They have some concentration in Chamba, Kangra and Sirmur. The Buddhists constitute a little more than 1% of the population and live in the trans-himalayan areas of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Kulu while the Sikhs (1.2%) are found here and there with some concentration in Kangra, Shimla, Mandi and Sirmur districts. The Christian population is 0.1%.
The people are deeply religious and god fearing. The grandeur of the natural features, the Himalayas and the magnitude of physical forces, has led the inhabitants to assign supernatural powers to natural environments. To the children of the mountains, the' Himalayas are the Gods'. Along with the Gods represented in the 'Thakardwara's' and the 'Shivalas', people worship the village deities, the Deotas, the Rishis, the Munis, the Siddhas, the Pandavas, the hill tops, the trees, the joginis or wood fairies, the Kali, the Shakti, the Nagas (snakes) and even a host of devils and deities of the aborigines. They believe that water courses, the sprouting seeds, the ripening corn ear are all in charge of separate spirits. Animals sacrifice is a major religious rite and is performed at weddings, funerals, festivals, harvest time, on the beginning of the thanksgiving.
The Muslims in the villages follow Saint Pir Lakh Data and also pray and light earthen lamps at the shrines of other saints.
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