Which areas of India have the most vegetarians / vegetarian culture?

Answer 1

This is an interesting question, I gave you a star.

Indian cultures base their diet on their belief system/religon. The 4 main religons/ways of life are Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism & Sikhism. Sikhism being the largest group 65% and have no specific dietary constrains.

They're spread all over the country and share a similar basis & values. I know of individuals who practice 2 or more of these religons because they are not in conflict of each other.
I'm no expert in the topic but here's some info from random sites & put together with regards to vegetarian culture in india.

Jainism -

Jainism's stance on nonviolence goes much beyond vegetarianism. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. Many are vegan due to the violence of modern dairy farms, and others exclude root vegetables from their diets in order to preserve the lives of the plants from which they eat. Potatoes, garlic and onions in particular are avoided by Jains. Devout Jains do not eat, drink, or travel after sunset.

Hinduism - basis of Karma, meditation & Yoga

Hindus advocate the practice of ahiṃsā (non-violence) and respect for all life because divinity is believed to permeate all beings, including plants and non-human animals.[

In accordance with ahiṃsā, many Hindus embrace vegetarianism to respect higher forms of life. While vegetarianism is not a requirement, it is recommended for a satvic (purifying) lifestyle.
Estimates of the number of lacto vegetarians in India (includes inhabitants of all religions) vary between 20% and 42%. The food habits vary with the community and region, for example some castes having fewer vegetarians and coastal populations relying on seafood. Some Hindus avoid even onion and garlic, which are regarded as rajasic foods. Some avoid meat on specific holy days.
Observant Hindus who do eat meat almost always abstain from beef.
The largely pastoral Vedic people and subsequent generations relied heavily on the cow for protein-rich milk and dairy products, tilling of fields and as a provider of fuel and fertilizer. Thus, it was identified as a caretaker and a maternal figure. Hindu society honors the cow as a symbol of unselfish giving. Cow-slaughter is legally banned in almost all states of India.

Buddhism -
The 1st of the 5 precepts being-
1. To refrain from taking life. (i.e. non-violence towards sentient life forms)

Added: ssrvj, I interested to know which part of my information is wrong? thanks.

Answer 2

I'm not Indian, but I married an Hindu lady.

I find the last person's high estimate of meat eaters in India hard to believe.

I have been to Pune, which is in North India, there were several restaurants and hotels, none of which served any meat. There was only one place where somebody could buy meat at a store; it had a sign that advertised "Halal Meat." Anywhere that had food for sale; there was no meat. On the train from Bombay to Pune, they served food, but there was no meat offered. We went to see a movie, they served food, but there was no meat. If so many people are eating meat, it just seems logical that it would be readily available. There were all kinds of people selling food by the roadside and so on, I don't recall anybody selling meat of any kind.

A few of my wife's relatives eat meat, but most of them don't.

Granted, I have only been to Pune, Bombay, Lanavala and Kandala and I have never been to the south. But I am very skeptical about the other guy's estimate that only 12% of Hindus in North India are vegetarian and I wonder where he got his information.

Answer 3

Jellbez information is WRONG :-The information that sikhism being the largest group is wrong.Sikh religion people constitute just about 2 % of the population.Hindus constitute 75-80%

I was born,brought up and lived in India for 68 years -our ancestors for more than 3000 years-.Only just about 6% of the South indians (3% Brahmins +3% other castes) are Vegetarians.The other castes Vegetarians are known as "Saivas" in South India. The remaining 94% are Non-Vegetarians only(2% Christians-- about 12-15% Muslims and the remaining 77-80% Hindus- all are meat eaters only

In North India about 12 % are Vegetarians--Brahmins 3%-other castes-6%(Known as Vaishnos) and Jains and Buddhists -3%-Almost the entitire Sikhs except a microscopic minority are all Meat eaters only.In Noth India among Hindus in marriages they do not eat meat.

What Majun99 say is right--among the restaurents 70% are Vegetarian and the remaining 30 % are only Meat selling Restaurents--Even among the meat eaters -if and when meat is available,they have no reservation to eat meat--but meat is 400% costly than Vegetables--.because they can not offered economically-they eat Vegetables--This we have Published in one of our research papers in Journal of Association of Physicians of India(JAPI) in 1967.

Answer 4

Southern India, the northern part of India has a large Muslim population and they eat meat. Of course this is a generalization, even some Hindus will eat a little meat now and then.

Answer 5

This is just my opinion, but I think South India has a pervasive vegetarin culture... the emphasis is on veggies and seafood (because of the close proximity to the beach)

Answer 6

mr ssrj kindly check your statistics please