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I often post questions about obscure sects of Hinduism, and I'm unsure of whether we have any members of those sects on the site. So I thought it would be helpful to myself and others to create a poll to identify what sects of Hinduism are represented in our community.

You can participate in the poll by upvoting the answer corresponding to your sect. And if you want, you can post a comment identifying yourself so people know what members they can consult about a particular sect of Hinduism.
Kindly don't downvote any of the answers, since that would obscure the numbers.

You can select either the sect of Hinduism your family follows, or the one you personally believe in.

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  • There is a whole big sect of various goddesses (like Vaishno Devi, Kaali maata, Durga maa, Amba maa, Maa Bhairavi, ...). Some call it Mataji sect. BTW, this Qn could have been better in the main site.
    – iammilind
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 5:59
  • 5
    @iammilind I think it's better on Meta since it's less about Hinduism as such and more about the community.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 6:19
  • 1
    This question encouraged me to look for the information about all major Sampradaya!
    – Pandya Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 8:03
  • 2
    I think this is the first ever poll on the site! :)
    – Yogi
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 18:36
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    Downvoted. What do u mean by sects to start with? What about millions of devotees of Ganesha? Are they not Hindus or don't they belong to the Ganapatya Sect. ? What about devotees of Surya and Karthikeya? 99% of Hindus do not know about these so called sects but they identify themselves as devotees of one or the other Hidu Deities. And the polls also did not include the Shakta which is of course one the major Hindu sects.!!
    – Rickross
    Commented May 1, 2017 at 5:48
  • @Rickross It's just a fun community poll. In any case I included the options "I'm a Hindu but I don't identify myself with a particular sect or school of Hinduism." and "I belong to some other sect or school of Hinduism not listed."
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented May 1, 2017 at 5:57
  • @Rickross Let us continue this discussion in chat.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented May 1, 2017 at 6:52
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    This promotes profiling. Must be deleted.
    – user1195
    Commented Nov 9, 2017 at 16:37
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is prejudicial and promotes profiling.
    – user1195
    Commented Nov 10, 2017 at 7:33
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    Mods- why are you declining legit flags?
    – user1195
    Commented Nov 11, 2017 at 1:48
  • What am I called if I feel a lot of love towards Shivji, Ramji, Agni Deva and Shani Deva and Lord Yama. I also believe that Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shaktas, all can get Moksha, and believe in Vedas. I consider all living beings my brothers and sisters and pray for my moksha, for the happiness of all creatures, and some other material desires. What is my sect called?
    – user17858
    Commented Jun 10, 2019 at 22:44
  • @Shashwat You can select “I'm a Hindu but I don't identify myself with a particular sect or school of Hinduism.” In any case I’m a Sri Vaishnava, and I believe that Vaishnavas, Shaivas, and Shaktas can get Moksha, but in the case of Shaivas and Shaktas they can get Moksha by getting reborn as Vaishnavas.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Jun 10, 2019 at 23:14
  • @KeshavSrinivasan aren't there Shaiva texts saying that by praying to Shiva, one can get moksha? Do you consider Shaiva texts interpolated or unauthentic?
    – user17858
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 15:54
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    @Shashwat I think Shaivite texts are authentic, it’s just that they’re Tamasic. A Tamasic person reads Tamasic Puranas and thereby in subsequent births becomes Rajasic. Then a Rajasic person reads Rajasic Puranas and thereby in subsequent births becomes Sattvic. And then once he becomes Sattvic he can do either Bhakti Yoga or Sharanagati to Vishnu and thereby he attains Moksha.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 16:04

13 Answers 13

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I'm a Hindu but I don't identify myself with a particular sect or school of Hinduism.

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I'm a Sri Vaishnava.

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    Sri Vaishnava with Vadakalai inclination...
    – Yogi
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 6:41
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    I'm a Sri Vaishnava whose Dad is a Thenkalai and whose Mom is a Vadakalai, so I'm a Thenkalai by birth but my beliefs lean more to the Vadakalai side.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 6:43
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    Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan!
    – DirghaChintayanti
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 16:26
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    @anuvaramban Adien Ramanuja Dasan Namo Narayanaya! :D
    – Yogi
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 18:50
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I'm an Advaitin.

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  • 4
    I may not exactly be an Advaitin.. but I'm very close to Advaita philosophy...
    – Tezz
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 0:09
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    Same as @Tezz. Shakta by birth but very close to Shankara Advaita.
    – The Destroyer Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 6:36
  • @TheDestroyer This is the first I have heard of "shakta by birth". Can you please elaborate.
    – user1195
    Commented May 12, 2017 at 12:15
  • @moonstar2001 what i meant is, our Kula Devata is Devi. But i don't strongly identify myself with any sect but philosophically close to Shankara Advaita.
    – The Destroyer Mod
    Commented May 12, 2017 at 13:08
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I'm a Gaudiya Vaishnava.

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  • Who are the GVs in this site? I don't see any active member now a days.
    – user16618
    Commented Dec 22, 2018 at 13:41
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I'm a follower of Vallabhacharya's Pushtimarga sect.

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  • Am I the only 1? Thanks for including this BTW.
    – iammilind
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 5:47
  • @iammilind No, you're not the only one. Mr. Alien and Krishn Shweta are also.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 6:18
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    @iammilind I'm Lord Krishna's follower. But I'm not familiar with Vallabacharya's works, so I didn't cast my vote :)
    – user6981
    Commented Apr 29, 2017 at 5:58
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    This conversation has been moved to chat.
    – The Destroyer Mod
    Commented May 1, 2017 at 13:08
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I'm a Shaiva Siddhantin.

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  • I am curious, who is the Shaiva Siddhantin here?
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Nov 1, 2017 at 22:33
  • @Ambi That is captured by Shaiva Siddhantin.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 3:02
  • Oh lol... Sorry Now I understand what you were asking for People who were shaiva siddhantins. Got it.
    – Ambi
    Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 3:04
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I'm a Madhwa.

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I'm a Kashmiri Shaivite.

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I belong to some other sect or school of Hinduism not listed. (You can specify which in the comments if you want.)

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  • I'm a Ramanandi Vaishnava.
    – user9969
    Commented Jan 29, 2019 at 20:15
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    Smartha-vaishnava (not an advaitin)
    – Ambi
    Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 2:59
  • I'm a nimbArkin (dvaitadvaita)
    – user23131
    Commented Feb 28, 2021 at 23:26
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I belong to a non-Hindu religion. (You can specify which in the comments if you want.)

1

I'm an atheist or agnostic.

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  • Why do you need atheists here?
    – Yogi
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 8:03
  • 7
    @Yogi Because this is a poll of the community as a whole, and some members of the community are atheists, agnostics, or members of other religions.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 8:18
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    wouldn't astika/nastika distinction be more relevant as well to include in the H.SE context, as a separate answer perhaps?
    – DirghaChintayanti
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 16:04
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I belong to the Swaminarayan sect.

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I'm a Shakta.

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    No one upvoted? That's odd.
    – Ambi
    Commented Jan 30, 2019 at 3:08

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