Religion News Service
CHENNAI, INDIA, January 26, 2007: More than 90 percent of Indians believe in God and more than half pray every day, according to a nationwide survey published in a leading Indian newspaper on January 25. The study found that urban, educated Indians are just as religious — if not more so — than their rural, illiterate compatriots. Conducted in January for the Hindustan Times and the CNN-IBN television channel by the Center for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) the study included 7,670 randomly selected respondents in 970 villages and urban locations across India. “The findings are bound to surprise you,” the Hindustan Times said. The survey included Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians and measured religiosity through a series of questions on belief, temple attendance, prayer and participation in religious functions. According to the survey, women are more religious than men, metropolitan women are far more religious than those from rural areas, and young Indians are less enthusiastic about religion.