Religion in Lahore

Prior to the partition of India in 1947, a third of Lahore district's population was Hindu and Sikh. Hindus and Sikhs used to reside in 'distinct enclaves'. The city's Hindu and Sikh population left en masse during the partition and shifted to East Punjab and Delhi in India. In the process, Lahore lost its entire Hindu and Sikh population. The emigrants were replaced by Muslim refugees from India. Muslim refugees and locals competed for ownership over abandoned Hindu and Sikh property.^[4]

Religious groups in Lahore District (British Punjab province era)

Religious group	1901[5]		1911[6][7]		1921[8]		1931[9]		1941[3]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	717,519	61.74%	626,271	60.44%	647,640	57.25%	815,820	59.18%	1,027,772	60.62%
Hinduism [a]	276,375	23.78%	217,609	21%	255,690	22.6%	259,725	18.84%	284,689	16.79%
Sikhism	159,701	13.74%	169,008	16.31%	179,975	15.91%	244,304	17.72%	310,646	18.32%
Christianity	7,296	0.63%	21,781	2.1%	46,454	4.11%	57,097	4.14%	70,147	4.14%
Jainism	1,047	0.09%	1,139	0.11%	1,209	0.11%	1,450	0.11%	1,951	0.12%
Zoroastrianism	171	0.01%	209	0.02%	179	0.02%	159	0.01%	136	0.01%
Buddhism	0	0%	128	0.01%	170	0.02%	14	0%	32	0%
Judaism	0	0%	13	0%	13	0%	1	0%	2	0%
Others	0	0%	0	0%	6	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Total population	1,162,109	100%	1,036,158	100%	1,131,336	100%	1,378,570	100%	1,695,375	100%
Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.

Religious groups in Lahore City (1881−2017)

Religious group	1881[10][11]: 520		1891[12]: 68		1901[13]: 44		1911[14]: 20		1921[15]: 23		1931[16]: 26		1941[17]: 32		2017[18]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	86,413	57.85%	102,280	57.83%	119,601	58.93%	129,801	56.76%	149,044	52.89%	249,315	58.01%	433,170	64.49%	10,530,816	94.7%
Hinduism	53,641	35.91%	62,077	35.1%	70,196	34.59%	77,267	33.79%	107,783	38.25%	139,125[a]	32.37%	179,422[a]	26.71%	2,670	0.02%
Sikhism	4,627	3.1%	7,306	4.13%	7,023	3.46%	12,877	5.63%	12,833	4.55%	23,477	5.46%	34,021	5.07%	—	—
Christianity	529[b]	0.35%	4,697	2.66%	5,558	2.74%	8,436	3.69%	11,287	4.01%	16,875	3.93%	21,495	3.2%	571,365	5.14%
Jainism	227	0.15%	339	0.19%	420	0.21%	467	0.2%	474	0.17%	791	0.18%	1,094	0.16%	—	—
Zoroastrianism	—	—	132	0.07%	166	0.08%	198	0.09%	177	0.06%	150	0.03%	—	—	—	—
Judaism	—	—	14	0.01%	—	—	13	0.01%	13	0%	0	0%	—	—	—	—
Buddhism	—	—	0	0%	0	0%	128	0.06%	170	0.06%	14	0%	—	—	—	—
Ahmadiyya	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	13,433	0.12%
Others	3,932	2.63%	9	0.01%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	2,457	0.37%	1,701	0.02%
Total population	149,369	100%	176,854	100%	202,964	100%	228,687	100%	281,781	100%	429,747	100%	671,659	100%	11,119,985	100%
Note: 1881-1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Lahore, which included Lahore Municipality and Lahore Cantonment.[17]: 32

According to a Hindu legend, Lahore was once named Lavapura,^[19] after Lava, son of Lord Rama, Hindu God from Ramayana as one of etymological theory of Lahore.^[20][21] A vacant temple, the Lava Temple, dedicated to this figure is contained inside the Lahore Fort.^[22][23]

The first Persian text on Sufism was written, by Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Shaykh Abul Hasan 'Ali Hujwiri R.A. in Lahore which became a major source for early Sufi thought and practice. Hazrat e Hujwiri R.A's tomb in Lahore is one of the major Sufi shrines in the subcontinent.^[24] Several other leading Sufi saints are buried in Lahore.^[25] These Sufi shrines have contributed to making Lahore an important place of pilgrimage.^[26] During the Mughal era, several impressive buildings including mosques were constructed, contributing to the city's rich Mughal heritage.^[27][28]

The city is also of significant importance to the Sikhs of Punjab region who call it Lahore-Sharif.^[29][30] Some of Sikhism's holiest sites are situated inside Lahore.^[31]

• 
  Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
• 
  Sher Singh in Lahore
• 
  Maharajah Duleep Singh, entering his palace in Lahore.

• 
  Badshahi Mosque
• 
  Inside the Badshahi Mosque
• 
  Lahore Fort
• 
  Shalimar Gardens, Lahore