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Writer's pictureAyushman mishra

Tracing the Roots : The Indian Influence on birth of the Rasta Movement

Updated: Jun 2, 2023

The story of how the Rasta movement started shows how colonialism brought together different cultures and religions. The religious and social movement has its roots in Hinduism and the use of marijuana for spiritual and medical purposes.

At the beginning of the 19th century, African slaves in the Caribbean rose up against their slave owners and broke free.


As the movement grew, Indian immigrants who were forced to work on the sugar plantations were sent to Jamaica.

This led to a mixing of cultures, with Hinduism and Indian culture influencing Jamaican culture and the beginnings of the Rastafarian movement. The Rasta movement is still influenced by Hindu ways of communicating and expressing themselves, like folk dance, ethnic music, and theatrical performances. Curry is used in Jamaican food because Indian food has a big impact on it. Rastafarianism is based on the use of ganja for recreation, which came from Hinduism. The Hindus used ganja for spiritual and medical purposes, as well as for fun and mystical religious practises. Ganja has become a central part of the Rastafarian way of life. It frees the mind, which makes it appealing to Jamaicans who were born there.


In 1938, the colonisers made ganja illegal because they were afraid of its power to free people. But this didn't stop the Rastafarian movement from growing and spreading its message of peace, love, and unity.

Bob Marley, the face of reggae music, did a lot to make the Rastafarian movement more well-known. He was called "Tuff Gong," which comes from the word "gangunguru" in Hindu, which means "great king" or "king of kings. "The early Rastas learned how to show respect and worship from the Indians. The Indians showed respect for their religion by singing bhajans and kirtans in Hindi and Bhojpuri. The Rastafarian movement is based on using ganja and celebrating life and spirituality through music and dance.


With its message of peace, love, and unity, the Rastafarian movement has given hope to a lot of people all over the world.

It had an effect on the Hippie movement in the West in the 1950s and 1960s, and it still does to this day. In the end, the story of how Indians helped start the Rasta movement is a fascinating example of how colonialism made it possible for different cultures and religions to mix.


In conclusion, the Indian influence on the beginning of the Rasta movement is a fascinating story of how colonialism facilitated the intermingling of cultures and religions. From Hinduism to the use of ganja, the impact of Indian culture on Jamaican culture and the Rasta movement cannot be denied. It's remarkable how the influence has traveled full circle, with the Hippie movement of the 50s and 60s in the West being inspired by the Rasta movement, which in turn was inspired by Indian culture and religion.

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