The Bhathiara are a Hindu people who live in northeast India. Their name comes from a word for "boiled rice." The Bhathiara claim to be descendants of the last Pathan ruler of the Suri Empire of the 16th century. The traditional occupation of the Bhathiara was that of innkeeper. They would house and feed travelers along the trade routes of north India. The Bhathiara would provide a mat and a place to sleep for a modest price. They would provide rice, curry, kabobs and water for travelers.
The job of being innkeepers has declined among the Bhathiara in modern times.
Now they work in agriculture, factories and in small businesses. Some Bhathiara have taken advantage of Indian's educational system and become professionals in medicine, law, engineering and computer science.
Lack of education is a problem among the Bhathiara. The literacy rate among their women is only 62%.
The primary language of the Hindu Bhathiara is Odia. They also speak other regional languages.
The vast majority of the Hindu Bhathiara lives in the Indian state of Odisha. A smaller group lives in Gujarat. There is a much larger group of Muslim Bhathiara who live in north India and in Pakistan.
The Bhathiara often live in their own sections of the cities and villages in Odisha. They are strictly endogamous, that is, they marry within their caste and clan. Families arrange marriages with the consent of the young people. Sons inherit their father's property. Newly married couples frequently live with or near the groom's parents. Brahmin priests officiate at important life events like births, weddings and funerals. The Bhathiara cremate their dead.
The Bhathiara are not vegetarians. They eat meat except for beef. Their main foods are wheat, rice, lentils, vegetables and dairy products.
Caste councils promote their interests and settle legal disputes.
The Hindu Bhathiara worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Hinduism is the ancient religion of India. The Bhathiara visit Hindu temples and offer flowers, food, prayers and incense to their gods. They believe that by performing rituals and good deeds that they achieve moksha or freedom, and can escape the endless cycle or birth, dead and rebirth.
The Bhathiara participate in the yearly Hindu holidays of Holi, the festival of colors, Diwali, the festival of lights and Navratri, the celebration of autumn.
The Bhathiara need to hear and understand the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. They need to see that only Jesus can forgive them for their sins. The would benefit by seeing the love and mercy of Christ lived out before them by Christian workers. The Bhathiara need help in educating their children and in gaining job skills.
Pray for Bhathiara families to be drawn to Jesus and to the Bible to find out more about this man, Jesus.
Pray for Bhathiara families and communities to discover and embrace the free gift of life found by trusting Christ and his finished work.
Pray that the Bhathiara would be open to the gospel and that the Lord would raise up Bible-believing churches among them.
Scripture Prayers for the Bhathiara (Hindu traditions) in India.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhathiara
http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Bhatiara
Profile Source: David Kugel |
People Name General | Bhathiara (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Bhathiara (Hindu traditions) |
Alternate Names | Bhartari; Bhatiara; भाठियारा (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 7,400 |
Population all Countries | 7,400 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 16443 |
ROP3 Code | 111596 |
Country | India | |||
Region | Asia, South | |||
Continent | Asia | |||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||
National Bible Society | Website | |||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||
Total States on file | 2 | |||
Largest States |
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Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | |||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 2 |
Odisha 7,200 | |
Gujarat 80 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
100.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Odia (6,100 speakers) | |||
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 2 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Odia (6,100 speakers) |
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 2 |
Secondary Languages | |
Gujarati 60 | |
People Groups | Speaking Odia |
Primary Language: Odia
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1811-1956) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1809-2000) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1815-2021) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | David Kugel |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |