The Wattal are also called Batal, Tattal and Batul, though they consider these names to be pejorative. They prefer to be called Ganai, Seraj or Sheikh. They are often sweepers, which gives them low status. Their appearance is like that of the Gypsies, which makes them stand out as lower status. They are forced to live at the edge of the village, away from others.
The low status of this small community means they have fewer marital options. Other Hindu communities do not want to intermarry with them as a matter of honor. The Wattal feel isolated and rejected.
Young men are becoming more independent from their parents. For this reason, they insist on having a say in whom they marry. Young women are also reluctant to marry unless they know something about their potential husband. It is becoming more common for couples to meet on the sly before marriage.
Within a nuclear family, sons inherit 2/3 of the property while daughters get 1/3. This is not distributed until the father has died.
Their diet is good. Like most peoples in India, they have a grain-based diet, but they also enjoy meat, so long as it’s not beef. Kashmir is home to excellent cherry, apple and pear orchards. They enjoy these fruits along with green vegetables and rice.
Though many are sweepers, they often use their young sons as shoe-shine boys. These boys earn much money for the family during the tourist season. Some Wattal people repair shoes at a cobbler shop.
Most Wattal people practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods like Christians or Jews. There are other Hindus who are much more philosophical, especially among the Brahmins.
Almost all Hindus participate in yearly celebrations like Holi, the festival of colors and the start of spring / Diwali, the festival of lights / Navratri, the celebration of autumn / and Rama Navami, Rama’s birthday.
These people need to put their hope and identity in the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Pray for workers to go to the Wattal people, and for their hearts to be ready to receive their Savior.
Pray for families of believers loving and serving others to grow reproducing churches.
Pray for a chain reaction of families reaching families that results in thousands of new believers who share their faith with others.
Pray for grace and truth expanding into their entire society as all believers learn to love others.
Scripture Prayers for the Wattal (Hindu traditions) in India.
People of India, Vol 25. K.S. Singh. 2003
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Wattal (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Wattal (Hindu traditions) |
Alternate Names | वत्तल (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 1,800 |
Population all Countries | 1,800 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 16959 |
ROP3 Code | 112263 |
ROP25 Code | 308755 |
ROP25 Name | Wattal |
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) | ||
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 | 1 |
Jammu and Kashmir 1,800 | |
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 | Kashmiri (1,200 speakers) | |||
Language Code | kas Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 4 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Kashmiri (1,200 speakers) |
Language Code | kas Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 4 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 100 | |
Khah 70 | |
Dogri 70 | |
People Groups | Speaking Kashmiri |
Primary Language: Kashmiri
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1813-1954) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1813-2000) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1899-2011) |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Audio Recordings | Oral Bible stories | One Story |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | God's Story video | God's Story |
Film / Video | Indigitube.tv Video / Animation | Create International |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Kashmiri | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | Magdalena video | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | Story of Jesus for Children | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | World Christian Videos | World Christian Videos |
General | Bible for Children | Bible for Children |
General | Biblical answers to your questions | Got Questions Ministry |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |