The Halwais get their name from the word halwa which is a 'sweetmeat made from sugar, flour and butter '. The Halwais are famous as a caste of confectioners and sweet shop owners. A large majority of Halwais are Hindus but about 10 percent in India and 1 percent in Nepal are Muslims.
The Halwais still maintain their occupation in many places of India and Nepal as sweet shop owners and sellers of sweets and sometimes tobacco. In Nepal the greater Halwai population is a part of the 'clean castes '. Because their halwa is often eaten at weddings and festivals they tend to have a relatively high social status. The smaller Muslim Halwai however can be found in any number of service or labour jobs. Whereas the Hindu Halwai community in Nepal tend to speak Maithili and Nepali, the Muslim Halwar speak Nepali, Urdu and Awadhi. The Halwai follow the birth, death and marriage traditions of the Sunni Muslim and the Maulvi is the name of the spiritual leader who performs those religious rites.
Once again ministry among the Hindu Kalwai population has had success in recent years but among the small number of Muslims no work exists. In India families have shown interest in school-based development programmes. Perhaps Muslim-friendly community development projects could benefit this and other Muslim communities.
Scripture Prayers for the Halwai (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.
Profile Source: Anonymous |
People Name General | Halwai (Muslim traditions) |
People Name in Country | Halwai (Muslim traditions) |
Pronunciation | hahl-WYE |
Alternate Names | Methai Walas; हलवाई (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 25,000 |
Population all Countries | 230,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 17551 |
ROP3 Code | 112974 |
Country | Pakistan | |||
Region | Asia, South | |||
Continent | Asia | |||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||
National Bible Society | Website | |||
Persecution Rank | 7 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||
Total States on file | 3 | |||
Largest States |
|
Country | Pakistan |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 7 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 3 |
Sindh 15,000 | |
Punjab 8,900 | |
Islamabad 60 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
100.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest Pakistan census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Sindhi (9,600 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | snd Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 6 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Sindhi (9,600 speakers) |
Language Code | snd Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 6 |
Secondary Languages | |
Urdu 5,400 | |
Saraiki 4,900 | |
Punjabi, Western 4,600 | |
Dhatki 500 | |
Marwari 300 | |
People Groups | Speaking Sindhi |
Primary Language: Sindhi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1825-1981) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1890-1992) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1954) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source |
(Representative photo) Copyrighted © 2023 Isudas All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Anonymous |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |