The name of the community is derived from the word sona meaning gold, and the people who work with gold are called Sunar or Sonar. Traditionally they were goldsmiths, but with the availability of better educational facilities the Sonar have become inclined towards higher education leading to other lines of work. They claim their social status next to that of the Brahmin, but other communities might not agree. However, those who own jewelry stores are usually very wealthy. Most Sonar Sikhs live in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi although they also live in other parts of India. They speak Punjabi and Hindi and read and write in Gurmukhi.
Known for their work with gold and silver, the Sonars produce elaborate jewelry and ornaments, using precious and semi-precious stones. Others cut and polish diamonds. Typically, the Sonars own their own jewelry stores. Sonar gold jewelry is greatly sought after for weddings in India. Other Sonars are effective money-managers, wisely investing and saving money. Some wealthier Sonars become money lenders. They allow people to divorce and re-marry. Both sons and daughters inherit the property in the same amounts when the father dies, and the oldest son becomes the family head.
Though most Sonars are Hindu, there are Sikhs among them. Sikhs believe in one supreme God and they have their own holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, which is mainly a collection of hymns of praise to God. The name of a Sikh child is given by them after reciting of the Sikh religious texts. In Haryana, Sikh marriages are performed around the Guru Granth Sahib which is the main religious literature of Sikhism.
Like all other people groups, the Sonars need the opportunity to become the children of the king of Kings and lord of Lords.
Pray for the Sikh Sonar community to be humble enough to acknowledge their need for forgiveness of sin, and that they understand the only provision for forgiveness that God has provided. Pray for intercessors and workers to faithfully serve the Sikh Sonar community. Pray for a powerful disciple making movement among the Sikh Sonar community.
Scripture Prayers for the Sonar (Sikh traditions) in India.
Profile Source: Keith Carey |
People Name General | Sonar (Sikh traditions) |
People Name in Country | Sonar (Sikh traditions) |
Pronunciation |
suh-NAR
|
Alternate Names | Aksali; Ashraf; Chaudhari; Hemkar; Jangar; Jargar; Kamsala; Kapila; Khakhar; Khatri; Konkar; Maipotra; Mair; Niaria; Patni; Potdar; Sanur; Saraf; Sarat; Sharif; Sheriff; Soni; Soni Hahajan; Sonkar; Sunar; Suni; Sunia; Suniar; Suniyara; Suvarnakar; Swarankar; Swarnakar; Tank; Verma; Zagar; Zargur; सोनार (सिख ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 224,000 |
Population all Countries | 224,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 4 |
People ID | 18169 |
ROP3 Code | 113681 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Sikh - other |
People Group | Sonar (Sikh traditions) |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Sikh - other |
People Group | Sonar (Sikh traditions) |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Total Subgroups | 47 (only 15 largest shown) |
Ahir 0 | |
Ajhra 0 | |
Arora 0 | |
Baghelkhandi 0 | |
Bagri 0 | |
Bamariya 0 | |
Bari 0 | |
Brahmin 0 | |
Bundelkhandi 0 | |
Dakshini 0 |
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 | 22 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States (only 15 largest shown) |
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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 | 22 (only 20 largest shown) |
Punjab 179,000 | |
Haryana 12,000 | |
Rajasthan 6,600 | |
Delhi 6,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 5,300 | |
Uttarakhand 2,400 | |
Maharashtra 1,800 | |
Madhya Pradesh 1,500 | |
Jammu and Kashmir 1,300 | |
Jharkhand 700 | |
Chhattisgarh 600 | |
Himachal Pradesh 600 | |
Gujarat 600 | |
Chandigarh 500 | |
West Bengal 500 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Other / Small |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
100.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Punjabi, Eastern (158,000 speakers) | |||||||||
Language Code | pan Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||
Total Languages | 8 | |||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Punjabi, Eastern (158,000 speakers) |
Language Code | pan Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 8 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 24,000 | |
Bagri 3,700 | |
Haryanvi 900 | |
Marwari 800 | |
Dogri 100 | |
Kumaoni 40 | |
Kangri 30 | |
People Groups | Speaking Punjabi, Eastern |
Primary Language: Punjabi, Eastern
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1818-1954) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1815-2011) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1959-2021) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Bible-NT Text | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Keith Carey |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |