The Tanti are said to have originated as weavers and providers of cloth since the days of ancient Bengal. They were known for great skill in weaving and the ability to produce both fine linens as well as more common everyday fabrics. Not too long ago, virtually every Tanti home would have had a loom. The Tanti people are found across the northeastern portion of India. The greatest concentration is believed to be in the state of Bihar. There are also some in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, as well as Bangladesh. They tend to live in villages outside of major metropolitan areas. They are slightly less concentrated than some groups because their designation started with their occupation rather than a particular tribe or group. The Tanti tend to be mixed with other lower caste groups that are also spread throughout the region. This makes it difficult to identify any one area as specifically Tanti. There are, however, villages that have been found to be primarily Tanti scattered throughout the areas mentioned.
Today, much of their trade has been taken over by factory production and imported goods. Many are now doing subsistence level work either of weaving or other manual labor within villages. They often do not have clean water or a steady food supply. In relation to the rest of India they are seen as being part of the backward castes or the scheduled classes. Regardless of which is exactly right, they are definitely considered among the lowest status communities. A few Tanti have moved into cities and achieved an education and greater roles in society. This is still, however, limited to a small percentage of the overall people group.
In terms of beliefs, the majority of Tantis are Hindu. Many are born into Hinduism and like others in India believe that to be who they are as a people means to be Hindu. There is also a sizable portion who are Muslim, and this number continues to grow. One difficulty with this group, as with others in India, is to separate the cultural identity from the religious beliefs. They need to understand that they can be Indian and Tanti but still follow Christ.
They have a need for clean water and help with sanitation issues. Since so much of this group is found in rural India, they do not have ready access to modern medical facilities. Some groups are trying to help this situation by providing funds for water wells. Most of all, the Tanti need to hear and understand the message of Jesus Christ. He alone can forgive their sins and grant them eternal life.
Pray for a desire among the Tantri to investigate the claims of Jesus Christ. Pray for a disciple making movement that will bless the Tanti people this decade. Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the Tanti people to share with them the gospel.
Scripture Prayers for the Tanti (Hindu traditions) in India.
Profile Source: Keith Carey |
Global Prayer Digest: 2012-10-20 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-02-20 |
People Name General | Tanti (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Tanti (Hindu traditions) |
Pronunciation | TAHN-tee |
Alternate Names | Asan; Bansi; Bansi-Tanti; Chaupal; Choupal; Cuttack Tanti; Ganesh; Hansi; Hansi Tanti; Hansia; Kalahari; Kondria; Pan; Pan Tanti; Saibasia; Sambalpuri; Sambalpuria; Sawasi; Sowasi; Swati; Tanti; Tantripal; Tantubai; Tantubaya; Tantuwal; Tatma; Tatoya; Tattama; Tattawa; Tatwa; Tonti; Totla; तंती (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 5,805,000 |
Population all Countries | 6,041,000 |
Total Countries | 4 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 3 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 116 |
People ID | 18217 |
ROP3 Code | 113743 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Hindu - other |
People Group | Tanti (Hindu traditions) |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Hindu - other |
People Group | Tanti (Hindu traditions) |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Total Subgroups | 21 (only 15 largest shown) |
Ashwini 117,000 | |
Balorami 117,000 | |
Madhukari 117,000 | |
Purandari 117,000 | |
Kanaujia 56,000 | |
Maghaiya 56,000 | |
Tirhutia 56,000 | |
Kandu 43,000 | |
Gala 42,000 | |
Matia 42,000 |
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 | 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 | 31 (only 20 largest shown) |
Bihar 2,254,000 | |
West Bengal 2,018,000 | |
Odisha 628,000 | |
Jharkhand 433,000 | |
Assam 202,000 | |
Tripura 127,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 9,600 | |
Andaman and Nicobar 7,800 | |
Arunachal Pradesh 5,900 | |
Delhi 5,600 | |
Meghalaya 5,100 | |
Chhattisgarh 5,000 | |
Nagaland 3,200 | |
Manipur 2,900 | |
Maharashtra 2,600 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.01 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.92 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.07 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Bengali (1,961,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | ben Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 18 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Bengali (1,961,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ben Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 18 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Hindi 1,558,000 | |
Odia 533,000 | |
Maithili 379,000 | |
Bhojpuri 199,000 | |
Assamese 105,000 | |
Magahi 47,000 | |
Angika 40,000 | |
Panchpargania 17,000 | |
Kok Borok 5,600 | |
Sadri 2,000 | |
Mundari 1,900 | |
Santhali 1,700 | |
Kurux 1,700 | |
Andaman Hindi Creole 600 | |
Kui 500 | |
People Groups | Speaking Bengali |
Primary Language: Bengali
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1800-1980) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1801-1984) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1809-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | 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 Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Keith Carey |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |