A brilliant smile and dancing eyes told of a joy we only find in those who love the Lord Jesus. With a degree in library science, this man serves his seminary as head librarian. He told me to just call him Bansal.
Bansal is one of the more common names among the Agarwal people group. Bansal is one of a tiny minority of Agarwals who have come to Christ. Almost all Agarwals still consider themselves to be Hindu. Like most other Bania subgroups, they work as businessmen and traders. Some have risen to become very wealthy. One is chairman of Jet Airways with a net worth of $1.9 billion.
Sometimes wealthy people feel no need for God. Those who feel a need for God in a Hindu context are likely to try to fill it with Hindu rituals.
Agarwals have enough clout that they have sometimes been given the right to skirt India's laws. About 100 years ago a court case went all the way to the Indian Supreme Court that included the comment that Agarwals are known for their unwillingness to follow Hindu rules. Not much has changed. It is not that they have not heard of the gospel message. Rather, the Agarwals generally do not feel the need for Christ.
* Scripture Prayers for the Bania Agarwal in Nepal.
* Pray for Narendra. He has started a new church to reach his Agarwal people.
* Pray that he and other Agarwal believers can demonstrate the love and character of Christ to their kinsmen.
* Pray that the Holy Spirit will create a hunger in the hearts of prominent Agarwal businessmen.
Some information from "The Scheduled Castes" K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)
Profile Source: Global Prayer Digest |
People Name General | Bania Agarwal |
People Name in Country | Bania Agarwal |
World Population | 4,888,000 |
Total Countries | 4 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
Alternate Names | Agarwal; Aggarwal; Agrabalia; Arya; Arya Vysya; Bania; Chetti; Gupta; Jain; Komati; Marwadi; Vaisya Agarwal; Vysya; बनिया, अॅगर्वल |
People ID | 19688 |
ROP3 Code | 115140 |
Country | Nepal | ||||||||||||
Region | Asia, South | ||||||||||||
Continent | Asia | ||||||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||||||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | ||||||||||||
Persecution Rank | 32 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||||||||||||
Total States on file | 12 | ||||||||||||
Largest States |
|
||||||||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | Nepal |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 32 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 12 |
Lumbini 6,000 | |
Narayani 3,300 | |
Bheri 1,600 | |
Bagmati 1,600 | |
Kosi 1,300 | |
Janakpur 1,300 | |
Sagarmatha 1,100 | |
Mechi 800 | |
Rapti 200 | |
Seti 100 | |
Mahakali 90 | |
Gandaki 40 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Language | Bhojpuri (4,400 speakers) | |||||||||
Language Code | bho Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||
Total Languages | 9 | |||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Bhojpuri (4,400 speakers) |
Language Code | bho Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 9 |
Secondary Languages | |
Marwari 3,800 | |
Awadhi 3,700 | |
Maithili 3,500 | |
Hindi 2,700 | |
Sindhi 200 | |
Nepali 60 | |
Magahi 50 | |
Marwari 20 | |
People Groups | Speaking Bhojpuri |
Primary Language: Bhojpuri
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1911-1982) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1998-2006) |
Bible-Complete | No |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
World Bibles |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name |
---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching (GRN) |
Audio Recordings | Online New Testament (FCBH) |
Audio Recordings | Oral Bible stories in Bhojpuri |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | Following Jesus (India, JF Project) |
Film / Video | God's Story Video |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Bhojpuri |
Film / Video | Magdalena (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | My Last Day (Jesus Film Project Anime) |
Film / Video | Story of Jesus for Children (JF Project) |
General | Got Questions Ministry |
Text / Printed Matter | Jesus Messiah comic book |
Text / Printed Matter | OneHope resources for children and youth |
Text / Printed Matter | Online Bible (Bibles India) |
Text / Printed Matter | Online Bible (Bibles India) |
Text / Printed Matter | World Missionary Press Booklets |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
95.46 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
4.54 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Global Prayer Digest |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Read more |
* Religion Values | From latest Nepal census data. Current values may differ. |