Kasarwani Bania in India

The Kasarwani Bania have only been reported in India
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Introduction / History

The customer asked politely, "How do the accounts stand?" Chaturth looked through his record book and replied, "They are up to date. You have no payment due until next month." The customer paid for his groceries and left the family store.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Chaturth is of the Kasarwani subgroup of the Bania caste. Kasar means "saffron" and wani means "tradesman." His people were originally sellers of saffron. Today most of them are money-lenders and grocers. They are noted for their light complexion, and are believed to have come from Mesopotamia near the location of Nebuchadnezzar's palace during the height of the Babylonian Empire.
Because they moved so often in the early days, they carried pots of soil from the place they came from in order to maintain their identity and remember their origin. They worship these pots. Some carry the soil from many lands, gathered as they moved along trade routes. Since settling in northern India, Hindi has become their main language, and Hinduism is the religion of all but about .06 percent of these nearly 400,000 people.


What Are Their Needs?

Although there is a plethora of Christian outreach tools available in Hindi such as audio recordings, films, videos, tracts, and Bible translations, the Kasarwani hearts have remained closed to the gospel.


Prayer Points

Pray that the Holy Spirit will woo these unreached people.
Pray that God will cast down the principalities and powers that are the gatekeepers to their souls, and that Jesus will reveal Himself in power and glory to multitudes of precious Kasarwani people.


Scripture Prayers for the Bania Kasarwani in India.


References

Some information from "The Scheduled Castes" K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)


Profile Source:   Global Prayer Digest  

Additional Info
Bania profile for Children and Family Missions Activities
Global Prayer Digest: 2011-08-22
People Name General Bania Kasarwani
People Name in Country Bania Kasarwani
Natural Name Kasarwani Bania
Alternate Names Kesarwani; Kesarwani Baniya; Pachhaiha Thok Kasarwani; Purbia Thok Kasarwani; बनिया, कसर्वनि
Population this Country 505,000
Population all Countries 505,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 10
People ID 19702
ROP3 Code 115154
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 21
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Uttar Pradesh
234,000
Rajasthan
68,000
Bihar
51,000
Chhattisgarh
27,000
Gujarat
23,000
Madhya Pradesh
21,000
West Bengal
15,000
Assam
14,000
Maharashtra
13,000
Haryana
9,500
Delhi
7,600
Punjab
4,500
Odisha
3,300
Jharkhand
2,700
Uttarakhand
2,600
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 21  (only 20 largest shown)
  Uttar Pradesh 234,000
  Rajasthan 68,000
  Bihar 51,000
  Chhattisgarh 27,000
  Gujarat 23,000
  Madhya Pradesh 21,000
  West Bengal 15,000
  Assam 14,000
  Maharashtra 13,000
  Haryana 9,500
  Delhi 7,600
  Punjab 4,500
  Odisha 3,300
  Jharkhand 2,700
  Uttarakhand 2,600
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
99.95 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.05 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Hindi (295,000 speakers)
Language Code hin   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 27
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Bhojpuri
27,000
Gujarati
17,000
Marwari
15,000
Bengali
12,000
Chhattisgarhi
9,700
Dhundari
7,500
Marathi
6,400
Assamese
6,000
Bagheli
5,100
Magahi
3,900
Shekhawati
3,700
Awadhi
2,400
Kanauji
2,100
Bagri
2,000
Odia
1,500
Primary Language Hindi (295,000 speakers)
Language Code hin   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 27
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Bhojpuri 27,000
  Gujarati 17,000
  Marwari 15,000
  Bengali 12,000
  Chhattisgarhi 9,700
  Dhundari 7,500
  Marathi 6,400
  Assamese 6,000
  Bagheli 5,100
  Magahi 3,900
  Shekhawati 3,700
  Awadhi 2,400
  Kanauji 2,100
  Bagri 2,000
  Odia 1,500
People Groups Speaking Hindi

Primary Language:  Hindi

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1806-1962)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1811-1998)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1818-2022)
Bible-NT Audio Online
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 DAVAR Partners recording, Old Testament DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Following Jesus video 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 Hindi Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text, audio, video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text, audio, video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text, audio, video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text, audio, video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text, audio, video Faith Comes by Hearing
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 Global Prayer Digest 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.