It was either the hot and humid air of Mumbai or the anxiety of being in a crowded hospital waiting room that caused big beads of perspiration to form on Damayanti's furrowed brow. She wiped her face with the palu of her saree, while her husband, Krishna nodded off beside her.
Damayanti and Krishna had arrived in Mumbai the previous day from their small town in northern Gujarat. They didn't have much time to settle in; they had to go to the hospital the very next day so that Krishna could get needed medical treatment. They were staying at Shree Khadayata Bhavan Mandal, the boarding facility established by their Khadayata Bania community. They were most grateful for this facility which gave them a place to stay in the crowded city.
The Khadayatas are one of the sub groups of Gujarati speaking Banias. Their original family is said to have stemmed from the village of Khadat. In the early part of the previous century they organized themselves into a community that pooled their resources and strove for the betterment of their people. This included making scholarships available for poor students, building boarding facilities in large cities, and sometimes even taking care of the sick financially.
Pray that the Khadayata people, who hold on dearly to their roots no matter where they live, will encounter God in a way so real that they will be able to turn to Him with all their hearts.
Scripture Prayers for the Bania Khedayata in India.
Some information from "The Scheduled Castes" K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)
Profile Source: Global Prayer Digest |
People Name General | Bania Khedayata |
People Name in Country | Bania Khedayata |
Natural Name | Khedayata Bania |
Alternate Names | Vani; Vania; बनिया, खेडायता |
Population this Country | 76,000 |
Population all Countries | 78,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 19706 |
ROP3 Code | 115158 |
ROP25 Code | 300836 |
ROP25 Name | Bania |
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 | 3 | |||
Largest States |
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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 | 3 |
Gujarat 74,000 | |
Maharashtra 2,000 | |
Goa 70 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.39 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.61 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Gujarati (54,000 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | guj Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 5 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Gujarati (54,000 speakers) |
Language Code | guj Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 5 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 7,100 | |
Marathi 1,600 | |
Kacchi 1,400 | |
Khandesi 60 | |
People Groups | Speaking Gujarati |
Primary Language: Gujarati
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1809-1965) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1820-1985) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1823-2021) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | 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 | Global Prayer Digest |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |