The Ghatwar Bhuiya are a Hindu agricultural people who live in the northeastern Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar. A much smaller population lives in Bangladesh. Their name means "owner of soil." At one time they were nomadic hunter-gatherers but now they are settled agricultural workers. Ironically unlike their name meaning, most Ghatwar are now landless. They toil in fields owned by other higher castes. The Bhuiyas include six subgroups, one of which is the Ghatwar. The primary language of the Bangladeshi Ghatwar is Bengali. A tiny fraction of the Ghatwar claim to be followers of Christ. Many Ghatwar are unable to read and write so the gospel must be shared with them in oral and visual forms.
The majority of the Ghatwar are landless farm workers. In urban areas some Ghatwar work as day laborers in construction and in factories. They are not vegetarians but as poor Bangladeshi most of their diet is composed of plants since meat is costly. As Hindus they will not eat beef. The Ghatwar marry within their group. Marriage to one spouse is theirs regular practice. Families arrange marriages with the consent of the young people. Young people often marry in their teens. Sons inherit property upon their father's death. A caste council settles legal disputes and promotes their interests.
The Bangladeshi Ghatwar practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. Their Hinduism is influenced by animism. They worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Hindus believe that by performing rituals and good works that they will attain moksha or freedom from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Ghatwar visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods as Christians do. There are many forms of Hinduism, each with its own deities and beliefs. The main yearly holidays of the Ghatwar people are Holi, the festival of colors and the start of spring, Diwali, the festival of lights, Navratri, the celebration of autumn and Rama Navami, Rama's birthday. The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories. Dalits and tribal peoples are outside of the caste system. The Ghatwar fit into the working caste.
The Ghatwar Bhuiya people need to accept the abundant life offered only by Jesus Christ. They need to learn new job skills to improve their place in Bangladeshi society. Their children need good schools and teachers. Most of all the Ghatwar must hear and understand the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. He alone can forgive their sins and give them the hope of eternal life.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will lead the Ghatwar to seek and find Christ. Pray that gospel recordings and other Christian resources will provide them with the means to begin an unstoppable disciple making movement to Christ. Pray that they will be lifted up in prayer by many in the family of God. Pray that Bangladeshi believers will go the Ghatwar and tell them about Jesus.
Scripture Prayers for the Bhuiya Ghatwar in India.
Profile Source: Keith Carey |
People Name General | Bhuiya Ghatwar |
People Name in Country | Bhuiya Ghatwar |
Natural Name | Ghatwar Bhuiya |
Alternate Names | Ghataur; Ghatwal; भुईया घटवार |
Population this Country | 364,000 |
Population all Countries | 367,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 7 |
People ID | 21122 |
ROP3 Code | 117945 |
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 | 6 | ||||||
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 | 6 |
Jharkhand 256,000 | |
West Bengal 60,000 | |
Bihar 30,000 | |
Odisha 12,000 | |
Tripura 400 | |
Andaman and Nicobar 200 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.05 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.18 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.76 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.01 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Hindi (159,000 speakers) | |||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||
Total Languages | 10 | |||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (159,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 10 |
Secondary Languages | |
Magahi 82,000 | |
Bengali 44,000 | |
Odia 9,800 | |
Powari 3,900 | |
Bhojpuri 3,200 | |
Sadri 700 | |
Angika 600 | |
Maithili 300 | |
Santhali 100 | |
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 (1835-2022) |
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. |