The Halwai are a caste of sweet makers and confectioners. The Mairas are a subgroup of the Hawais. The name Halwai comes from the Hindi word "Halwa" which is a sweet. The Halwais are well respected among Hindus. Because of the importance sweets have in the Hindu religion, they have a special position in festivals, childbirths and marriages. The Halwai live mainly in India's northern states, but they also live in both Bangladesh and Nepal.
Like other Halwai communities, the Maira produce and sell sweets. Sometimes they do this in roadside shops, and other times they sell them at special events. They can cater cakes and sweets for weddings and festivals.
Like candy, Hinduism offers what seems like a sweet way to satisfy hunger without including any substance. It is way too easy for the Maira Halwais to be satisfied with what they have, without finding out that only Jesus offers life to the full. Believers who purchase sweets at Maira Halwai shops can give them copies of the JESUS Film as a way to open the door to the gospel.
Maira Halwais need to put their trust and identity in Jesus Christ rather than their caste status. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, including this community.
As far as we know, there are no followers of Christ among the Maira Halwai, so pray that this will be the year when the Lord moves in their community. Pray for the Maira Halwai people to understand and embrace that Jesus wants to bless their families and neighborhoods. Pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done among the Maira Halwai people. Pray for a movement of Jesus to heal and strengthen Maira Halwai communities.
Scripture Prayers for the Halwai Maira in Bangladesh.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Halwai Maira |
People Name in Country | Halwai Maira |
Natural Name | Maira Halwai |
Alternate Names | Kuri; Madak; Mayara; Modak; Modhunapit; हलवाई मैरा |
Population this Country | 12,000 |
Population all Countries | 163,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 21140 |
ROP3 Code | 117962 |
Country | Bangladesh | ||||||
Region | Asia, South | ||||||
Continent | Asia | ||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||||||
National Bible Society | Website | ||||||
Persecution Rank | 30 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||||||
Total States on file | 5 | ||||||
Largest States |
|
Country | Bangladesh |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 30 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 5 |
Rangpur 4,100 | |
Dhaka 4,100 | |
Khulna 3,000 | |
Rajshahi 600 | |
Chittagong 200 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
100.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest Bangladesh census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Bengali (12,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ben Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Bengali (12,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ben Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
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 |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |