Banijiga in India

Introduction / History

The Lingayat have a subgroup called the Banajiga who live in Karnataka in India. They speak, read and write in Kannada. They live in Belgaum and other regions of Karnataka.

What Are Their Lives Like?

They have cousin marriages and have birth and marriage rituals. The dead are buried in a sitting position, and they have yearly ancestor worship ceremonies.

They work in cultivation, trading and business. Most are vegetarians who each wheat and rice as their staple foods. There are professionals among them such as teachers, doctors and engineers. Their children go to school.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Banijiga people practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They 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 like Christians or Jews. There are other Hindus who are much more philosophical, especially among the Brahmins.

Almost all Hindus participate in yearly celebrations like 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.

What Are Their Needs?

The Banijiga people need to put their trust and identity in the hands of the loving God of creation who sent his son to make it possible for them to enter the Kingdom of God.

Prayer Points

Pray for them to understand and respond to Christ.

Pray God will have mercy on the Banijiga doing whatever it takes to place them in a position to receive him.

Ask God to open the hearts of the Banijiga to the gospel.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.

Text Source:   Joshua Project