Baiga in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

Baiga is a subgroup of the Romani. Baiga means "sorcerer-medicine man." Many Baiga believe they are descendants of the Rajputs of medieval India who were expelled from their homeland by Muslim invaders. They became grain-carriers and weapon-makers for Muslim troops. Others wandered throughout India and beyond, as a destitute, ignored, and misunderstood people. Their only valuables were the tools they used in professions, such as masonry and blacksmithing.


No matter where they live throughout the world, Romani subgroups are linked linguistically. All Romani languages belong to the North Indo-Aryan language family. When the Romani began traveling from India to different regions of Europe hundreds of years ago, they developed different dialects.


The largest group of Romani remaining in India is the Lambadi (or Gormati). Other groups include the Tamil nomads, the Indian Romani, the Kanjari, and the Baiga. India's Baiga live in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, with a small number living in neighboring Bangladesh.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Baigas often practice live-in relationships rather than formal marriages. A man who marries a woman must pay her family for losing her labor.


The Baiga are noted for their relationship with the forest and their ability to gather forest produce, wood and other goods to sell. Some specialize in making broomsticks, iron tools and needles. Others have developed the art of tattooing. Baiga women are known for their tattoos. Baiga women love tattoos; early in life, they tattoo their foreheads, and as the years pass, they sometimes tattoo their entire bodies. Tattoos are for cosmetic purposes. Baiga women also love the idea of a tattoo's permanence.


A Baiga will only settle down when he cannot adapt to the needs of the region. Those who farm are reluctant to continue harvesting from the same land year after year. They believe this would scratch the breast of mother earth and eventually weaken her. Baiga people believe babies must be born "into the lap of mother earth." For this reason, a woman will have her baby while lying on a rug on the ground.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Baiga are Hindu, but they have combined Hindu practices with their own beliefs. Baigas follow folk beliefs and mix them with taboos. One taboo among the Hindu Baiga is that a woman's hair must not be combed or let down long in the presence of men. Another is that a woman should not pass in front of a man who is sitting but behind him.


What Are Their Needs?

Many live in poverty. Usually, the only clothes a Baiga owns are the ones on his or her back. An unsanitary lifestyle has created many physical needs among them. The quality of health care, nutrition and education is poor. Most children do not attend school. They need adequate educational opportunities to raise their standard of living. For this reason, the state of Chhattisgarh considers the Baiga a vulnerable tribe, partly because of their low literacy rate.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Baiga culture to be renewed and enhanced by a work of the Holy Spirit and shaped into a God-centered and God-honoring mold.


Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among Baiga family and community leaders in India to seek his face and enjoy his blessings.


Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers who will be compelled to nurture a movement to Christ among the Baiga people in India.


Pray that their dire conditions will soon lead the Baiga to seek the One True God who yearns to give them the peace and joy of the Lord.


Scripture Prayers for the Baiga in India.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Baiga
People Name in Country Baiga
Alternate Names Baidguar; Baigani; Panda; बैगा
Population this Country 646,000
Population all Countries 651,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 2  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 13
PeopleID3 16296
ROP3 Code 111422
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 12
Largest States
Madhya Pradesh
467,000
Chhattisgarh
104,000
Uttar Pradesh
53,000
West Bengal
15,000
Jharkhand
4,000
Maharashtra
600
Bihar
600
Odisha
500
Uttarakhand
200
Sikkim
80
Assam
20
Andhra Pradesh
10
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 12
  Madhya Pradesh 467,000
  Chhattisgarh 104,000
  Uttar Pradesh 53,000
  West Bengal 15,000
  Jharkhand 4,000
  Maharashtra 600
  Bihar 600
  Odisha 500
  Uttarakhand 200
  Sikkim 80
  Assam 20
  Andhra Pradesh 10
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.01 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.23 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
96.91 %
Islam
0.21 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.02 %
Unknown
2.63 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Hindi (450,000 speakers)
Language Code hin   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 42
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Chhattisgarhi
69,000
Bengali
13,000
Bagheli
13,000
Gondi, Northern
9,400
Bhili
4,800
Bhojpuri
3,300
Kanauji
3,200
Maithili
1,000
Magahi
800
Sadri
600
Odia
400
Marathi
300
Kudmali
300
Bundeli
100
Gujarati
90
Primary Language Hindi (450,000 speakers)
Language Code hin   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 42
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Chhattisgarhi 69,000
  Bengali 13,000
  Bagheli 13,000
  Gondi, Northern 9,400
  Bhili 4,800
  Bhojpuri 3,300
  Kanauji 3,200
  Maithili 1,000
  Magahi 800
  Sadri 600
  Odia 400
  Marathi 300
  Kudmali 300
  Bundeli 100
  Gujarati 90
People Groups Speaking Hindi

Primary Language:  Hindi

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
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Bible-New Testament Yes  (1811-1998)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1818-2022)
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Photo Source Simon Williams / Ekta Parishad - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
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.


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