Bawaria (Sikh traditions) in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Other / Small (Sikhism)
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

The Sikh Bawaria or Bawariya are a people who live across north and central India. There are also Hindus and Muslims in this people. Their name comes from the word for "net or noose" in Hindi. According to Bawaria legends, they were Rajputs or nobles before the coming of the Moghuls. The Muslims defeated them and they were banished to the forests where they became hunters, trappers and gatherers.

Now the Bawaria are viewed as outcastes by Indian society. They are considered a Scheduled caste in which they are eligible for special public jobs and extra university admissions.

Today most Sikh Bawaria are employed in agriculture. They cultivate land owned by higher castes. They grow wheat, millet, vegetables, fruit and sugarcane. Many Bawaria are illiterate. Some educated Bawaria work as administrators, teachers, attorneys and businessmen. The primary language of the Sikh Bawaria is Eastern Punjabi. Many also speak Hindi.

A high percentage of the Sikh Bawaria live in the Indian state of Punjab. Smaller groups live in other states across the nation of India.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Some Bawaria live a seminomadic lifestyle. They harvest products and animals from a forest and move on to another place.

A Sikh Bawaria may choose to eat meat or not to eat meat. At Sikh temples only dairy products and plant based foods are served.

The Sikh Bawaria marry only within their group but they will not marry someone in their particular clan or family. Bawaria may live in multi-caste villages where they will live in their own section.

A caste council promotes their interests and settles legal disputes among Bawaria.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Guru Nanak Dev who lived in the 15th century was the originator of Sikhism. He rejected the Hindu caste system, taught all people were equal and that all have equal access to God. The Sikh God is formless, without gender and to be found in everyone. One gets closer to God by living a good life and by practicing charity. Like Hindus, Sikhs believe in reincarnation and the law of karma, you reap what you sow in your previous life. Sikhs have a reputation of being some of the finest soldiers in the Indian army. A Sikh is not allowed to use alcohol, illegal drugs or tobacco.

A Sikh man may be recognized by his turban. All the Sikh gurus wore turbans. Sikh teaching mandates that a person not cut his or her hair and wear a ceremonial dagger at all times.


What Are Their Needs?

The Sikh Bawaria must come to see that the true God is found in Jesus Christ and the Bible not in the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev. The Bawaria need to see Christ lived out before them in practical ways. They would benefit by workers coming to them to help their children learn how to read and write. Since some of the Bawaria are illiterate, the gospel will have to be presented to them in oral form.


Prayer Points

Pray that God creates a hunger for the Word of God among the Bawaria.
Pray the Lord will start a movement of Sikh Bawaria families experiencing God's blessings.
Ask God to deliver families and communities within the Bawaria people from fears that hinder them from embracing his blessings.


Scripture Prayers for the Bawaria (Sikh traditions) in India.


References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bawariya
religioustolerance.org/sikhism2.htm


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Bawaria (Sikh traditions)
People Name in Country Bawaria (Sikh traditions)
Pronunciation bah-wah-ree-AH
Alternate Names Bauria; Bhatti; Naribut; बावारिया (सिख ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 122,000
Population all Countries 122,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 2
PeopleID3 16348
ROP3 Code 111485
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 20
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Punjab
113,000
Haryana
5,100
Maharashtra
1,200
Madhya Pradesh
600
Jammu and Kashmir
600
Jharkhand
400
Uttarakhand
300
West Bengal
300
Rajasthan
300
Chhattisgarh
200
Gujarat
200
Odisha
100
Uttar Pradesh
90
Bihar
70
Tamil Nadu
60
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 20
  Punjab 113,000
  Haryana 5,100
  Maharashtra 1,200
  Madhya Pradesh 600
  Jammu and Kashmir 600
  Jharkhand 400
  Uttarakhand 300
  West Bengal 300
  Rajasthan 300
  Chhattisgarh 200
  Gujarat 200
  Odisha 100
  Uttar Pradesh 90
  Bihar 70
  Tamil Nadu 60
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Other / Small (Sikhism)
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.01 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
99.99 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Punjabi, Eastern (79,000 speakers)
Language Code pan   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 9
Secondary Languages
Hindi
18,000
Bauria
1,800
Haryanvi
400
Dogri
300
Wagdi
50
Bengali
40
Garhwali
40
Chhattisgarhi
20
Primary Language Punjabi, Eastern (79,000 speakers)
Language Code pan   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 9
Secondary Languages
  Hindi 18,000
  Bauria 1,800
  Haryanvi 400
  Dogri 300
  Wagdi 50
  Bengali 40
  Garhwali 40
  Chhattisgarhi 20
People Groups Speaking Punjabi, Eastern

Primary Language:  Punjabi, Eastern

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1818-1954)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1815-2011)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1959-2021)
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
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings DAVAR Partners recording, complete Bible DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Punjabi, Eastern Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible App: Punjabi Bible (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬਾਈਬਲ) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Punjabi, Eastern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Punjabi Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Open Bible Stories (Punjabi) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Punjabi, Eastern YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Punjabi Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Download scripture in this language eBible.org
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Punjabi, Eastern Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Dimitris Vetsikas - Pixabay 
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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