Kamar 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.

Subgroups: 1

Subgroup Name Population
Chaupua Unknown

Introduction / History

The Kamar people traditionally were either blacksmiths or foot soldiers. They would forge iron farm tools, sell them and repair them. The Kamar people are among what the Indian government calls the "scheduled tribes. " Because scheduled tribes are underdeveloped economically, the Indian government has attempted to bring them into the mainstream of political and economic life. The tribes were "scheduled" for special treatment and privileges.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the Kamar earn their income by making bamboo items, which they sell and trade in the weekly markets. Many engage in basketry throughout the entire year, and they are well known for this skill. Their fine bamboo baskets can be traded for goods such as rice, tea and liquor. Farming is the secondary occupation of the Kamar, followed closely by hunting and fishing. Recently, many Kamar have become workers in large scale industries near their homes. They may supplement their incomes by collecting forest products, especially certain types of leaves, which they sell to contractors. The women do much of the strenuous work in the fields and forests. Many of the smaller Kamar villages consist of settled farmers, but all Kamar believe that it was their destiny to practice the slash and burn method of agriculture. Even those who work on permanent plots burn off the land and practice crop rotation. The fields are worked with pick axes and spades, and they use iron sickles to harvest their crops. The Kamar are dispersed in villages, which are generally mixed with other tribal communities. The settlements consist of scattered huts with no definite pattern. They locate their larger villages near the foothills or deep in the forests, and the smaller settlements are along roadsides. The Kamar typically live in two-room mud huts. One of the rooms is for storage and for the household god. Their houses are very neat and clean. They keep various kinds of fishing traps in their homes since they love to fish. Many have a shed for socializing. Most houses also have a bari, or small vegetable garden, which is an important factor in their survival. The Kamar tribe is divided into several clans, or gots. The gots are endogamous, meaning they only marry within their own clan. They prefer cross cousin marriages, and males initiate the marriage negotiations.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Kamar are ethnic religionists who have been heavily influenced by Hinduism. Each home has a family god in the form of iron chains decorated with peacock feathers. The Pujari (priest) offers goat sacrifices to the local gods and deities on ceremonial occasions. The villagers believe that punishments for evil behavior such as incest, are carried out supernaturally by the gods.


What Are Their Needs?

Like other scheduled tribes in India, the Kamars need to put their identity in Jesus Christ. They need to find their worth in being part of God's family, not in the status that others give them.


Prayer Points

Pray for gospel workers to catch a vision for reaching the Kamar people for Jesus and that in God's sovereign timing their hearts would be open and ready to follow him. Pray for Jesus movements to bless extended families so the gospel will spread rapidly among this people group. Pray for the lives and culture of the Kamar people to evidence the rule and reign of the Kingdom of God as they open to the gospel, and for the beauty of Jesus to be seen in them. Pray for the spiritual lives of the Kamar people to become fruitful as they follow Christ.


Scripture Prayers for the Kamar in India.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Kamar
People Name in Country Kamar
Alternate Names Barhai; Karmakar; कमर
Population this Country 32,000
Population all Countries 34,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 17066
ROP3 Code 112404
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 11
Largest States
Chhattisgarh
27,000
Maharashtra
1,800
Madhya Pradesh
1,100
Jharkhand
600
West Bengal
500
Uttar Pradesh
300
Karnataka
200
Tripura
80
Odisha
80
Gujarat
70
Punjab
30
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 11
  Chhattisgarh 27,000
  Maharashtra 1,800
  Madhya Pradesh 1,100
  Jharkhand 600
  West Bengal 500
  Uttar Pradesh 300
  Karnataka 200
  Tripura 80
  Odisha 80
  Gujarat 70
  Punjab 30
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.08 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.04 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
98.64 %
Islam
0.44 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.12 %
Unknown
0.67 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Kamar (14,000 speakers)
Language Code keq   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 20
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Chhattisgarhi
6,400
Hindi
4,500
Marathi
1,200
Bengali
1,000
Odia
600
Telugu
400
Gujarati
200
Gondi, Northern
200
Kannada
80
Mal Paharia
60
Halbi
60
Korwa
20
Punjabi, Eastern
10
Khandesi
10
Zo
10
Primary Language Kamar (14,000 speakers)
Language Code keq   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 20
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Chhattisgarhi 6,400
  Hindi 4,500
  Marathi 1,200
  Bengali 1,000
  Odia 600
  Telugu 400
  Gujarati 200
  Gondi, Northern 200
  Kannada 80
  Mal Paharia 60
  Halbi 60
  Korwa 20
  Punjabi, Eastern 10
  Khandesi 10
  Zo 10
People Groups Speaking Kamar

Primary Language:  Kamar

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Photo Source Anonymous 
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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