Lohar (Muslim traditions) 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

Lohar people of India are nomadic smiths who travel in to sell their goods. They are descendants of high-caste weapon makers of the Mewar Kingdom in India. Unfortunately, they became poor nomads when the kingdom fell in 1568, and they remain poor today.

Muslim Lohars live in the northern and western states of India. They also live in Pakistan.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the Lohars are blacksmiths and have been practicing their trade for as long as they can remember. The Hindus among them have an elaborate mythology of their origin, and they observe the traditional Hindu festivals and cultural practices. The Muslim Lohars often face persecution because they are the minority group. Both groups need to know Jesus, the Savior. Like all people groups, there are Lohar people with leadership skills who can direct their people to the Savior, if only they would hear of Him and respond to His offer of salvation and love.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Muslim Lohar people are part of the Sunni branch of Islam. They believe the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.

The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.

Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.

In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.


What Are Their Needs?

Like people everywhere, Muslim Lohar people need to allow the loving savior to direct their lives. They need his forgiveness for sin.


Prayer Points

Pray that the Lord will make himself known to the Muslim Lohar people, and that they will be open when they hear the truth about Jesus being the only way to the father.

Pray that God will lead his envoys to those whose hearts have been prepared to receive his word.

Pray that the Lohar people, be they Muslim or Hindu, will be ready to repent before a holy God.


Scripture Prayers for the Lohar (Muslim traditions) in India.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Lohar (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Lohar (Muslim traditions)
Pronunciation LOW-har
Alternate Names Battarha; Dodai; Dodo; Kamar; Kumhar; Lohandia; Loharia; Lonar; Luhar; Luharani; Mistri; Nar; Panchal; Raj; Raj Mistri; Ramgarhia; Sandhan; Sejwani; Silpkar; Sri Panchal; Thawai; Viswabrahma; Viswakarma; लोहार (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 703,000
Population all Countries 3,015,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 14
PeopleID3 17609
ROP3 Code 113040
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 16
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Uttar Pradesh
545,000
Gujarat
35,000
Madhya Pradesh
27,000
Haryana
25,000
Bihar
20,000
Uttarakhand
16,000
Rajasthan
16,000
Jammu and Kashmir
8,100
Punjab
5,400
Maharashtra
2,400
Himachal Pradesh
1,300
West Bengal
700
Karnataka
600
Chandigarh
200
Jharkhand
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 16
  Uttar Pradesh 545,000
  Gujarat 35,000
  Madhya Pradesh 27,000
  Haryana 25,000
  Bihar 20,000
  Uttarakhand 16,000
  Rajasthan 16,000
  Jammu and Kashmir 8,100
  Punjab 5,400
  Maharashtra 2,400
  Himachal Pradesh 1,300
  West Bengal 700
  Karnataka 600
  Chandigarh 200
  Jharkhand 30
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Urdu (286,000 speakers)
Language Code urd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 31
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Hindi
270,000
Kacchi
18,000
Gujarati
9,400
Punjabi, Eastern
7,100
Kashmiri
3,700
Bhojpuri
3,100
Wagdi
2,000
Maithili
1,700
Garhwali
1,200
Malvi
1,000
Bengali
900
Marwari (India)
800
Angika
800
Braj Bhasha
500
Dogri
400
Primary Language Urdu (286,000 speakers)
Language Code urd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 31
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Hindi 270,000
  Kacchi 18,000
  Gujarati 9,400
  Punjabi, Eastern 7,100
  Kashmiri 3,700
  Bhojpuri 3,100
  Wagdi 2,000
  Maithili 1,700
  Garhwali 1,200
  Malvi 1,000
  Bengali 900
  Marwari (India) 800
  Angika 800
  Braj Bhasha 500
  Dogri 400
People Groups Speaking Urdu

Primary Language:  Urdu

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1747-1894)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1758-2000)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1843-2022)
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 Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Film / Video God's Love Story General / Other
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Urdu Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rock International: King of Glory Rock International
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
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 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 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 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 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 Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
General Walk with the Prophets and meet the Messiah Al Massira
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: Kitab e Muqaddas Urdu General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Urdu YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Urdu Bible Biblica
Mobile App Android Bible App: Urdu Devnagri Bible (उर्दू बाइबिल) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Urdu Injeel Sharif General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Urdu Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Ek Rasta Urdu General / Other
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Urdu YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Urdu Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Gurdeepdali - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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