Vaddar (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan


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

For most of their history the Vaddar (aka Bovi or Od) people wandered the subcontinent looking for jobs to support their families. The word Bhovi means "earth-digger". During the Partition of 1947, the Muslim Vaddars tended to move to Pakistan while the Hindu Vaddars went to live in India. The large majority of the Vaddars (aka Bhovi or Od) are Hindus but there are also a sizable number of Muslims and a small group of Sikhs.


Where Are they Located?

The Vaddar people live throughout the nation of Pakistan but mostly reside in the south of the country. The most Muslim Vaddars of Pakistan live in the states of Punjab and Sindh.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The traditional occupations of the Vaddars have been as stonecutters, diggers of wells and canals and as transporters of earth and stones. Many Vaddars now have settled in villages and work as farm laborers on others' land. Only about 50% of the Vaddars can read and write. The primary language of the Muslim Vaddars in Pakistan is Oadki (aka Odki). Many also speak Punjabi and Urdu, which allow them to speak with others outside their group.

The Vaddars of Pakistan are endogamous, that is they marry within their own community. The Vaddar women have a role in the economic, social and religious spheres of their community and contribute to the family income. Caste councils promote their interests and settle legal disputes.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Though the Vaddar people of Pakistan are Muslims, they retain certain aspects of the Hindu worldview such as belief in evil spirits. The Vaddar people in Pakistan are Sunni, the largest branch of Islam. They attempt to obey the teachings of the Koran and the prophet Mohammad. They believe that by following the Five Pillars of Islam that they will attain heaven when they die. Sunnis pray five times a day facing Mecca. They fast the month of Ramadan. They attend mosque services on Friday. If a Muslim has the means, he or she will make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in his or her lifetime.

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. Presently there are no known believers among the Vaddars of Pakistan.


What Are Their Needs?

The Muslim Vaddars need to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ in a way they can understand. The Vaddars need help in educating their children and learning new job skills. They need the benefits of modern medicine. They need to see the love of Christ lived out before them in practical ways.

A few Vaddar (Bovi, Od) indicated interest in becoming Christ-followers in the 1970s but it is unknown what has happened to them due to persecution.


Prayer Points

Pray for Holy Spirit to send anointed believers to serve among the Vaddars.
Pray for a movement in which the Holy Spirit leads and empowers Vaddar disciples to make more disciples.
Pray for a spiritual hunger for the truth and Word of God among the Vaddar.
Pray for a "book of Acts" type of movement among Pakistan's Vaddar community.


Scripture Prayers for the Vaddar (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waddar_language
http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/Vaddar-People2/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Digambar_Ghodke/publication/311922163_Language_and_Culture_of_the_Waddar_Community_in_Maharashtra/links/58628b2108aebf17d39556c2/Language-and-Culture-of-the-Waddar-Community-in-Maharashtra.pdf
https://www.prayway.com/unreached/peoplegroups4/732.html


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Vaddar (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Vaddar (Muslim traditions)
Pronunciation wah-DAR
Alternate Names Beldar Rajput; Bhovi; Bovi; Nungar; Od; Odde; Odh; Odhar; Orh; Othar; Udhano; Vadar; Vadi; Waddar; Wadde; Wadi; Warar; Wirar; वादडर (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 127,000
Population all Countries 132,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 3
PeopleID3 17721
ROP3 Code 113171
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 4
Largest States
Punjab
102,000
Sindh
25,000
Islamabad
100
Balochistan
70
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 4
  Punjab 102,000
  Sindh 25,000
  Islamabad 100
  Balochistan 70
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 Pakistan census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Oadki (39,000 speakers)
Language Code odk   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
Saraiki
32,000
Punjabi, Western
31,000
Sindhi
12,000
Urdu
9,900
Marwari (Pakistan)
2,100
Dhatki
800
Bagri
100
Primary Language Oadki (39,000 speakers)
Language Code odk   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
  Saraiki 32,000
  Punjabi, Western 31,000
  Sindhi 12,000
  Urdu 9,900
  Marwari (Pakistan) 2,100
  Dhatki 800
  Bagri 100
People Groups Speaking Oadki

Primary Language:  Oadki

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1972-1983)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (2023-2024)
Bible-Complete No
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
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Oadki Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
General Bible and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Oadki YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Oadki YouVersion Bibles
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Copyrighted © 2024  OmMishra - Shutterstock  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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