Halwai people of India are a caste of sweet makers and confectioners. The name Halwai comes from the Hindi word "Halwa" which is a sweet.
Many Halwai people live in Uttar Pradesh, Madya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
They are viewed with respect. Because of the importance sweets have in religion and socially, they have a special position in festivals, childbirths and marriages.
Sweet shops of Halwai grace towns and bazaars in north India. Some Halwai people are involved government, private work, engineering, medical, and agriculture. Their common language is Hindi.
They are mainly vegetarians, eating wheat, rice, fruit and vegetables. In Bihar, Halwai people eat chicken and mutton, but not beef. They enjoy milk and dairy produce, but not alcohol.
Halwai do not marry outside of their respective groups. They have one spouse. Divorce is permitted, and divorcees, and bereaved are permitted to remarry, and they practivce the tradition of dowry. They practice family planning and modern medicine.
They educate both boys and girls, which is unusual in India. Property is equally given to the sons. The oldest son becomes the leader in the home. Younger men often move away to begin businesses.
Most Halwai people are comfortable financially, and some are wealthy particularly in the cities and towns.
Halwai people are mostly Hindu. A Brahmin priest conducts birth, marriage and death ceremonies. The dead are cremated and the ashes immersed in a river, usually the Ganges. Post delivery child birth pollution and death pollution are observed for a given period of time They observe many pilgrimages and festivals.
They need to realize that Halwai wealth is temporary but Salvation through Jesus Christ is permanent.
Modernization is breaking down family units which have been the glue to society for many generations, and loneliness is increasingly a problem. They are expected to "achieve it all," but ironically, achieving it all can be empty.
Pray for Christ to reveal Himself to Halwai leaders.
Pray for the eyes of hearts to be open to Jesus Christ as Lord and King.
Pray for a disciple making movement to emerge among every Halwi community.
Pray for many to be prompted to faithfully pray for Halwai.
Scripture Prayers for the Halwai (Hindu traditions) in India.
www.peoplegroupsindia.com/profiles/halwai/
Profile Source: Karen Hightower |
Other PDF Profile |
Global Prayer Digest: 2009-08-24 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2016-09-23 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-04-21 |
People Name General | Halwai (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Halwai (Hindu traditions) |
Pronunciation |
hahl-WYE
|
Alternate Names | Bhanti; Haluwai; Halwai; Madak; Maira; Mayara; Mehtar; Methaiwale; Modak; Modhunapit; हलवाई (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 1,678,000 |
Population all Countries | 1,839,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 2 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 34 |
People ID | 16905 |
ROP3 Code | 112199 |
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) |
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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 |
Bihar 626,000 | |
West Bengal 501,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 365,000 | |
Jharkhand 129,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 6,900 | |
Odisha 6,500 | |
Chhattisgarh 5,700 | |
Maharashtra 4,000 | |
Uttarakhand 2,100 | |
Andaman and Nicobar 1,600 | |
Delhi 1,600 | |
Meghalaya 1,000 | |
Tripura 800 | |
Nagaland 500 | |
Mizoram 200 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
100.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Hindi (710,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 20 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
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Primary Language | Hindi (710,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 20 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Bengali 386,000 | |
Maithili 113,000 | |
Bhojpuri 86,000 | |
Awadhi 51,000 | |
Magahi 24,000 | |
Kanauji 11,000 | |
Angika 7,000 | |
Odia 3,900 | |
Chhattisgarhi 3,000 | |
Bagheli 2,700 | |
Bundeli 900 | |
Marathi 400 | |
Garhwali 200 | |
Andaman Hindi Creole 200 | |
Nimadi 100 | |
People Groups | Speaking Hindi |
Primary Language: Hindi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1806-1962) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1811-1998) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1835-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Bible-NT Text | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
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Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source |
(Representative photo) Rajesh Dangi - Wikipedia Creative Commons |
Map Source | People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Karen Hightower |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |