Their name is Mahajan, a Bania subgroup of north India, meaning "great people." Maha means "great" and jan means "people." Most of the 322,000 Mahajans come from present-day Rajasthan. Historically, they are a people who fled into the foothills of the Himalayas during the Mogul Era to escape from cruel Islamic rulers. Most Mahajans today speak Hindi, but Marathi, Punjabi, and Dogri are also spoken among them.

Though they are most commonly found in Rajasthan, Mahajans live throughout India.

The name Mahajan is found among castes outside the Bania fold. In some states Mahajan is not used as a family name, but as a title. For others, Mahajan means "elder." In all cases, high status and often high caste comes with the Mahajan name.
An economically and socially powerful people, they are highly respected by Hindu society. In the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Maharashtra, Mahajans work as landlords, traders, and businessmen. Ironically, few Mahajans are involved in money lending, a primary job of Banias.

* Scripture Prayers for the Bania Mahajan in Sri Lanka.

* Ask the heavenly Father to connect the Hindu Mahajans with Christ followers.
* Pray that they will realize that their power and prestige can only bring peace and joy if they have a personal relationship with their real Creator, the one true living God.
* Pray that they would have a desire to serve and respect Him as Lord of their lives and of their business practices.

Some information from "The Scheduled Castes" K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)