The Mallah of Uttar Pradesh usually go by the name of Nishad, which refers to a character from the Hindu myth the Ramayana. Nishad was a boatman in Prayag (Allahabad UP) who ferried Ram, Sita and Laskman across the river. From this tale, the Nishad take pride and consider their occupation as boatmen along the holy Ganges River carrying Hindu devotees as a high calling or holy occupation. They take pride in their heritage, even though they are considered a backward caste. They live along the major waterways of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
They are poor and mostly illiterate. They are involved in boating and some fishing and sometimes in farming. They are strict about marrying within their own caste. The women are not often seen in public, although at times in Hindu pilgrimage areas such as Allahabad or Benares, you will see children and women of this caste selling flowers and incense for river worship purposes.
They are Hindus. As a general rule, Hindus worship the gods they believe are most likely to benefit them. For example, a boatman will worship the god whom he believes will provide safety.
They have needs for better education and medical care.
Pray for a breakthrough of the gospel in their communities that will lead to spiritual and social blessings. Pray for new, inventive, powerful outreaches to these people. Pray for gospel presentations through song and drama. Pray for spiritual openness to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Scripture Prayers for the Mallah Kewat (Hindu traditions) in India.
Profile Source: Keith Carey |
People Name General | Mallah Kewat (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Mallah Kewat (Hindu traditions) |
Alternate Names | मल्लाह केवट (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 358,000 |
Population all Countries | 366,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 7 |
People ID | 21346 |
ROP3 Code | 118172 |
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 | 9 | |||||||||
Largest States |
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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 | 9 |
Uttar Pradesh 193,000 | |
Bihar 127,000 | |
Delhi 15,000 | |
West Bengal 6,900 | |
Jharkhand 6,400 | |
Madhya Pradesh 1,600 | |
Maharashtra 1,200 | |
Uttarakhand 100 | |
Tripura 100 | |
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 (193,000 speakers) | ||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | ||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||||||||
Total Languages | 13 | ||||||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (193,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 13 |
Secondary Languages | |
Bhojpuri 82,000 | |
Maithili 10,000 | |
Bengali 5,800 | |
Bagheli 3,600 | |
Magahi 1,000 | |
Awadhi 800 | |
Bundeli 600 | |
Angika 500 | |
Kanauji 500 | |
Chhattisgarhi 300 | |
Marathi 100 | |
Haryanvi 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 (1818-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
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Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
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. |