The word Mehtar means prince or leader. The Mehtar are a Scheduled Caste. Their traditional work is scavenging and sweeping. Many of them still do this kind of work. In Andhra Pradesh the Mehtar speak Hindi and Telugu. In Karnataka the Mehtar speak Hindi and Kannada. In Bihar they speak Hindi and Angika.
Many are still sweepers or scavengers, two of the least prestigious occupations in the Hindu world. Some of them work for the government. Though their education level is improving it is still low. They often marry their cousins.
These people practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods like Christians or Jews. There are other Hindus who are much more philosophical, especially among the Brahmins.
The Mehtar people need the opportunity to be reconciled to Almighty God.
Pray for spiritual discernment and a hunger for truth that will lead them to Jesus. Pray for workers to go to them. Pray for a powerful disciple making movement among this community. Pray that gospel recordings will lead them to salvation.
Scripture Prayers for the Valmiki Mehtar in India.
Profile Source: Keith Carey |
People Name General | Valmiki Mehtar |
People Name in Country | Valmiki Mehtar |
Natural Name | Mehtar Valmiki |
Alternate Names | Halalkhor; Malkana; Malkana Mehtar; Mehtar; Melkana Mehtar; Olgana; Rukhi |
Population this Country | 151,000 |
Population all Countries | 151,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 3 |
People ID | 21471 |
ROP3 Code | 118287 |
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 | 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 | 14 |
Gujarat 29,000 | |
Maharashtra 28,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 26,000 | |
Rajasthan 19,000 | |
Bihar 11,000 | |
Assam 10,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 7,200 | |
Chhattisgarh 5,300 | |
Uttarakhand 4,900 | |
Jharkhand 2,900 | |
Odisha 2,900 | |
Meghalaya 600 | |
Karnataka 500 | |
Telangana 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 (69,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 30 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
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Primary Language | Hindi (69,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 30 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Gujarati 19,000 | |
Marathi 8,100 | |
Assamese 6,100 | |
Marwari 4,900 | |
Dhundari 3,300 | |
Chhattisgarhi 2,800 | |
Odia 2,500 | |
Bengali 2,300 | |
Malvi 1,000 | |
Shekhawati 900 | |
Maithili 800 | |
Kumaoni 700 | |
Garhwali 700 | |
Konkani 600 | |
Bhojpuri 600 | |
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. |