Holar in India

Introduction / History

It's too bad that the Holar people did not meet the famous Protestant missionary, William Carey. They are leather shoe repairers (then called cobblers) just as he was! Because they engage in leatherwork, they are sometimes confused with the much more numerous Chamars.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Some of the Holar people make their living by playing music at social functions. This gives them contact with many other communities in western India.

The Holar people prefer to marry cousins on their mother's side, and families arrange their marriages. They allow for divorce, but the caste panchayat council helps to minimize the number of divorces by intervening in difficult situations. Many of the Holar people live in join families though a few of them prefer nuclear families.

Because of their low status (anything having to do with dead animals is considered degrading in Hindu cultures) the Holar people have protected themselves by forming their own caste association, the Maharashtra Holar Samaj Sanghat Mumbai. This organization helps them look after their own community development needs. This caste has a low literacy rate, and most of their children do not get beyond elementary education. This keeps them from advancing in India's rapidly changing economy.

What Are Their Needs?

They need the Holy Spirit to empower them to open their eyes and see Jesus.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to raise up believers to help the Holar people get the education they need.

Pray for them to have access to the many Christian resources in the Marathi language.

Pray for Holar disciples to make other disciples, blessing their families and villages in the process.

Text Source:   Joshua Project