Thakuria in India

Introduction / History

The Thakuria claim they are the ancestors of the great emperor Aurangzeb's army of the 1600s. They claim to be descendants of the Rajput people of Rajasthan. They get their name from the Sanskrit term thakkura which means idol or deity. It is a general honorific title used by nobles. The Thakuria are a small community found in districts of south-central Nepal and mainly Bihar, India.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Thakuria have traditionally been landowners and have been known to manage property. They are 100% Muslim and hold to the traditions of the Sunni sect. They speak mainly Nepali in Nepal and Urdu in India. They practice the chhatti birth ceremony on the sixth day of the child and shadi marriage rituals. They eat meat and wheat is a staple grain for them.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The people are Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.

What Are Their Needs?

The Thakuria people need to put their hope in the King of kings, realizing that he is the one who gives them worth and dignity.

Prayer Points

Pray that the Lord will give the Muslim Thakuria the humility they need to receive the abundant life they were meant to have.
Pray for spiritual hunger and discernment among the Thakuria people.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out loving workers to this Muslim community.

Text Source:   Joshua Project