Haryanvi Caste Hindus indigineous church, with the exception of a few lower Pahari Panjabi caste groups (Dalits), among Nepali Haryanvi which several hundred fel- Rajasthani Hindi lowships have been estab- lished. Unfortunately, this response among the Dalits has only further served to alienate the upper caste Quick Facts majority peoples. There Population: 14,000,000 Indigenous Church Development Stage have been recent attempts Major Subgroups: 1 2 3 4 5 to reach the Jat, which make Jat- 3,700,000 up around one fourth of Chamar- 2,000,000 Classes A, B, C Ratio of non-Christians the Haryanvi population. Brahman- 1,500,000 for every 1 Christian However, the response has Rajput- 1,400,000 1 B-4% been limited, partially due Religion: Hindu 1,400 Believers: 0.07% A-<1% to the fact that the mission- Scriptures: Portions C-95% aries are mostly Dalits from Ministry Tools: JG South India. C Status: 3 M Status: 2 Class A- Are members of a Culturally Relevant Church MS Subgroups: 40+ Class B- Have close accss to a CRC, but have not yet joined How to Pray: Class C- Have no reasonable or close access to a CRC Pray for an effective wit- ness among the Haryanvi Identity: Over 40 Hindu peoples use imbalance of male to female ratios (11 upper castes that will bring the Haryanvi language as their mother- to 9 ratio) due to the selective abortions the gospel to these peoples tongue. They are the majority group of female babies. As a result, there is in ways that are sensitive and in the state of Haryana, with minority now a shortage of available brides, lead- relevant to their culture. populations in Punjab and Karanataka. ing to a growing trend of “purchasing” There is a high percentage of “Forward brides from neighboring states. The Bible has yet to be Castes” among them (47% as com- translated in this major lan- pared to 15% in India as a whole). Religion: The name Haryana literally guage. Pray for the immedi- Haryanvi is a Indo-Aryan language means “The Abode of God” and refers ate addressing of this need closely related to Hindi and Urdu. to Vishnu (Hari is another name for by global mission agencies. Vishnu, and in Sanskrit relates to the Lifestyle: The Haryanvis were major color of the Sun, signfiying his role as There is a radical Hindu contributors to the “green revolution” the supreme deity in their pantheon). movement emerging in in India during the 1970s, which The majority of Haryanvi Hindu tem- Haryana which is hostile to aimed at making the nation agricul- ples are dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Christianity, and seeking to turally self-sufficient. Even today, Incarnations of Vishnu known as avatars restrict its spread among the the farming sector remains the most are also worshipped, such as Rama and Dalits. Ask God to intervene significant industry in Haryana. The Narayan, which are essentially historical supernaturally in this situa- major crops are wheat and rice, as (or legendary) persons who have been tion that the gospel would well as cotton, oilseeds and sugarcane. deified. Haryanvi Hindus once prided continue to advance among Haryanvis are also famous for their themselves on their strict vegeterianism, all segments of society. dairy industry, which includes a special though the latest generation is quickly breed of water buffalo (Murrah). abandoning this tradition. Every year 125,000 Marathi Muslims die Customs: Christian Outreach: Haryanvi Hindus value boys Almost all of without Christ. over girls and this has resulted in an the Haryanvi peoples are without an Haryanvi Caste Hindus 79.