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Prayer Profile
The Gaddi of India
The
Gaddi,
also
known as the Pahari Bharmauri, live in northern and central India
in the states of Himachal, Jammu &
Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab.
In Punjab, they were once a scheduled tribe.
However, because of their economic growth, they are no longer listed as
one of
the scheduled tribes in Punjab.
The Constitution of India, Article 366
(25) defines
Scheduled Tribes as "such tribes or tribal communities or part of or
groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under
Article 342
to the scheduled Tribes (STs) for the purposes of this Constitution".
In
Article 342, the procedure to be followed for specification of a
scheduled
tribe is prescribed. The criterion for the specification of any
community as
scheduled tribe is based on attributes such as:
• Geographical isolation - they live
in cloistered,
exclusive, remote and inhospitable areas such as hills and forests.
• Backwardness - their livelihood is
based on primitive
agriculture, a low-value closed economy with a low level of technology
that
leads to their poverty. They have low levels of
literacy and health.
• Distinctive culture, language and
religion -
communities have developed their own distinctive culture, language and
religion.
• Shyness of contact – they have a
marginal degree of
contact with other cultures and people.
In
the
states
of Himachal and Jammu & Kashmir they are still listed as
Scheduled
Tribes. Tradition says that Gaddi ancestors originally came from Lahore
(Pakistan),
and fled to mountainous states of Himachal and Jammu & Kashmir
during
Muslim invasions in the plains for refuge.
The
word
Gaddi refers to a
territorial group, or a special class of people who wear distinctive
clothes.
It also refers to the union of the castes of Rajputs, Khatris, Ranas,
and
Thakurs. In general, the Gaddi are a people of rugged character. They
travel
and bear endless hardships in the pursuit of their
profession—shepherding. They
are known as honest, hospitable, and mystic people.
The
Gaddi
are self-sufficient
shepherds whose lives revolve around caring for their herds and camping
at
grazing grounds. They move from high pastures to low pastures during
the year,
leaving for the low hills and plains in October and returning to their
fields
in April.
The
Gaddi
population outside
Himachal still depends heavily on shepherding. However, they are also
becoming
much more involved in farming. The recent trend towards settling in
more
hospitable climates has brought agriculture to the forefront of their
economy,
and shepherding is beginning to take a secondary position. The variety
of crops
(maize, wheat, and barley) together with the practice of allowing the
plots to
remain fallow, rotating the crops, and mixing the crops all enhance the
reliability
of their food supply.
The
traditional
dress of the
Gaddi, worn only on special occasions, is quite striking. The men wear
headdresses adorned with dried flowers or beads and wool coats tied
around
their waists with black rope. The dress is called Chola and
Dora.
Men also wear a turban (Safa).
The women wear
straight dresses tied around their waists with woolen cords. The dress
of women
is called Luanchiri which is
similar to flared Scottish kilt. Their heads are
covered, but their legs and feet remain bare, accented with heavy brass
anklets.
Gaddi
villages
are usually
located on steep slopes. Each household consists of a nuclear family.
The homes
inside the villages are built very close together, with little room for
expansion. Houses are generally two or three stories, with balconies
and paved
courtyards. The ground floor is used for keeping cattle (called Goud); while the second story is used
for living, sleeping, and cooking. All of the family members sleep in
the same
room. When a guest reaches the home of a Gaddi, he washes his feet. All
guests
are believed to be sacred, so their blessings are valued.
The
Gaddi,
like other
Indians, are divided into social classes based on the Hindu "caste"
system. The Gaddi castes are divided into two basic classes: clean and
unclean.
The Gaddi are monogamous (one husband, one wife), and have a successful
community life based on mutual aid. The family is the only social
institution
other than religion. All marriages are arranged by the parents. The
young
couples have no choice in their parents' decisions.
What
are
their beliefs?
Virtually all of the Gaddi are Hindu.
Their main
deity is Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction. They also worship
millions of
other gods, satisfying them by sacrificing sheep and goats.
The
Gaddi
follow Hindu
traditions, although many of their own animistic traditions (belief
that
non-human objects have spirits) are still practiced. Animal sacrifice
is a
common feature of their rituals.
What
are
their needs?
The Gaddi have no scriptures in their language at this time. The old
people
once used the Tankri script which has
become almost extinct in modern times. Now-a-days, the Hindi (Devanagari) script is used to write. With
only one missions agency currently working among them, the Gaddi remain
less
than 1% Christian. They need to know that Jesus has already served as
the
supreme sacrifice for their sins.
Prayer Points
- Ask the Lord to call people who are
willing to go to India and share Christ with the Gaddi.
- Pray that God will grant favor to the
missions agency that is targeting the Gaddi.
- Ask God to use the few Gaddi believers to
share the Gospel with their friends and families.
- Pray that God will raise up qualified
linguists to translate the Word of God into the Gaddi language.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts
of the Gaddi towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the
Gospel.
- Take authority over the spiritual
principalities and powers that are keeping the Gaddi bound.
- Pray that God will open the hearts of
India's governmental and religious leaders to the Gospel.
- Ask the Lord to raise up strong local
churches among the Gaddi.
Statistics
Latest estimates from the World Evangelization Research Center.
THE PEOPLE
- People name: Gaddi
- Country: India
- Their language: Gaddi
- Population:
- Largest religion:
- Christians: <1%
- Church members: 35
- Scriptures in their own language: None
- Jesus Film in their own language: None
- Christian broadcasts in their own language: None
- Mission agencies working among this people: 1
- Persons who have heard the Gospel: 9,300 (8%)
- Persons who have never heard the Gospel: 106,400 (92%)
THEIR COUNTRY
- Country: India
- Population:
- Major peoples in size order:
- Major religions:
- Number of denominations: 163
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