Bedar (Hindu traditions) in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Introduction / History

The Bedars are a Dravidian tribe in origin. "Bedar" comes from the word "bed" or "bedaru" meaning a hunter. Hindus are known as Bedar and Muslims as Berad. They prefer to be called Naikwadi because they serve as village policemen or Talwar (watchmen) or Naikmakkalu (chief's children). The Bedar language is a corruption of Kannada and Marathi languages. They have six social divisions.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Bedar could be agricultural laborers, watchmen, stone cutter or herdsmen. They also work as servants, traders, messengers, police and soldiers.

Men and women wear silver and gold jewelry. Some traditionally shave their heads, wear waist girdles, gold and silver bracelets (khade) and gold earrings (muruva). Women tie their hair in a loose knot, wear nose-rings, a gold necklace and on their head they have a hooped silver ornament (dhora).

At the age of four or five girls are tattooed on the forehead, corners of the eyes, temples and forearms. Unmarried girls can be forced into prostitution. The girls are taken to a guru (spiritual leader) who brands them with a stamp, and then takes them to a temple where a necklace is tied around their neck in the name of the god, and they are now known as Basavi.

The boy's parents initiate marriage proposal. Child marriage is common, but the girl does not live with her husband until after puberty. Marriage cannot be within the same sub-division. They allow for widow remarriage and divorce. The Bedar have headmen (kattimani) to solve community disputes.


What Are Their Beliefs?

They have religious images made from silver, copper or brass. The Bedar either bury or cremate their dead.

They are non-vegetarian and drink alcohol. Bedar have faith in soothsaying, sorcery and astrology. Brahmins act as priests and in some places Lingayat Mathpati's serve as their priests. They celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali, Dussera, Holi, etc. Hindu Bedar identify all their gods with Rama. In Pune, Janai, Jokhai, Khandoba are the main deities. In Dharwad, the main deity is Hanmappa. In Solapur, the main deities are Ambabai, Jotiba and Khandoba. In Bijapur, the main deities are Durgava, Maruti, Venkatesh, Yellamma and Mallikarjun, which are often made into silver, copper or brass images. They observe Hindu festivals and have a hereditary guru. The Durgamuri Bedar carries the image of Durgamurgavva around in a box on their head.


What Are Their Needs?

The Bedar people need to put their trust and identity in the hands of the loving God of Creation who sent his son to make it possible for them to enter the Kingdom of God.


Prayer Points

Pray for the transformation of this community, thereby influencing the society through their profession as traders, messengers, police and soldiers.

Pray for a mighty impact of the JESUS Film and Christian radio broadcasting among this people.

Pray for Christian workers among them to resist the evil works of sorcery, soothsaying and witchcraft and demonstrate instead the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray for the practice of child marriage to be abolished.


Scripture Prayers for the Bedar (Hindu traditions) in India.


References

India Missions Association, Edited by Philipose Vaidyar, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Bedar (Hindu traditions)
People Name in Country Bedar (Hindu traditions)
Pronunciation bay-DAR
Alternate Names Balanjika; Bawasi; Beda; Bendar; Berad; Berar; Boya; Burar; Chhatriya; Chundinayakulu; Dasa Balenjika; Dasa Palanjikar; Dasapalanjika; Dora; Dungar; Gavara Naidu; Jyali; Jyayi; Kannada Chettiar; Kannada Saineegar; Kannada Sainigar; Kannada Veera Saiva Saineegar; Kannadaiyan; Kannadia; Kannadiar; Kannadiyan; Karelivaru; Machi; Mahratta; Myasa; Naidu; Nishad; Pindari; Ramoshi; Sabaru; Saineegar; Sainik; Seniar; Siviar; Talwari; Tamil Kannadaiyan; Tamil Kannadiyar; Telari; Unar; Valmiki; बेदार (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 2,418,000
Population all Countries 2,425,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 48
People ID 16365
ROP3 Code 111507
ROP25 Code 301010
ROP25 Name Bedar
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 17
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Karnataka
2,299,000
Tamil Nadu
156,000
Andhra Pradesh
25,000
Telangana
22,000
Maharashtra
13,000
Gujarat
5,200
Kerala
4,100
Goa
1,300
Delhi
1,100
Madhya Pradesh
600
Uttar Pradesh
100
Daman and Diu
90
Chhattisgarh
80
Dadra and Nagar Have
40
West Bengal
40
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 17
  Karnataka 2,299,000
  Tamil Nadu 156,000
  Andhra Pradesh 25,000
  Telangana 22,000
  Maharashtra 13,000
  Gujarat 5,200
  Kerala 4,100
  Goa 1,300
  Delhi 1,100
  Madhya Pradesh 600
  Uttar Pradesh 100
  Daman and Diu 90
  Chhattisgarh 80
  Dadra and Nagar Have 40
  West Bengal 40
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 Kannada (2,075,000 speakers)
Language Code kan   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 14
Secondary Languages
Telugu
307,000
Tamil
73,000
Marathi
30,000
Konkani
24,000
Gujarati
5,300
Tulu
2,900
Konkani, Goan
2,400
Hindi
1,200
Bellari
300
Malayalam
300
Ahirani
100
Chhattisgarhi
50
Bundeli
30
Primary Language Kannada (2,075,000 speakers)
Language Code kan   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 14
Secondary Languages
  Telugu 307,000
  Tamil 73,000
  Marathi 30,000
  Konkani 24,000
  Gujarati 5,300
  Tulu 2,900
  Konkani, Goan 2,400
  Hindi 1,200
  Bellari 300
  Malayalam 300
  Ahirani 100
  Chhattisgarhi 50
  Bundeli 30
People Groups Speaking Kannada

Primary Language:  Kannada

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1812-1988)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1823-2023)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1827-2023)
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YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Scripture / Bible General / Other
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Kannada Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
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General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  India Missions Association  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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