"Praise to Sachchika!" Niriksha, an Oswal seamstress, smiled with a dancing heart as she was handed another order for the appliqué style of wedding canopy her family made. All the orders for the special embroidery ensured her already successful business could expand into new shops. She would announce the news at the party tonight.

The Oswal Bania community is made up of four to five million people. They are mostly found in Rajasthan, Punjab, and other nearby areas of northern India. Oswals are indispensable for the Indian economy, and tend to fare well in business. They are the wealthy and very influential in business, industry, and society. The Oswals are known for commemorating their festivals with celebration, color, and song.

Although most Oswals follow Jain religious teachings, some are more influenced by Hinduism. According to Jain teaching, it is considered a sin to take a life. As a result, they are strict vegetarians. Their goddess, Sachchika, is often their family deity. The Oswals have no church, and there are no evangelistic outreaches among them; as far as we know there are no Oswal believers.

* Scripture Prayers for the Bania Oswal in India.

* Pray for the Oswal people to hear about Jesus through evangelistic Internet, radio, and literature efforts.
* Pray that He will send missionaries to this unreached people group so the love of God an shine upon them.

Some information from "The Scheduled Castes" K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)