Mahanta in Bangladesh


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

The Mahanta people live in northeast India and Bangladesh. A mahant is a religious leader who is a chief priest or the head of a monastery. He can be the keeper or guardian for a holy site for either Hindus or Sikhs. The Mahanta people are members of the Kshatriya caste, the second highest caste group of Hinduism. The Kshatriya claim to be descendants of rulers, large landowners and military officers.


Where Are they Located?

Most of the Mahanta people live in the Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha or Jharkhand. The Bangladeshi Mahanta live in the states of Chittagong, Dhaka and Rajshahi.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Today there is a great variety in the occupations of the Mahanta. Those who are educated serve as physicians, politicians, government administrators, businesspersons and entertainers. Less educated Mahanta labor in the fields and work in factories. The primary languages of the Mahanta are Odia and Bengali. Educated Mahanta also speak Hindi and English.

The Mahanta marry within their caste. Elders arrange marriages. The bride often goes to live with the groom's family when she reaches puberty. Child marriages are becoming less common than they were in the past. Monogamy, marriage to one spouse, is the rule. Sons inherit property with the eldest son receiving the father's title and home. Caste councils consisting of elders settle legal disputes and promote their interests. Some better-educated Mahanta live in large cities while many others live in rural villages.

The Mahanta are not vegetarians but as Hindus will not eat beef. Rice, wheat, vegetables, fruit and dairy products are their main foods. Social use of alcohol is forbidden by their customs but many Mahanta drink to excess.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Mahant practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. They worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They pay particular allegiance to Shiva, Durga, Hanuman and Vishnu. Hindus believe that by performing rituals and good works that they will attain moksha or freedom from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Mahant visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods. There are many forms of Hinduism, each with its own deities and beliefs.

The main yearly holidays of the Mahanta people are Holi, the festival of colors, Diwali, the festival of lights, Navratri, the celebration of autumn, and Rama Navami, Rama's birthday.


What Are Their Needs?

The Mahanta need to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ in a way they can understand. Different methods of sharing the gospel will have to be used depending upon the education level of the Mahanta person. Rural Mahanta would benefit by learning new job skills and in applying modern methods of agriculture to their farms.


Prayer Points

Pray for a movement of Mahanta households to study the Bible and accept the blessings of Christ.
Pray for the Mahanta people to understand and embrace Jesus who wants to bless their families and neighborhoods.
Pray for teams of believers to do sustained, focused prayer for the Lord to open the hearts of Mahanta family leaders to experience God's blessing through a movement of family-based discovery Bible studies.
Pray for a movement of Jesus to heal and strengthen Mahanta communities.


Scripture Prayers for the Mahanta in Bangladesh.


References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17408/BG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahant
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudumi_Mahato
peoplegroupsindia.com/profiles/kurmi/


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Mahanta
People Name in Country Mahanta
Alternate Names Baba; Gosain; Goswami; Mahanty; Mahat; Mahatar; Mahato; Mahto; महानता
Population this Country 1,900
Population all Countries 106,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 17408
ROP3 Code 112808
Country Bangladesh
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 26  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 4
Largest States
Chittagong
600
Rangpur
500
Dhaka
500
Rajshahi
300
Country Bangladesh
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 26  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 4
  Chittagong 600
  Rangpur 500
  Dhaka 500
  Rajshahi 300
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 Bangladesh census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Bengali (1,900 speakers)
Language Code ben   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Bengali (1,900 speakers)
Language Code ben   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Bengali

Primary Language:  Bengali

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1800-1980)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1801-1984)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1809-2022)
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Text / Printed Matter Bible: Comic Book Version Super Bible / Comic Bible Society
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Christ for the Nations General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Bengali Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Online New Testament (Bibles India) Operation Agape
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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