Introduction / History

The Halwais get their name from the word halwa which is a 'sweetmeat made from sugar, flour and butter '. The Halwais are famous as a caste of confectioners and sweet shop owners.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Halwais still maintain their occupation in many places of Pakistan, India and Nepal as sweet shop owners and sellers of sweets and sometimes tobacco. Because their halwa is often eaten at weddings and festivals they have a relatively high social status. The smaller Muslim Halwai however can be found in any number of service or labor jobs. Whereas the Hindu Halwai community in Nepal tend to speak Maithili and Nepali, the Muslim Halwar speak Nepali, Urdu and Awadhi. The Halwai follow the birth, death and marriage traditions of the Sunni Muslim and the Maulvi is the name of the spiritual leader who performs those religious rites.

What Are Their Beliefs?

A large majority of Halwais are Hindus but about 10 percent in India and one percent in Nepal are Muslims. As one might expect, the higher percentage of Halwai Muslims live in Pakistan.

What Are Their Needs?

Once again ministry among the Hindu Halwai population has had success in recent years but among the small number of Muslims no work exists. In India families have shown interest in school-based development programs. Perhaps Muslim-friendly community development projects could benefit this and other Muslim communities.

Prayer Points

Pray that prayer warriors will be raised up who will faithfully intercede for the hard ground of Kalwai hearts to be softened.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among Muslim Kalwai leaders, giving them dreams and visions that open their hearts to the King of kings.
Pray that Christ's followers will be called to tell the story about Jesus to everyone in a culturally relevant way, simple and appealing.

Scripture Prayers for the Halwai (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.