Buddhist Valmiki in India


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 Valmiki are also called Balmiki. They are a caste of street sweepers with low status.


What Are Their Lives Like?

In India Valmiki people face discrimination from a young age. At school their children are given derisive names. They are treated like they cannot learn by public school teachers. Those who work in parks clean things up, then take a stroll in the park only to be told to leave either by high caste members or by the police. If they resist, the police will beat them. Valmiki women are sexually abused by high caste men. There is nothing they can do about it.
Since the root of these problems is in the Hindu based caste system, some Valmiki have changed to a different religion. Most commonly they become Buddhist, but others have adopted Islam or Sikhism.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Buddhism is a major world religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama or the Buddha, who lived in the 6th and 5th century BC in ancient India. The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths by which one can gain spiritual knowledge and escape the endless cycles of reincarnation. Theravada, one of the two major branches of Buddhism, declares that by following the Noble Eightfold Path of right intentions and right actions that a Buddhist can achieve nirvana or a state of freedom and salvation. Mahayana Buddhism, the other main branch of Buddhism, asserts that by following the six perfections that a Buddhist can move along the path to Enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism falls within the Mahayana school.
To most Buddhists, however, these things have far less meaning than their traditional beliefs, which are usually animistic. In animism, evil spirits must be appeased through prayers, sacrifices and rituals. Buddhism allows people to mix Buddhist teachings with traditional religion.
Two of the important Buddhist yearly holidays are Vesak, the Buddha's birthday celebrated in May or June and Bodhi Day, the holiday which commemorates the day that the historical Buddha experienced enlightenment under a Bodhi tree.


What Are Their Needs?

The Valmiki 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 Valmiki people to have the justice they need.
Pray for them to find their identity and sense of worth in the God who gave them life, and the savior who offers them life to the full.
Pray for a "Book of Acts" type of movement to Christ among the Valmiki people.
Pray God will have mercy on the Valmiki, doing whatever it takes to place them in a position to receive him.
Ask God to open the hearts of the Valmiki to the gospel.


Scripture Prayers for the Valmiki (Buddhist traditions) in India.


References

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/valmiki-families-in-ghaziabad-village-convert-to-buddhism/article32933792.ece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ZiGyCwLSY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmiki_caste


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Valmiki (Buddhist traditions)
People Name in Country Valmiki (Buddhist traditions)
Natural Name Buddhist Valmiki
Pronunciation wahl-MEE-kee
Alternate Names Balmik; Balmiki; Bhangi; Hair; Hari; Mehtar
Population this Country 25,000
Population all Countries 25,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 22346
ROP3 Code 119345
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 18
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Punjab
13,000
Maharashtra
4,400
Madhya Pradesh
1,900
Uttar Pradesh
1,800
Gujarat
1,400
Haryana
700
Rajasthan
700
Telangana
500
Bihar
400
Chandigarh
200
Jharkhand
200
Delhi
100
Uttarakhand
90
Chhattisgarh
60
Himachal Pradesh
60
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 18
  Punjab 13,000
  Maharashtra 4,400
  Madhya Pradesh 1,900
  Uttar Pradesh 1,800
  Gujarat 1,400
  Haryana 700
  Rajasthan 700
  Telangana 500
  Bihar 400
  Chandigarh 200
  Jharkhand 200
  Delhi 100
  Uttarakhand 90
  Chhattisgarh 60
  Himachal Pradesh 60
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
100.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
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 Hindi (9,400 speakers)
Language Code hin   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 24
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Punjabi, Eastern
9,000
Marathi
1,500
Gujarati
1,000
Telugu
300
Bhojpuri
300
Kanauji
200
Konkani
200
Bundeli
100
Nimadi
50
Marwari (India)
50
Wagdi
40
Chhattisgarhi
40
Haryanvi
30
Kannada
20
Konkani, Goan
20
Primary Language Hindi (9,400 speakers)
Language Code hin   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 24
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Punjabi, Eastern 9,000
  Marathi 1,500
  Gujarati 1,000
  Telugu 300
  Bhojpuri 300
  Kanauji 200
  Konkani 200
  Bundeli 100
  Nimadi 50
  Marwari (India) 50
  Wagdi 40
  Chhattisgarhi 40
  Haryanvi 30
  Kannada 20
  Konkani, Goan 20
People Groups Speaking Hindi

Primary Language:  Hindi

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Bible-New Testament Yes  (1811-1998)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1818-2022)
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Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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