Dhor in India

Introduction / History

Dhor people are a community of tanners. Thus, their name came from dhor, the word for "cattle." Though they have always been tanners, commonly Dhor people become day laborers when leather and other necessary raw materials are not available. Typically, they buy raw leather hides from slaughterhouses that they tan and sell to those who make shoes.
The Dhor people are most likely to live either in India's Maharashtra or Karnataka states. A little over half of them live in urban areas, so it is possible to reach them in an urban center like Mumbai.

What Are Their Lives Like?

They consider themselves to be equal to the much more numerous Chamars, India's most noted leather workers. The more fortunate among these people of low status take advantage of India's "reservation" system, which gives them the opportunity to become white-collar workers, doctors, teachers or engineers.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Dhor people are Hindus. Hinduism is a catch all term for all the indigenous religions of South Asia. That means they can worship any number of gods or none at all.

What Are Their Needs?

The Dhor people need the chance to respond to Jesus’ offer of abundant life. As it stands, someone will need to go to them as Christ’s ambassadors.

Prayer Points

They speak Marathi, the language of Maharashtra, and there are many Christian materials in this language. Pray for these materials to find their way into Dhor homes.
Pray for believers in Mumbai to reach out to the Dhor people and persevere until there are Dhor churches that plant more churches.
Pray for the Dhor people to have a spiritual desire for truth that will lead them to embrace the Lord no matter what the cost.

Text Source:   Joshua Project