Vaghri (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan

Introduction / History

Their name Vagri comes from the Sanskrit word for net. The Vaghri were originally forest hunters. During the British colonial period the Vaghri were labeled as a caste of petty thieves. This idea has continued to hurt the Vaghri people in their desire to escape poverty. They are classified are a backward scheduled caste.

Where Are they Located?

The Muslim Vaghri live in India's Gujarat state. Others live in Pakistan.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Besides being hunters, the Vaghri worked as traders, hawkers, animal breeders, and stonemasons. Most Vaghri people are landless. They try to grow vegetables on the small plots of land they possess.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Vaghri people are Hindu, but there are Muslims among them, especially in Pakistan. Many of the peoples of South Asia who are Muslim converted from Hinduism during the days of the powerful Moghul Empire, but they retained elements of Hinduism in their belief system.

What Are Their Needs?

The Vaghri people, be they Hindu or Muslim, need the peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points

Pray the Lord will open the hearts of the Vaghri people to desire God's blessings through a movement of family-based discovery Bible studies.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers to both the Hindu and the Muslim Vaghri communities in Pakistan and India.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will drive them to seek and find the Lord.
Pray for a church planting movement among the Muslim Vaghri community in Pakistan.

Text Source:   Keith Carey