Bru in India

Introduction / History

The Bru people live in Bangladesh and India. The majority are in India's northeastern states.

What Are Their Lives Like?

In Bangladesh and India, most Riang speakers are agriculturalists, and they practice a type of farming which is often referred to as "slash and burn" farming. They live in hilly areas and farm different hillsides on a rotational basis. Their homes are generally made of bamboo and leaves, and most of their villages do not have electricity or roads leading to them.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Bru people practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods like Christians or Jews. There are other Hindus who are much more philosophical, especially among the Brahmins.

Almost all Hindus participate in yearly celebrations like Holi, the festival of colors and the start of spring / Diwali, the festival of lights / Navratri, the celebration of autumn / and Rama Navami, Rama's birthday.

What Are Their Needs?

Because of the distance to schools and the Riang's lack of ability in Bengali, most Riang remain uneducated.

Prayer Points

Pray for loving workers to go to the Bru people, and for their hearts to be ready to receive their savior.

Pray for families of believers loving and serving others to grow reproducing churches.

Pray for a chain reaction of families reaching families that result in thousands of new disciples who share their faith with others.

Pray for grace and truth expanding into their entire society as all believers learn to love others.

Text Source:   Joshua Project