The Shenva, also known as Rawat, are a Scheduled Caste in the state of Gujarat, which entitles them to certain government benefits. The Shenva (Rawat) community consists of several exogamous clans.
They are mainly agricultural laborers and have their own land and homes. They worship Shree Chamunda Mataji, which are clan deities, on festivals and during life-cycle ceremonies. According to their tradition they believe they are descendants of Rajput who fled into the forests.
Most Shenva 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.
They need to improve their vocational skills so they will be qualified for these better positions.
Please pray for workers to come to the Hindu Shenva people, workers who are able to communicate well the good news about Jesus Christ. Pray for their encouragement and protection and provision.
A small number of the Shenva people have identified themselves as Christians to the Indian census. This is very encouraging. Please pray these Christians will be properly instructed in the ways of Christ and will live holy lives in the power of the Lord's Spirit.
Pray they will represent Christ well to their families and friends.
Pray the Lord will give these people understanding as the gospel comes to them.
Scripture Prayers for the Shenva (Hindu traditions) in India.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Shenva (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Shenva (Hindu traditions) |
Alternate Names | Chenva; Ravat; Sedma; Sedna Shenma; Sendhava; Senva; Senwa; Shenva; Shindhva; Shingadya; Shingdav; Sindhava; शेनवा (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 140,000 |
Population all Countries | 142,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 6 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 3 |
People ID | 18086 |
ROP3 Code | 113587 |
ROP25 Code | 307385 |
ROP25 Name | Senva |
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 | 4 | ||||||
Largest States |
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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 | 4 |
Gujarat 136,000 | |
Rajasthan 2,100 | |
Maharashtra 1,500 | |
Daman and Diu 100 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.07 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.02 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.91 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.01 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Gujarati (114,000 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | guj Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 6 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Gujarati (114,000 speakers) |
Language Code | guj Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 6 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 2,600 | |
Mewari 800 | |
Marathi 500 | |
Kacchi 400 | |
Koli, Wadiyari 60 | |
People Groups | Speaking Gujarati |
Primary Language: Gujarati
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1809-1965) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1820-1985) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1823-2021) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source |
(Representative photo) Copyrighted © 2024 Isudas All rights reserved. Used with permission |
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. |