Bhil of India

There are two divisions of Bhil: the Central or “pure” Bhil, and the Eastern or part-Rajput Bhil. The Central Bhil live in the mountain regions of India, particularly in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Many Bhil are being threatened by the Sardar Saravor Dam project, which, when completed, will flood the land where many Bhil currently live. Though re-settlement plans have been discussed, they remain incomplete.

Today, the Bhil primarily work as peasant farmers, field laborers, and village watchmen. With a growth in population, most of their land holdings are small and generally non-productive. Bhil villages are rather widely scattered. The houses are located in fields where millet, maize, wheat, and barley are grown. The people are experts in handling bows and arrows. Festivals, dance, drama, and music are also a large part of their culture.

Almost all of the Central Bhil practice ethnic religions that have been highly influenced by Hinduism. Shiva is considered the supreme god. Ancestor worship (praying to deceased ancestors) is also quite popular. Shamans (priests) are also called upon to offer sacrifices to the many gods and mud idols. In spite of their traditional beliefs, there have been interesting manifestations of God’s Spirit reported among the upper caste Bhagat gurus.

Primary Religion: Hinduism 

% Evangelical: unknown, but greater than or equal to 2%

Primary Language: Hindi

Status:   Greater than or equal to 2% Evangelical

Persecution Rank: 32

Prayer Points:

• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to India and share Christ with the Bhil.
• Pray for effectiveness of the Jesus film among them.
• Ask God to provide open doors for the Bhil believers to share the Gospel with their own people.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.

This information was gathered from the Joshua Project.  To learn more, check out their site, or go to Operation World.