The Bhottada people of India are a primitive group of farmers, and they have no radio programming in their own language—no way to hear about the hope, love and saving grace of Jesus Christ–until now. The Tide® is introducing Gospel programming in a new language—Bhatri—to reach this precious, and valued by God, people group in India.
“The Bhottada tribes are agriculturists, so farming is their main source of livelihood, raising paddy rice in the wet lands of the region,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Thus far, the Bhottada have never heard about how Jesus Christ can truly change their lives. Now, we have the chance to reach this people group in their own language, and it is an honor to carry out God’s command of spreading the Good News in this way.”
The Bhottada people are animistic, meaning they attribute lifelike qualities and feelings to objects and items in nature, such as rivers, rocks and wind. The Tide partners created a relationship with the Bhottada tribe because they live in close proximity to the region where The Tide has had strong church planting efforts.
This endogamous community is also divided into three divisions: Bada, Madhya and Sana. Among them, the Bada group claims social superiority over other two for their purer descent. The Bhottada families are mostly nuclear and patrilineal in structure, but the Bhottada women play an important role in agricultural, religious, ritual and social activities, in addition to performing their routine domestic chores. They worship Hindu deities and hold major festivals and rituals aligned with this belief system.