People group profile · PG006206
The Eastern Gurung of Nepal
The Eastern Gurung of Nepal, numbering about 266,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tamu (Gurung) people of Nepal's Gandaki hills whose ancestors migrated over some two millennia from the Kokonor region of China through Tibet, today predominantly Buddhist and Hindu atop an older Bon-derived animist tradition.
They are an indigenous people in the South Asian Buddhist people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Gurung.

Fast facts
- Country
- Nepal
- Population
- 266,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Buddhist
- Primary language
- Gurung (gvr)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Gandaki province: Gorkha, Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Parbat, Syangja, and Tanahun districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Eastern Gurung are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Eastern Gurung
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
80% adherents
Primary language
Gurung · Sino-Tibetan family
71% speak Gurung
Gospel resources in Gurung
- Bible available, published 2020
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Gurung)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Eastern Gurung
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.