People group profile · PG041300
The Musahar of India
The Musahar of India, numbering about 3,265,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a historically marginalized community in India, found mainly in the Gangetic plains of eastern and northern India, especially Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and parts of Nepal near the Indian border.
They are an indigenous people in the Bihari people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Magahi.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 3,265,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Bihari
- Primary language
- Magahi (mag)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Widespread in north India: northern Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand states; Delhi
Where they live
Gospel status
The Musahar 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 dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Musahar
- 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
Folk Hinduism · Hinduism
99% adherents
Primary language
Magahi · Indo-European family
35% speak Magahi
Gospel resources in Magahi
- Bible available, published 2016
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Magahi)
Bibles
- 2014 Asian Sahyogi Sanstha India Gorakhpur, (U.P.) · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Musahar
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 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.
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