People group profile · PG041336
The Bharbhunja of India
The Bharbhunja of India, numbering about 1,660,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a traditional occupational community whose name derives from Sanskrit terms for frying, historically engaged in parching and selling grain across northern and central India. They include Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim sections depending on region.
They are an indigenous people in the Hindi people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Bhojpuri.

Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 1,660,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Hindi
- Primary language
- Bhojpuri (bho)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier 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 Bharbhunja 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, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Bharbhunja
- 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
Bhojpuri · Indo-European family
100% speak Bhojpuri
Gospel resources in Bhojpuri
- Bible available, published 2007
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
Bibles
- Revised Old Version · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bharbhunja
- 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.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.