People group profile · PG041379
The Shilpkar of India
The Shilpkar of India, numbering about 1,205,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a collection of Scheduled Caste hill artisan communities of Uttar Pradesh, encompassing blacksmiths, basket-makers, and masons organized into ranked occupational subgroups. Agriculture now supplements these traditional crafts.
They are an indigenous people in the Nepali-Pahari people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Hindi.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 1,205,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Nepali-Pahari
- Primary language
- Hindi (hin)
- 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
- Uttarakhand: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udhamsingh Nagar districts; Almora and north Nainital (Central Kumaoni); Pithoragarh (Northeastern Kumaoni); southeast Nainital (Southeastern Kumaoni); west of Almora and Nainita
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shilpkar 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 Shilpkar
- 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
Hindi · Indo-European family
100% speak Hindi
Gospel resources in Hindi
- Bible available, published 2022
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Hindi)
- Magdalena (Hindi)
- The Savior (Hindi)
Bibles
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
- Indian Revised Version (OT - Davar Audio) · audio
- New Hindi Version · video
- New Hindi Version - LUMO Christmas Film · video
- New Hindi Version - LUMO Easter Film · video
- Sab Ki · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shilpkar
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
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