People group profile · PG041453
The Goriya of India
The Goriya of India, numbering about 791,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Uttar Pradesh community historically classified as a Mallah subcaste but now recognized as independent, traditionally engaged in fishing and boating. Many are now settled cultivators, traders, or agricultural laborers.
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 Awadhi.

Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 791,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Hindi
- Primary language
- Awadhi (awa)
- 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
- Uttar Pradesh: Ayodhya, Jaunpur, Varanasi, and Sultanpur districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Goriya 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 Goriya
- 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
Awadhi · Indo-European family
100% speak Awadhi
Gospel resources in Awadhi
- Bible available, published 2005
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Goriya
- 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.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
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