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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.

Pray for the GoriyaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Goriya people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Goriya

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

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Goriya

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. 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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