People group profile · PG041494
The Paroja of India
The Paroja of India, numbering about 605,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Tribe of Koraput district in Odisha, also called Paraja or Porja, extending into Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, their name meaning sons of a king. Agricultural and industrial labor remain common occupations.
They are an indigenous people in the Odia people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Bodo Parja.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 605,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Odia
- Primary language
- Bodo Parja (bdv)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Andhra Pradesh state; Odisha: Koraput district
Where they live
Gospel status
The Paroja 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 Paroja
- 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
Primary language
Bodo Parja · Indo-European family
100% speak Bodo Parja
Gospel resources in Bodo Parja
- Bible available, published 2023
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 2018 The Word for the World International · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Paroja
- 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.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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