People group profile · PG041560
The Bhansala of India
The Bhansala of India, numbering about 346,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Gujarat Hindu community whose name derives from bhanu (sun) and sali (worshipper), meaning worshippers of the sun god. Traditionally farmers and traders of old gunny bags.
They are an indigenous people in the Marathi-Konkani people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Kachhi.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 346,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Marathi-Konkani
- Primary language
- Kachhi (kfr)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh states; Maharashtra: Belgaum, Bidar, and Karnataka districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bhansala 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Bhansala
- 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
100% adherents
Primary language
Kachhi · Indo-European family
100% speak Kachhi
Gospel resources in Kachhi
- Bible available, published 2013
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kachchhi)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bhansala
- 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.