People group profile · PG041600
The Pardhan of India
The Pardhan of India, numbering about 395,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Tribe of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh, their name recalling their historic role as ministers and bards to Gond rulers. Agriculture and agricultural labor have replaced this courtly role.
They are an indigenous people in the South Asian Tribal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Pardhan.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 395,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Tribal
- Primary language
- Pardhan (pch)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Concentrated CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Gujarat: Dohad, Panch Mahals, and Sabarkantha districts; Madhya Pradesh: Dhar, Indore, Jhabua, Khargone, and Ratlam districts; Rajasthan: Banswara, Dungapur, and Udaipur districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Pardhan 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 but there has been initial or concentrated church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting
Next steps for the Pardhan
- 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
95% adherents
Primary language
Pardhan · Unattested family
74% speak Pardhan
Gospel resources in Pardhan
- Bible available, published 2014
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Pardhan)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Pardhan
- 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.
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