People group profile · PG041619
The Pardhi of India
The Pardhi of India, numbering about 361,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a historically nomadic tribal community best known for their traditional skills as hunters, trackers, and forest specialists. They are today recognized as a Denotified Tribe (DNT) and, in some states, as a Scheduled Tribe (ST).
They are an indigenous people in the South Asian Tribal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Gujarati.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 361,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Tribal
- Primary language
- Gujarati (guj)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Karnataka: Belgaum and Bijapur districts, small border areas; Maharashtra: Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, and Solapur districts; Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states: widely scattered
Where they live
Gospel status
The Pardhi 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 Pardhi
- 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
Animism · Ethnoreligion
95% adherents
Primary language
Gujarati · Indo-European family
100% speak Gujarati
Gospel resources in Gujarati
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 1997 Bible League International · text
- Gujarati New India Bible · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Pardhi
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- 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.
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