People group profile · PG041648
The Binjhal of India
The Binjhal of India, numbering about 202,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Tribe of clan-based cultivators concentrated in the Sambalpur region of Odisha, who trace their migration from the Vindhya and Satpura hills and subsist on farming, labor, hunting, and fishing. They speak the Sambalpuri dialect of Odia.
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 Odia.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 202,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Tribal
- Primary language
- Odia (ory)
- 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 ?
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Odisha: Sambalpur region
Where they live
Gospel status
The Binjhal 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 Binjhal
- 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
100% adherents
Primary language
Odia · Indo-European family
100% speak Odia
Gospel resources in Odia
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
Bibles
- 1997 Bible League International · audio, text
- Easy to Read Version · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Binjhal
- 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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