People group profile · PG041690
The Bahelia of India
The Bahelia of India, numbering about 186,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste community of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal traditionally engaged in bird-catching and making fans from peacock feathers. They claim Rajput descent, tracing their origins to the Sisodia Rajputs of Chittorgarh.
They are an indigenous people in the Hindi people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Braj.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 186,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Hindi
- Primary language
- Braj (bra)
- 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 ?
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Widespread in north India: northern Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand states; Delhi
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bahelia 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 Bahelia
- 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
98% adherents
Primary language
Braj · Indo-European family
100% speak Braj
Gospel resources in Braj
- Bible available, published 2013
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Braj Bhasha)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bahelia
- 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.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
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