Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG041743

The Paravar of India

The Paravar of India, numbering about 164,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste native to Karnataka organized into matrilineal clans, traditionally performers of the devil-dance ritual. Agricultural labor, bidi-rolling, and basketry now supplement this ceremonial role.

They are an indigenous people in the Malayali people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Malayalam.

Pray for the ParavarPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Paravar people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Paravar

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
164,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Malayali
Primary language
Malayalam (mal)
Primary religion
Folk Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
20% or Greater but Less than 30%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Andhra Pradesh: Chittoor and Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore districts, east Puducherry enclaves; Karnataka: Chamarajana district; Kerala: south; assorted border areas; Tamil Nadu state

Where they live

Gospel status

The Paravar are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Paravar

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Folk Hinduism · Hinduism

70% adherents

Primary language

Malayalam · Dravidian family

100% speak Malayalam

Gospel resources in Malayalam

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Paravar

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.