People group profile · PG041822
The Valmiki of India
The Valmiki of India, numbering about 99,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Kupia-speaking tribal community of eastern India, concentrated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. They maintain a distinct ethnolinguistic identity shaped by agriculture, local village traditions, and interaction with neighboring tribal peoples.
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 Kupia.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 99,500
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- South Asian Tribal
- Primary language
- Kupia (key)
- Primary religion
- Folk Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5%
- GSEC ?
- 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
- Lostness priority ?
- Marginally Reached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Andhra Pradesh: Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, and Vizianagaram districts; scattered in Telangana and Puducherry
Where they live
Gospel status
The Valmiki are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Valmiki
- 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
95% adherents
Primary language
Kupia · Indo-European family
74% speak Kupia
Gospel resources in Kupia
- Bible available, published 2019
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Kupia)
Bibles
- 2018 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Valmiki
- 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.
- 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.
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