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People group profile · PG041826

The Kudumi of India

The Kudumi of India, numbering about 86,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a weaving subgroup of the Saliar cluster in Kanniyakumari and Tirunelveli districts, Tamil Nadu. Their name recalls a legendary punishment involving shaved hair-tufts. Weaving and spinning remain traditional occupations.

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

Pray for the KudumiPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
86,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Marathi-Konkani
Primary language
Malayalam (mal)
Primary religion
Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Tamil Nadu: Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Kudumi are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Kudumi

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Hinduism

99% 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 Kudumi

  1. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  2. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  4. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.

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