People group profile · PG041951
The Barwala of India
The Barwala of India, numbering about 79,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste community of the Jammu valley, also known as Doom or Dum Bantwal, who claim to be the region's original inhabitants. Traditionally village watchmen and messengers, they now work mainly in agriculture and labor and speak Dogri.
They are an indigenous people in the Other South Asian people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Dogri (individual language).
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 79,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Other South Asian
- Primary language
- Dogri (individual language) (dgo)
- 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 Barwala 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 Barwala
- 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
99% adherents
Primary language
Dogri (individual language) · Indo-European family
100% speak Dogri (individual language)
Gospel resources in Dogri (individual language)
- Bible available, published 2021
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Dogri)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Barwala
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
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