People group profile · PG042135
The Saryara of India
The Saryara of India, numbering about 20,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste of Jammu district and neighboring Udhampur and Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, their name recalling defeat in a legendary battle. Wage labor remains common, supplemented by business and self-employment.
They are an indigenous people in the Urdu 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
- 20,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Urdu
- Primary language
- Dogri (individual language) (dgo)
- 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 ?
- Minimally Reached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Jammu and Kashmir: Kathua, Poonch, Reasi, and Udhampur districts; Himachal Pradesh: Chamba and Kangra districts; Punjab: Gurdaspur district
Where they live
Gospel status
The Saryara 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 No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Saryara
- 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
96% 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 Saryara
- 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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