People group profile · PG046224
The Teli (Chhattisgarhi) of India
The Teli (Chhattisgarhi) of India, numbering about 2,080,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large occupational caste/community of South Asia, historically known as oil pressers and oil traders. Their name comes from a Hindi word meaning oil, reflecting their traditional work of extracting vegetable oil using bullock‑driven wooden presses.
They are an indigenous people in the Teli people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Chhattisgarhi.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 2,080,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Teli
- Primary language
- Chhattisgarhi (hne)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Chhattisgarh: north central; Jharkhand: Simdega; Madhya Pradesh: Anuppur and Shahdol (Baigani dialect) districts; Maharashtra: border areas; Odisha: Sundargarh
Where they live
Gospel status
The Teli (Chhattisgarhi) 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 but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Teli (Chhattisgarhi)
- 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
100% adherents
Primary language
Chhattisgarhi · Indo-European family
100% speak Chhattisgarhi
Gospel resources in Chhattisgarhi
- Bible available, published 2024
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Films
Bibles
- 2012 Bharatiya General Conference Mennonite Church · audio, text
- Bible Society of India · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Teli (Chhattisgarhi)
- 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.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
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