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People group profile · PG046284

The Nai, Mangala (Telugu) of India

The Nai, Mangala (Telugu) of India, numbering about 626,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a barber caste of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra also called Nai Brahmin, playing music at weddings alongside their traditional trade. Hair-cutting remains practiced, supplemented by herbal medicine and government service.

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 Telugu.

Pray for the Nai, Mangala (Telugu)Print profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
626,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Marathi-Konkani
Primary language
Telugu (tel)
Primary religion
Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Andhra Pradesh: Chittoor and Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore districts, east Puducherry enclaves; Karnataka: Chamarajana district; Kerala: south; assorted border areas; Tamil Nadu state

Where they live

Gospel status

The Nai, Mangala (Telugu) 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 Nai, Mangala (Telugu)

  • 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

Hinduism

100% adherents

Primary language

Telugu · Dravidian family

100% speak Telugu

Gospel resources in Telugu

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Nai, Mangala (Telugu)

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

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