People group profile · PG046333
The Yadava (Bagheli) of India
The Yadava (Bagheli) of India, numbering about 122,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large, historically pastoral community of India and Nepal whose shared identity is rooted in mythological descent from King Yadu and association with Krishna, and whose modern form emerged through social consolidation in the 19th–20th centuries.
They are an indigenous people in the Yadav people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Hinduism, and they primarily speak Bagheli.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 122,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Yadav
- Primary language
- Bagheli (bfy)
- 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 ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Chhattisgarh: Bilaspur and Koriya districts; Madhya Pradesh: Anuppur, Chhindwara, Dindori, Jabalpur, Mandla, Panna, Rewa, Satna, Shahdol, Sidhi, and Umaria districts; Uttar Pradesh: Allahabad, Banda, Mirzapur, and Hamirpur districts
Where they live
Gospel status
The Yadava (Bagheli) 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 Yadava (Bagheli)
- 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
Bagheli · Indo-European family
100% speak Bagheli
Gospel resources in Bagheli
- Bible available, published 2020
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Wycliffe India, 2020 · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Yadava (Bagheli)
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- 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.
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