People group profile · PG047912
The Dhoba (Assamese) of India
The Dhoba (Assamese) of India, numbering about 143,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a traditional washer (laundry) community of South Asia, best known historically for washing clothes for households, temples, armies, and towns. They are a caste‑based occupational group, found across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
They are an indigenous people in the Dhobi people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Assamese.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 143,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Dhobi
- Primary language
- Assamese (asm)
- Primary religion
- Hinduism
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Arunachal Pradesh: Changlang and Lohit; Assam state; Meghalaya: west Garo Hills; Nagaland: Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, and Zunheboto; West Bengal: Jalpaiguri and Koch Bihar
Where they live
Gospel status
The Dhoba (Assamese) 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 Dhoba (Assamese)
- 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
Assamese · Indo-European family
90% speak Assamese
Gospel resources in Assamese
- Bible available, published 2022
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Dhoba (Assamese)
- 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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