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People group profile · PG049000

The Sukiyar of India

The Sukiyar of India, numbering about 2,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of Hazaribagh and Ranchi districts on the Chotanagpur plateau, Bihar, believed descended from an unmarried woman of Uttar Pradesh. Cultivation remains their primary occupation, alongside business and service.

They are an indigenous people in the Bihari people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Magahi.

Pray for the SukiyarPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
2,500
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Bihari
Primary language
Magahi (mag)
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
Bihar: Arwal, Aurangabad, western Bhagalpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, western Munger, Nalanda, Nawada, eastern Patna, and Sheikhpura districts; Jharkhand: Giridih, Hazaribagh, Palamu, southern Ranchi districts, and north Chota Nagpur area

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sukiyar 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 Sukiyar

  • 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

Magahi · Indo-European family

100% speak Magahi

Gospel resources in Magahi

  • Bible available, published 2016
  • 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 Sukiyar

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

Download a prayer guide

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