People group profile · PG049191
The Malai Vellala of India
The Malai Vellala of India, numbering about 250 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tamil-speaking Vellalar community of Tamil Nadu, mainly inhabiting the slopes and valleys of the Eastern Ghats and the plains in the Periyar and Salem districts.
They are an indigenous people in the Tamil people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Tamil.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 250
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Tamil
- Primary language
- Tamil (tam)
- 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
- 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 Malai Vellala 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 Malai Vellala
- 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
Gospel resources in Tamil
- Bible available, published 2024
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Tamil)
- The Savior (Tamil)
Bibles
- Contemporary Version · video
- Contemporary Version - LUMO Christmas Film · video
- Contemporary Version - LUMO Easter Film · video
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
- Indian Revised Version · audio, text
- Indian Revised Version · text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Malai Vellala
- 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.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
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