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People group profile · PG049227

The Vettiyan of India

The Vettiyan of India, numbering about 1,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Scheduled Caste of Puducherry, Karaikal, and Tamil Nadu, their name recalling digging, traditionally liquor-makers and grave-diggers. Digging graves and cremating corpses remain their main occupation in many areas.

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.

Pray for the VettiyanPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
1,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Tamil
Primary language
Tamil (tam)
Primary religion
Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Unengaged and 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 Vettiyan are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Vettiyan

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Hinduism

100% adherents

Primary language

Tamil · Dravidian family

100% speak Tamil

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

Bibles

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

Pray for the Vettiyan

  1. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  2. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  3. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  4. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.

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