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People group profile · PG049457

The Najjar of India

The Najjar of India, numbering about 6,100 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Kashmiri carpentry caste, also known as Najjar, traditionally engaged in making wooden furniture and items. Agriculture serves as a secondary income source, and a council of elders resolves community disputes.

They are an indigenous people in the Kashmiri people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Kashmiri.

Pray for the NajjarPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
6,100
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Kashmiri
Primary language
Kashmiri (kas)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
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
Himachal Pradesh: Chamba and Lahul Spiti districts in Kashmir valley; Jammu and Kashmir: Anantag, Badgam, Bandipore, eastern Baramula and Kupwara, Doda, Ganderbal, Kargil, Kishtwar, Kulgam, west Leh, Ramban, and Shupian districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Najjar 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 Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Najjar

  • 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

Sunni Islam · Islam

Primary language

Kashmiri · Indo-European family

100% speak Kashmiri

Gospel resources in Kashmiri

  • Bible available, published 2011
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

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

Pray for the Najjar

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

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