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People group profile · PG049546

The Gurkha of India

The Gurkha of India, numbering about 107,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Nepali-speaking Himalayan community associated with the historic Gorkha region of Nepal, comprising people from multiple ethnic backgrounds united by a shared cultural heritage and renowned military tradition.

They are a diaspora people in the Nepali-Pahari people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Hinduism, and they primarily speak Nepali (individual language).

Pray for the GurkhaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
107,000
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Nepali-Pahari
Primary language
Nepali (individual language) (npi)
Primary religion
Hinduism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Southern Asia, Asia
Location
Nationwide (Gorkha/Nepali diaspora); concentrations in West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Karnataka

Where they live

Gospel status

The Gurkha 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 Gurkha

  • 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

99% adherents

Primary language

Nepali (individual language) · Indo-European family

100% speak Nepali (individual language)

Gospel resources in Nepali (individual language)

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not 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 Gurkha

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

Download a prayer guide

Gurkha in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
GurkhaBrunei1,700Unengaged and Unreached

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