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People group profile · PG049661

The Wayanad Pathiyan of India

The Wayanad Pathiyan of India, numbering about 1,700 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a community of Wayanad district, Kerala, also called Pathiyan, their traditional occupation mat-weaving. Settled cultivation, labor, animal husbandry, and government jobs have largely replaced this traditional craft.

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

Pray for the Wayanad PathiyanPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
1,700
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Malayali
Primary language
Malayalam (mal)
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
Karnataka: Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, and Mysore districts; Kerala and Lakshadweep states; Puducherry: Mahe; Tamil Nadu: Colimbatore, The Nilgiris, and Tirunelveli districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Wayanad Pathiyan 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 Wayanad Pathiyan

  • 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

99% adherents

Primary language

Malayalam · Dravidian family

100% speak Malayalam

Gospel resources in Malayalam

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • 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 Wayanad Pathiyan

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

Download a prayer guide

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