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People group profile · PG049663

The Raval of India

The Raval of India, numbering about 12,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a caste community of Karnataka also known as Rawal, Ravalia, and Nath Panthi. The Raval are migrants from Gujarat speaking Kannada or Marathi, using both the Kannada and Devanagari scripts, and organized into patrilineal clans including Chauhan and Jadhav.

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

Pray for the RavalPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
India
Population
12,500
Affinity group
South Asian Peoples
People cluster
Kanarese
Primary language
Kannada (kan)
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
Mainly Goa and Karnataka states; Andhra Pradesh: Anantapur; Maharashtra: Latur district; Tamil Nadu and Kerala states; small border areas of last 4 states

Where they live

Gospel status

The Raval 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 Raval

  • 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

Kannada · Dravidian family

100% speak Kannada

Gospel resources in Kannada

  • Bible available, published 2024
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Raval

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