People group profile · PG049782
The Kayalar of India
The Kayalar of India, numbering about 49,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Muslim community of Tamil Nadu, a division of the Marakkayar, descended from Arab traders who married local women at the port of Kayalpattanam. They are chiefly landowners and businessmen.
They are an indigenous people in the Tamil people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Tamil.
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 49,500
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Tamil
- Primary language
- Tamil (tam)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- 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 Kayalar 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 Kayalar
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
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
- Magdalena (Tamil)
- The Savior (Tamil)
Bibles
- Contemporary Version · video
- Contemporary Version - LUMO Christmas Film · video
- Contemporary Version - LUMO Easter Film · video
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
- Indian Revised Version · audio, text
- Indian Revised Version · text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Kayalar
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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