South Asia Unreached People Groups

South Asia: the greatest concentration of lostness on earth!
The IMB has administratively divided the world into eleven regions, and the South Asia region has more Unreached People Groups than all the other ten regions combined. At present, there are 345 Unreached People Groups in South Asia that are unengaged by either Baptists or any other evangelical witness. These Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPGs) are the people groups that define the Last Frontier.

Get involved in South Asia today! more...>

Some of the Unengaged Unreached Peoples:

Several of people groups listed below have a link for you to learn more about them. For further research, you can go to our Missions Resources section ...>

PLEASE NOTE: The descriptions below are based on previous sources. There may be inaccuracies. We encourage you to seek a variety of sources to gain more insight. We are in the process of re-examining all of these descriptions and others. Later in 2007, we will post a new Unreached People Group section.

NAI

They set up shop alongside any roadway. A chair, a mirror, soap, and a straight razor are their tools. Their customers go to them to receive a normal haircut or to have their heads shaved as acts of Hindu worship. Traditionally, the nearly 15 million NAI people of India work as barbers, but they also do minor surgeries. They act as marriage matchmakers as well and are hired to encourage invited wedding guests to attend. The Nais are a vital part of the community. If they were to hear the Gospel message of Jesus and accept Him as their Savior, they might serve as a crucial link for spreading the Gospel throughout their communities. These are found throughout most of India and stretch into Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well. Pray that the Nais of South Asia would hear about Jesus’ love for them, accept Him as their only God, and share Good News where they live. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

SADGOP

The SADGOP people were historically agricultural people. They were considered so-called “lower caste” and hesitated at first to leave East Bengal after the partition of India, but finally made the decision to leave. A significant number of Sadgop people became teachers. They are Hindus and speak Bengali. There are no known Christians among them. Please pray that Bengali-speaking Christians would share the truth of Jesus Christ with the Sadgop people.

MAIRAL

The MAIRAL people live in India and speak the Marathi and Bengali languages. The Mairal people are tribal nomads (often called Gypsies). Their religion is Hinduism, and not only are there no known Christians among them, but there have been no church-planting efforts among them for the past two years. Pray that God will call forth laborers to plant churches among the Mairal people. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

GANDHABANIK:

The GANDHABANIK people of India practice Hinduism and speak Bengali with a Tarimuki dialect. There are no known Christians among them. Historically, the Gandhabanik were traders of spices and perfumes. Pray that someone will bring the Gospel to them and that they will know the sweet aroma of Jesus Christ.

KUNCHATIGA

In the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, we find the KUNCHATIGA people. They speak the Kannada language and practice Hinduism. They are listed as a “backward class.” Of these 700,000-plus people, there are no known Christians. There are Christians in this area of India. Pray that the Christians who live around the Kunchatiga will reach out to them and share the Gospel with them. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

TAGA

Very little is known about the TAGA people of India. They speak Hindi and practice Hinduism. They live in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. There are no known Christians among them. Pray that God will provide laborers to these people, who need someone to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

KHANDELWAL

The KHANDELWAL people of India have a population of over 5 million. Currently there are no known Christians among them. Their primary religion is Hinduism. There are no Bible translations, no JESUS film, no Gospel recordings, and no radio broadcasts in their language. At this time there are no known workers even attempting to share the Gospel with the Khandelwal people in India. However, there are Khandelwal people living all around the world, working in many different businesses. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send people to share the Good News with the Khandelwal.

CHHIPA

Like Lydia in the New Testament, the CHHIPA people of India deal in cloth. Their name comes from the Hindi word for printing, and their communities in Madhya Pradesh state know them as printers and dyers of cotton cloth. Today many of them are also cloth merchants. Unlike Lydia, most of the Chhipa people do not worship God; instead, they follow the many false gods of Hinduism. Acts 16:14 says of Lydia, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” Please pray that someone would take the Gospel to the Chhipas as the apostle Paul took it to Lydia. Pray also that the Lord would open the hearts of the Chhipa people of India to receive His message of love. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

YERUKALA

[Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

DARZI

When a DARZI is married, a trumpet sounds. About 4.3 million Darzis live in India, while some also live in Pakistan and Bangladesh. About 70 percent of the Darzi people are Hindus. The remainder are Muslims. The Darzis work as tailors, traders, needleworkers, and cloth dealers. The greatest number of Darzi people live in the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh. Pray that when the heavenly trumpets blow to announce the coming of the Bridegroom, millions of Darzi people will be found among the Bride of Christ. Pray that the Lord will bring His message to the Darzis so that they will be among us at the wedding supper of the Lamb. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

BAGDI

Traditionally, the BAGDI people of India have made their livings by fishing, making and mending fishing nets, and working as agricultural laborers. They are 3.3 million strong and predominantly live in the western and central parts of India’s West Bengal state. Most speak Bengali, and almost all Bagdis worship Hindu gods like Shiva, Kali and Lakshmi. Pray that Bengali Christians will take the Gospel to the Bagdi people who live in their same state. Pray that God will call the Bagdi people to worship Him as the one, true, Living God. Pray that Bagdis will become “fishers of men” and that reproducing churches will be planted among their people. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]

KAIKOLAR

The KAIKOLAR people are a caste of weavers 1.5 million strong in southern India. They are Hindus and view different parts of the loom as representations of various gods and sages. Traditionally, each Kaikolar family sets aside one daughter to serve in a Hindu temple. That daughter is considered married to the temple deity—often the Hindu destroyer god Shiva. In practice, the daughter becomes a temple prostitute. Pray that these girls will find sanctuary in Jesus. Ask God to draw their fathers or other heads of households to His righteousness and salvation. Pray that Christian churches in south India will gain a heart for the Kaikolar people and take the Gospel message to them. Pray that Bible-believing churches will be planted among the Kaikolar.

KACHHI

The KACHHI people are a caste traditionally of vegetable growers in India. They have a reputation of being excellent agriculturists of high-value crops. Hindi- and Gujarati-speakers, they are a quiet, hard-working and well-behaved community. Today they also work as bricklayers, handloom weavers, carpenters, and shopkeepers. Three-fourths of India’s 5 million Kachhis are found in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Child marriages among the Kachhis have been common, often before the age of 10. Their dead are cremated if married and buried if unmarried or young children. The Kachhi people dread the ghosts of the dead if a correct offering has not been given. Pray that the influence of evil spirits in the lives of the Kachhi people will be broken through the Good News of Jesus Christ. [Helpful information from the Joshua Project...>]