The name "Dimasa" stands for "children of the big river," referring to the Brahmaputra River. They are one of the oldest inhabitants of the northeastern part of India, and one of the many Kachari tribes. Dimasa believe that they are the children of Bangla Raja and the great divine bird Aarikhidima. Among the six ancestral gods, Sibrai is the eldest and the most important and during worship his name is to be uttered first. The traditional village headman is a Khunang, having both executive and judiciary powers. He is assisted by another official called the Dillik, and a third man, the Daulathu. The Dimasa Kachari lives in Bihar and West Bengal, India. A smaller number are further east in Bangladesh.
They are farmers who grow many kinds of crops including grains.
The Dimasa Kachari people practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods like Christians or Jews. There are other Hindus who are much more philosophical, especially among the Brahmins. Almost all Hindus participate in yearly celebrations like Holi, the festival of colors and the start of spring / Diwali, the festival of lights / Navratri, the celebration of autumn / and Rama Navami, Rama's birthday.
Lack of sustained, focused prayer inhibits the advance of the Lord's kingdom throughout South Asia. There are powerful spiritual forces that resist the gospel, and these are overcome by prayer. The New Testament is available in the Dimasa language, as well as resources such as recordings and films. Please pray for workers to carry these resources to the people who can help them understand the gospel.
There are no reported Christians among the Dimasa of Bangladesh, but there are reported Christians within this people group in India. Pray for spiritual maturity for these Christians, and for them to become Christ bearers to the lost in Bangladesh. Please pray the Lord will grant spiritual understanding to all the people groups of Bangladesh. Pray he will reveal Jesus in powerful and convincing ways and will grant people faith to believe.
Scripture Prayers for the Kachari Dimasa in Bangladesh.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Kachari Dimasa |
People Name in Country | Kachari Dimasa |
Natural Name | Dimasa Kachari |
Alternate Names | Bodo Kacari; Boro; Dimasa; कचारी, दिमासा |
Population this Country | 13,000 |
Population all Countries | 186,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 17130 |
ROP3 Code | 112479 |
ROP25 Code | 303448 |
ROP25 Name | Kachari |
Country | Bangladesh | |||
Region | Asia, South | |||
Continent | Asia | |||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||
National Bible Society | Website | |||
Persecution Rank | 30 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||
Total States on file | 3 | |||
Largest States |
|
Country | Bangladesh |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 30 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 3 |
Rajshahi 6,300 | |
Chittagong 3,800 | |
Dhaka 2,600 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.18 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.82 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest Bangladesh census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Dimasa (10,000 speakers) | |||
Language Code | dis Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 3 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Dimasa (10,000 speakers) |
Language Code | dis Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 3 |
Secondary Languages | |
Bengali 2,400 | |
Chittagonian 300 | |
People Groups | Speaking Dimasa |
Primary Language: Dimasa
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1905-1908) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (2005) |
Bible-Complete | No |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | God's Story video | God's Story |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Dimasa | Jesus Film Project |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
General | YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio | YouVersion Bibles |
Mobile App | Android Bible app: Dimasa | YouVersion Bibles |
Mobile App | iOS Bible app: Dimasa | YouVersion Bibles |
Text / Printed Matter | Literacy primer for Dimasa | Literacy & Evangelism International |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |