Kuravan means palmistry. In Tamil Nadu, Kuravan means hill man. They are a scheduled caste. They live scattered throughout the southern half of India, though some live further north in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
Except for the ones in Kerala, the literacy level is low. They have cousin marriages. The Kuravan work as farmers or day laborers. Some of their men make baskets. Others tell fortunes for a fee. Some do tattoos or paint for a living.
They use modern medicines. Boys are more likely to get an education than girls.
The Kuravan 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.
The Kuravan people need to put their hope in the King of kings, realizing that he is the one who gives them worth and dignity.
Pray that God will give the Kuravan dreams and visions leading them to Jesus Christ.
Pray that gospel recordings will lead them to salvation.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out loving workers.
Scripture Prayers for the Kuravan (Hindu traditions) in India.
Singh, K. S., ed. "India's Communities A-Z", Oxford University Press, USA 1999
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Kuravan (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Kuravan (Hindu traditions) |
Alternate Names | Adekar Kala Koran; Kulavan; Kuruva; Kuruvan; Malai Kuravan; Manga Nadisuvavaru; Sidhanar; Sidhnar; Vedar; Veduvar; कुरवाँ |
Population this Country | 497,000 |
Population all Countries | 501,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 10 |
People ID | 17341 |
ROP3 Code | 112724 |
Country | India | |||||||||||||||
Region | Asia, South | |||||||||||||||
Continent | Asia | |||||||||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||||||||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | |||||||||||||||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||||||||||||||
Total States on file | 14 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States |
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Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | |||||||||||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 14 |
Kerala 327,000 | |
Tamil Nadu 155,000 | |
Andhra Pradesh 2,700 | |
Maharashtra 2,600 | |
Delhi 800 | |
Karnataka 700 | |
Puducherry 600 | |
Telangana 300 | |
Chandigarh 80 | |
Madhya Pradesh 80 | |
Odisha 50 | |
Goa 40 | |
Andaman and Nicobar 30 | |
Chhattisgarh 20 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.05 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.02 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.93 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.01 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Malayalam (276,000 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | mal Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 5 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Malayalam (276,000 speakers) |
Language Code | mal Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 5 |
Secondary Languages | |
Tamil 149,000 | |
Konkani 400 | |
Kannada 200 | |
Konkani, Goan 30 | |
People Groups | Speaking Malayalam |
Primary Language: Malayalam
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1811-1968) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1829-1995) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1841-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
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Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
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. |