Because of their tribal background and lack of literacy skills, people know very little about the history of the Paharias. The Paharias live mainly in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. There are also scattered groups of them in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. They have two subgroups.
The Paharias are one of India's poorest tribes. The Indian government labels them a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. If they didn't have government welfare programs, many would starve. They used to have access to bamboo, which they used for weaving baskets, but today they need to walk for two days to find a good source of this resource. The Indian government is trying to find ways for them to earn a living by offering a couple of jobs, but ultimately, the Pardhis will need education and training.
The Pahari are all Hindu and follow the basic Hindu customs and traditions. "Hinduism" has no founder, no prophet, and no instructional system. It is a way of living much more than a theology; it is a philosophy more than a religion. Contrary to popular belief in the West, Hinduism is not an ancient, fixed set of beliefs. Rather, it is a body of customs, practices, and beliefs that go through major changes every few hundred years.
The majority, though not all, of Hindus believe in a supreme being. Some respect all life and eat only vegetables, while others will gladly eat meat from sacrifices in the temple. To some, their religion is highly personal; to others, it is impersonal. While most Hindus worship Brahman (the creator), Shiva (the destroyer), Vishnu (the preserver), and the goddess Shaktri, they also worship a pantheon of other minor gods, their incarnations, spouses, or offspring. A belief in reincarnation (continual cycle of death and rebirth) is one of the few unifying features of Hinduism.
Most Hindu groups also have their own unique beliefs and deities, and the Pardhis are no exception. They worship their elders. Their three gods are Dharti, Gorasi and Gosai.
The Paharias cannot continue to live as they have in the past. Believers with marketable skills can teach the youth ways to earn a living in the modern world.
Pray that God will send culturally sensitive missionaries who will show the Paharia community the way to the cross.
Pray for a Christ-ward movement to flourish among the Paharia people in the 2020s.
Pray for the Paharia people to be blessed with peace, joy and spiritual prosperity as they follow Jesus Christ.
Pray for their leaders to have dreams and visions that will open their hearts to Jesus Christ and his ambassadors.
Scripture Prayers for the Paharia in India.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Paharia |
People Name in Country | Paharia |
Alternate Names | Dhanus Savara; Pahad; Pahaidia; Pahaira; Pahari; Pahariya; Pahira; Pahiri; Pahor; Pahriya; Saora Dhanus; पाहरिया |
Population this Country | 19,000 |
Population all Countries | 19,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 17811 |
ROP3 Code | 113284 |
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 | 6 | ||||||
Largest States |
|
||||||
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 | 6 |
West Bengal 8,300 | |
Maharashtra 4,100 | |
Uttar Pradesh 2,400 | |
Chhattisgarh 2,000 | |
Odisha 1,200 | |
Jharkhand 600 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
100.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Santhali (8,400 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | sat Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Primary Dialect | Paharia | ||||||
Dialect Code | 16318 Global Recordings Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 6 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Santhali (8,400 speakers) |
Language Code | sat Ethnologue Listing |
Primary Dialect | Paharia |
Dialect Code | 16318 Global Recordings Listing |
Total Languages | 6 |
Secondary Languages | |
Bengali 2,400 | |
Hindi 2,100 | |
Marathi 1,100 | |
Chhattisgarhi 1,100 | |
Odia 900 | |
People Groups | Speaking Santhali |
Primary Language: Santhali
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1868-1989) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1887-1962) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1914-2005) |
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 | World Christian Videos | World Christian Videos |
General | Bible for Children | Bible for Children |
General | Biblical answers to your questions | Got Questions Ministry |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
General | Gospel website in this language | General / Other |
General | YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio | YouVersion Bibles |
Mobile App | Android Bible app: Santhali | YouVersion Bibles |
Mobile App | iOS Bible app: Santhali | YouVersion Bibles |
Text / Printed Matter | Jesus Messiah comic book | General / Other |
Text / Printed Matter | Literacy primer for Santhali | Literacy & Evangelism International |
Text / Printed Matter | Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies | World Missionary Press |
Photo Source | The Advocacy Project - Flickr Creative Commons |
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. |