Traditionally the Sonjhara panned for gold in rivers, but the gold ran out and they had to make changes. They have been associated with the Gond tribe, but they are not the same. This group has low status in Hindu society.
They live in the central states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
The Sonjhara people are usually farmers and livestock herders today.
The Sonjhara 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.
Like all other peoples of the world, this people group needs the blessings and divine guidance that only Jesus Christ can offer.
Pray for the Lord to bless this community economically and spiritually.
Ask God to raise up Sonjhara people who are more desirous to know the truth than to stay on the broad road.
Ask God to send loving, committed workers to the Sonjhara in the near future.
Pray the Sonjhara would no longer be hidden away from the influence of Christ.
Pray for many of them to make disciples who will make even more disciples.
Scripture Prayers for the Sonjhara in India.
http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Sonjhara
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Sonjhara |
People Name in Country | Sonjhara |
Alternate Names | सोनझारा |
Population this Country | 22,000 |
Population all Countries | 22,000 |
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 | 18151 |
ROP3 Code | 113661 |
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 | 4 | ||||||
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 | 4 |
Odisha 19,000 | |
Maharashtra 1,900 | |
Chhattisgarh 800 | |
Madhya Pradesh 400 | |
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 | Odia (14,000 speakers) | |||
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 4 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Odia (14,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 4 |
Secondary Languages | |
Chhattisgarhi 2,600 | |
Hindi 1,900 | |
Bengali 300 | |
People Groups | Speaking Odia |
Primary Language: Odia
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1811-1956) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1809-2000) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1815-2021) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
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. |