Sounti people are one of the 46 scheduled tribes of Orissa in East Central India. The word "Sounti" comes from the word Sounta and means "gathered." From 16 main tribes, they, alone, have received recognition. They are known for living peacefully with other tribes.
It has been said that many were outcasts from Oriya castes. Their number became larger very quickly; they willingly received other outcasts.
Sounti people live in Orissa.
Sounti people speak, read, and write mainly in Oriya, though many are illiterate. They have a traditional local council. They share wells with their neighbors. They have their own healthcare but they also use modern medicine. Sounti people work primarily in agriculture. Women do housework and are laborers. They have festivals and enjoy music and dance. They only marry within their social group. They are not vegetarians and rice is their main cereal. They have one spouse, and divorce is allowed. Inheritance is intended for males, and the oldest son becomes the leader of the family.
They are mostly Hindus, and follow local traditions.
They have a low literacy level requiring audio and visual resources which are available, including the printed New Testament in the Oriya language. Someone needs to take these resources to the Sounti people in this predominantly Hindu culture.
Pray that long-term workers will be sent to Orissa to earn confidence of Sounti people.
Pray that doors will open for Scripture resources to be used to reach Sounti people with the truth of the gospel.
Pray that Sounti people will begin to question the nature of the gods they have worshipped for centuries.
Scripture Prayers for the Sounti in India.
Profile Source: Karen Hightower |
People Name General | Sounti |
People Name in Country | Sounti |
Alternate Names | सौंती |
Population this Country | 136,000 |
Population all Countries | 136,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 3 |
People ID | 18155 |
ROP3 Code | 113666 |
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 | 2 | |||
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 | 2 |
Odisha 133,000 | |
Delhi 100 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.10 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.53 %
|
Islam |
0.07 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.02 %
|
Unknown |
0.29 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Odia (110,000 speakers) | ||||||||||||
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing | ||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||||||||
Total Languages | 12 | ||||||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
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 | Karen Hightower |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |