The Bishnupriya (Manipuri) are a 100% Hindu community living in the northeastern corner of Bangladesh mostly in the Moulvibazar district of Sylhet division. They point to Manipur state of India as their homeland, and they still have a majority of their people in various northeastern states of India.
They are mostly farmers, though their younger generations are becoming increasingly more educated and looking for other opportunities. They are very proud of their culture/religion and are well-known in Bangladesh for their dances; their identity is very much tied to their Hindu culture/religion. Largely because of this, there is still not a single known Christian among the Bishnupriya in Bangladesh.
The Bishnupriya 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.
Missionary activity among them has been and is limited because of their belief that to be Bishnupriya is to be Hindu. Outsiders trying to spread the gospel are not tolerated, and individuals may resist the gospel for fear that they will lose their place in the Bishnupriya society if give Christ their allegiance. Still, because of the Bishnupriya community's desire for development and aid, missionaries can easily gain access to the community by engaging them in the social, economic, and health sectors. Going beyond merely providing aid may prove difficult, however.
Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love. Pray that the Bishnupriya people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings. Pray for workers who are driven by the love and boldness of the Holy Spirit to go to them. Pray for a movement to Christ among them to begin this decade.
Scripture Prayers for the Bishnupriya Manipuri in Bangladesh.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
Other PDF Profile |
People Name General | Bishnupriya Manipuri |
People Name in Country | Bishnupriya Manipuri |
Alternate Names | बिश्णुपूरिया |
Population this Country | 19,000 |
Population all Countries | 123,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 20209 |
ROP3 Code | 115966 |
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 | 2 | |||
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 | 2 |
Sylhet 16,000 | |
Chittagong 2,300 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.24 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.20 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
94.54 %
|
Islam |
3.36 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
1.66 %
|
* From latest Bangladesh census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Bishnupuriya (19,000 speakers) |
Language Code | bpy Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Bishnupuriya (19,000 speakers) |
Language Code | bpy Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Bishnupuriya |
Primary Language: Bishnupuriya
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1995-2011) |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
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 |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Bishnupuriya | Jesus Film Project |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
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. |