Subgroups: 1
Subgroup Name | Population ▼ | |
---|---|---|
Manser | 26,000 |
The Adi Dravida of southern India were called the Paraiyar. Due to the negative connotation of the name Paraiyar or pariah in English, the leaders of this community in the early 20th century requested that their name become Adi Dravida or "original Dravidians." Today, the Adi Dravida are a scheduled caste which means they receive special benefits for government jobs and places in education to rectify past societal wrongs. In the past, many of the Adi Dravida were indigent agricultural workers tied to the land. They were also forced to live by themselves in hamlets outside the other villages and towns.
The Adi Dravida live primarily in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kanarkata. Some are scattered across the rest of India. They speak Tamil and other regional languages.
The Adi Dravida have been poor farmers and agricultural workers. Some own their own land while others labor for land owners. Some Adi Dravida are shoe makers and leather workers. Others dig graves and take care of funerals.
The Adi Dravida are endogamous; that is, they marry within their caste. They do not practice child marriage.
The men spend the day working the soil growing rice, other grains, fruits and vegetables. Women tend to family responsibilities and also help the men in the fields. Unfortunately, illiteracy is high among the Adi Dravida. By giving the Adi Dravida scheduled status the Indian government is trying to increase literacy and access to higher paying jobs. Some Adi Dravida are educated and entered professions like medicine, engineering and law.
Most Adi Dravida are Hindu. They worship the Hindu gods like Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, Krishna and Hanuman. Due to their low caste, sometimes Adi Dravida have not been allowed entry into Hindu temples. This fact has led some leaders to encourage the people to leave Hinduism and to embrace Buddhism.
Pray that God would create a hunger for His Word among the Adi Dravida. The complete Bible is available in Tamil.
Pray that the Lord would lead Indian Christians to become friends with the Adi Dravida to help them with their educational and vocational needs.
Pray that the small number of Adi Dravida Christians will be discipled and share the gospel with their brothers and sisters.
Scripture Prayers for the Adi Dravida in India.
Profile Source: David Kugel |
People Name General | Adi Dravida |
People Name in Country | Adi Dravida |
Pronunciation |
AH-dee DRAH-vee-dah
|
Alternate Names | Adi Dravidar; Chakkiliyan; Harijan; Harijans; Madiga; Mala; Parayan; Pariyar; Samban; आदि ड्रॅविडा |
Population this Country | 10,144,000 |
Population all Countries | 10,144,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 4 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 203 |
People ID | 16164 |
ROP3 Code | 111266 |
ROP25 Code | 300049 |
ROP25 Name | Adi Dravida |
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 | 29 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States (only 15 largest shown) |
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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 | 29 (only 20 largest shown) |
Tamil Nadu 8,637,000 | |
Karnataka 947,000 | |
Andhra Pradesh 315,000 | |
Puducherry 170,000 | |
Maharashtra 50,000 | |
Delhi 6,800 | |
Kerala 5,100 | |
Gujarat 2,700 | |
Odisha 2,300 | |
Madhya Pradesh 1,500 | |
West Bengal 1,400 | |
Uttar Pradesh 1,000 | |
Jharkhand 800 | |
Telangana 700 | |
Chhattisgarh 500 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.09 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.10 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.81 %
|
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 | Tamil (7,695,000 speakers) | |||||||||
Language Code | tam Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||
Total Languages | 9 | |||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Tamil (7,695,000 speakers) |
Language Code | tam Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 9 |
Secondary Languages | |
Telugu 449,000 | |
Kannada 346,000 | |
Tulu 54,000 | |
Konkani, Goan 4,600 | |
Malayalam 4,500 | |
Odia 400 | |
English 300 | |
Konkani 200 | |
People Groups | Speaking Tamil |
Primary Language: Tamil
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1714-1956) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1715-1998) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1727-2021) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Copyrighted © 2023 Dr. Nagaraja Sharma - Shutterstock All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | David Kugel |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |