Subgroups: 3
Subgroup Name | Population ▼ | |
---|---|---|
Das | 14,000 | |
Dhol | 7,700 | |
Varap | 7,600 |
The Agri are an ethnic community native to Mumbai. They migrated to Mumbai during the 13th century during the reign of Raja Bhimdev. The name Agri (pronounced agari) comes from Agar, a salt-pan. A legend states that two sons, Agla and Mangla, were born to the sage Agasti. The former become the ancestor of the Agris, the latter of the Mangelas (fishermen). The first was told to support himself by the manufacture of salt from the sea, the latter by fishing. The god Parashuram, intending to throw back the sea, was prevented by the intervention of Agri and Mangela women. At their request he consented to throw it back only 27 miles and the strip thus formed become the Konkan, a strip of coastal land. At present the Agri are distributed in Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The Agri of Maharashtra are also known as Agle and Kharpatil.
Agri people are business oriented. People have extensive real estate property which was earlier used for farming. They are fond of gold and Agri women wear gold ornaments. Salt making, fishing and rice farming are the major occupations of this community. Rice bread, steamed rice with meat and fish is their daily diet. Not just men but women also help in earning the daily bread. Women take care of their house as well as manage the professional transactions. This is the major reason why there is no dowry system in this community. The Haldi ceremony is held before the wedding day. On this day men and women gather and dance freely. All young and elderly women are given the freedom to dance. A major turning point in an individual's life is when he or she marries. Giving or receiving a dowry is considered a taboo among the Agri people. If we go through India's history, we find many cases of dominating and suppressing women for dowry. But women in this community are safe.
The large majority of the Agri practice Hinduism, the ancient religion of India. They worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Hindus believe that by performing rituals and good works that they will attain "moksha" or freedom from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Agri 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 as Christians do. There are many forms of Hinduism, each with its own deities and beliefs. They celebrate Ganesh Utsav, Navratri, Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navmi and fairs with devotion. This community is gifted with lovely and traditional customs along with their adventurous and prosperous occupation of fishing.
The Agri people need to put all their trust in Jesus Christ so they can experience life to the full. The Santal would benefit by learning new job skills and improved literacy.
Pray for a spiritual hunger that will give the Agri people a willingness to seek the eternal blessings of Jesus Christ. Pray for a disciple making movement among the Agri people this decade. Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the Agri people.
Scripture Prayers for the Agri in India.
Profile Source: Keith Carey |
Global Prayer Digest: 2008-08-13 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-11-18 |
People Name General | Agri |
People Name in Country | Agri |
Pronunciation |
AH-gree
|
Alternate Names | Aagri; Agle; Kharpatil; Mith Agri; Shilpakar; Silpkar Agri; अग्री |
Population this Country | 523,000 |
Population all Countries | 523,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 10 |
People ID | 16180 |
ROP3 Code | 111284 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Hindu - other |
People Group | Agri |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Affinity Bloc | South Asian Peoples |
People Cluster | South Asia Hindu - other |
People Group | Agri |
Ethnic Code | CNN25 |
Total Subgroups | 3 |
Das 14,000 | |
Dhol 7,700 | |
Varap 7,600 |
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 | 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 | 14 |
Maharashtra 422,000 | |
Gujarat 73,000 | |
Goa 6,800 | |
Uttarakhand 3,300 | |
Madhya Pradesh 3,200 | |
Rajasthan 3,100 | |
Uttar Pradesh 1,100 | |
Chhattisgarh 900 | |
Delhi 800 | |
Karnataka 700 | |
Punjab 100 | |
Dadra and Nagar Have 70 | |
Tamil Nadu 30 | |
West Bengal 20 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
2.27 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
97.73 %
|
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 | Marathi (182,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | mar Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 14 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Marathi (182,000 speakers) |
Language Code | mar Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 14 |
Secondary Languages | |
Konkani, Goan 83,000 | |
Konkani 82,000 | |
Gujarati 69,000 | |
Hindi 11,000 | |
Sindhi 6,000 | |
Garhwali 2,200 | |
Kacchi 1,200 | |
Marwari 600 | |
Kannada 200 | |
Dhundari 100 | |
Kumaoni 100 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 80 | |
Mewari 50 | |
People Groups | Speaking Marathi |
Primary Language: Marathi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1807-1957) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1811-1982) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1821-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Keith Carey |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |