"Oh, this hand of mine!" said the young Birjia woman. She went on to explain in a matter of fact way, tenderly lifting her limply hanging left hand with the right one: "Last year I met with an accident and broke this hand. I don't have enough money to go to the town hospital. Initially there was pain, but now, not much, and I got used to working with one hand. You see, as well as that my husband passed away a few months ago, and I 'm earning for the whole family." This Birjia woman, not in a position to afford medical treatment for her broken hand, had managed to live with it!
Birjia, or Birgia, people are also known as the Bijori. They live mainly in Jharkahand, and some parts of Chhattisgarh. They basically live in the interior of the forests and do not have proper access to the outside world; as a result they lack education and proper medical facilities. Their forest territory is inhabited by a lot of wild animals. The wild animals constantly pose a threat to their crops and their lives.
Despite such a small population of Birjia, there are some Christians, the reason being their receptivity to the Gospel message. It is good to see some Birjia Christians working as pastors, reaching their own people with the Good News. There are also some cross-cultural evangelists. The people are very positive towards any Christian activity. One Birjia Christian is very interested in translating God's Word into his mother tongue. These people are in need of education, medical help and community development. A strong Birjia Christian community would be established only if God's Word is given to them in the language they can best understand - Birjia.
Birjia people are economically very poor; most of them still depend on forest products for their livelihood now. They are short-statured and not very healthy, due to malnutrition. The literacy rate is also very low among them. However the people are very good-natured, and are happy to see outsiders. They warmly welcome even a stranger, and offer to help in every possible way.
The often neglected Birjia people to be given benefits from the government.
Christian workers to go as educationalists, medical workers, Bible translators and literacy workers.
The growing number of Birjia Christians to be rooted in God's Word.
Scripture Prayers for the Birjia in India.
Profile Source: Anonymous |
Other PDF Profile |
People Name General | Birjia |
People Name in Country | Birjia |
Alternate Names | बिरजिया |
Population this Country | 18,000 |
Population all Countries | 19,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 2 ● |
Unreached | No |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | |
People ID | 16463 |
ROP3 Code | 111627 |
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 | 7 | |||||||||
Largest States |
|
|||||||||
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 | 7 |
Jharkhand 7,400 | |
Odisha 6,900 | |
West Bengal 1,500 | |
Maharashtra 500 | |
Assam 500 | |
Bihar 500 | |
Tripura 20 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.07 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
14.06 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
65.17 %
|
Islam |
0.26 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.01 %
|
Unknown |
20.44 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Bijori (7,400 speakers) | |||||||||
Language Code | bix Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||
Language Written | Unknown | |||||||||
Total Languages | 10 | |||||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Bijori (7,400 speakers) |
Language Code | bix Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 10 |
Secondary Languages | |
Odia 3,600 | |
Hindi 2,700 | |
Bengali 300 | |
Assamese 300 | |
Munda 200 | |
Santhali 100 | |
Bhojpuri 70 | |
Magahi 50 | |
Marathi 40 | |
People Groups | Speaking Bijori |
Primary Language: Bijori
Bible Translation Status: Unspecified
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Anonymous |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |