The 89,000 Dandasi people live mainly in India's Orissa state. Thus, they speak the state language of Oriya. Traditionally they have been village watchmen who carried sticks and swords to protect the village. The name Dandasi means, "worthy of punishment." Today most of them no longer work in this occupation; instead they are usually either agricultural or industrial laborers. As a general rule, their wives work at home, but those who do agricultural work rely on their wives for some of the labor—collecting firewood and taking care of livestock.
The Dandasi people practice cross-cousin marriages that are arranged through family negotiations. The wedding ceremony takes place at the bride's home, but it is consummated at the groom's home.
This is a Hindu people group that worships many Hindu gods along with local deities. They believe in supernatural elements and ancestral spirits that they hope will benefit them.
They would like to have formal education for their children, but they have few educational opportunities due to their poor economic situation. Thus they have a low literacy rate. Unfortunately, they are dependent on money-lenders which puts them in a vulnerable situation economically. Money lenders in India are noted for charging usury.
Pray that the Dandasi people will take the initiative to seek and find Christ, the only one who can give them life to the full. Pray that many of their headmen and community leaders will put their trust in Jesus.
Scripture Prayers for the Dandasi in India.
Profile Source: Global Prayer Digest |
People Name General | Dandasi |
People Name in Country | Dandasi |
Alternate Names | Dandari; दण्दसी |
Population this Country | 81,000 |
Population all Countries | 81,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 4 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 16668 |
ROP3 Code | 111883 |
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 | 5 | ||||||
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 | 5 |
Odisha 74,000 | |
Andhra Pradesh 6,200 | |
Tamil Nadu 200 | |
Delhi 100 | |
Telangana 100 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.06 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.85 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.09 %
|
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 | Odia (63,000 speakers) | |||
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 3 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Odia (63,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 3 |
Secondary Languages | |
Telugu 4,800 | |
Hindi 600 | |
People Groups | Speaking Odia |
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 |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Global Prayer Digest |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |