At the beginning of the 20th century, the Gagra people were nomadic people who hunted for a living. Some have merged with other hunting peoples, so their numbers are declining. Living in a densely populated part of the world like northern India, they eventually had to become more like the people around them. Most have taken low-paying and low social status jobs. They once used to catch and apply leeches to remove impure blood as a service. Those that live in cities are likely to be rickshaw pullers or sweepers, both low-status jobs.
They have many "gotras" or clan-based communities based on lineage. When looking for a mate, the Gagra people avoid members of their own gotra, but also the gotra of their mother's brother and father's brother. There is confusion about their religious affiliation, though they are listed as unreached Hindus. One source says that they used to marry according to Muslim traditions, but now use Sikh marriage ceremonies instead. (Most live in Punjab, India's only state with a Sikh majority). That same source says that they can be Hindu, Sikh, or Christian.
The Gagra people will accept the help of modern medical health centers, but they will not approach the police or courts for justice. It did not say why, but most likely they have had bad experiences with India's judicial system.
Though we know little about their religious affiliation, we know that they need Christ.
Pray that they will have the opportunity to experience Christ's lavish, limitless love.
Scripture Prayers for the Gagra in India.
Profile Source: Global Prayer Digest |
Global Prayer Digest: 2018-11-23 |
People Name General | Gagra |
People Name in Country | Gagra |
Alternate Names | Gandola; Jonkawala; Jonkawale; Jukera; गगरा |
Population this Country | 1,300 |
Population all Countries | 1,300 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 16771 |
ROP3 Code | 112026 |
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 | 4 | ||||||
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 | 4 |
Punjab 900 | |
Haryana 200 | |
Chandigarh 100 | |
Himachal Pradesh 40 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
83.64 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
16.36 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Punjabi, Eastern (800 speakers) | |||
Language Code | pan Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||
Total Languages | 2 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Punjabi, Eastern (800 speakers) |
Language Code | pan Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 2 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 300 | |
People Groups | Speaking Punjabi, Eastern |
Primary Language: Punjabi, Eastern
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1818-1954) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1815-2011) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1959-2021) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
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. |