Introduction / History

The 5,400 Godra people live in India's eastern state Odisha, where the key trade language is Oriya. They speak Oriya at home.

Traditionally they were hunters and gatherers, but because of deforestation, they now eke out a living by making baskets out of bamboo or working as wage laborers. Needless to say, basket makers don't make much money, and the Godra people are very poor. Their children rarely make it past primary education, and their literacy rate is low, helping to ensure that their poverty will continue for years to come.

At the village level, Godras are governed by a council called jati samaj. This council is headed by a chief known as behera. When settling disputes, the behera is assisted by community elders. A step above the village council is the regional council.
Their marriages are monogamous, and they don't allow for divorce. They practice adult marriage. All sons have equal inheritance, but the oldest son succeeds his father as head. A man is given permission to marry the younger sister of his deceased wife, and a woman is permitted to marry the younger brother of her deceased husband. People acquire a spouse through negotiations, though sometimes the couple decides for themselves that they should marry.

What Are Their Beliefs?

These Hindus service and worship family, clan, village, and regional deities. They also worship certain Hindu gods such as Lakshmi and Durga. They have their own priests and sacred specialists, though they sometimes employ sacred specialists from other communities for life cycle ceremonies.

Prayer Points

* Pray that these people will abandon all their other gods and give Jesus Christ their entire devotion and obedience.
* Pray for their communities to be saturated with Christian materials in their Oriya language.