The name of this people group comes from the word nayattu, meaning hunting.
They are one of the lowest of the untouchables of the Hindu castes living in southern India's Malabar Coast. They are probably one of the original inhabitants of Kerala. The Nayadi speak Malayalam. This people group is found only in India, mainly in the state of Kerala with a few also residing in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
In recent years their age old cultural heritage and knowledge systems have been rapidly disappearing. The Nayadi spend their days searching for water and firewood, making ropes, and gathering herbs for sale. Once skilled hunters and trappers, modern Nayadi are scavengers and beggars. Many are reduced to panhandling on city streets.
They have their own peculiar cultural traditions, religious customs, cults, totems, legends, myths, folklores and medicinal practices. These tribals have an in-depth knowledge of the surrounding flora and utilize over 500 plant species for treating various ailments.
As members of low class communities, they may accept assistance from higher classes, but cannot return the favor. They are not accepted by caste Hindus. Until fairly recently the Nayadi were not even allowed to walk the same streets as Brahmins.
The Nayadi believe in a pantheon of Hindu gods. They also worship regional deities such as Mallan, Malavarhy and Parakutty. Being hill dwellers, they worship "maladeivangal" (Gods of the mountains) to appease the mountain spirits for their life and protection.
The Nayadi keep memorial monuments to deceased ancestors beneath a mango tree in a special garden. During this ceremonial ritual, they offer solemn prayers for the souls of the departed in hopes of being protected from the ravages of wild beasts and snakes.
The present generation of Nayadi is struggling to obtain higher education because of their low caste position. The authorities responsible for them turn a blind eye to their plight and sometimes refuse to issue "community certificates," which is necessary for them to pursue education. Children who are educated through various social organizations are often forced to abandon their dream of entering colleges which serve as portals to modern civilization. Their low caste status also blocks access to good employment opportunities which could raise their standard of living.
Pray the Nayadi community gets fair access to clean water, healthcare and education.
Pray that the Lord breaks down the barriers of the caste system so the Nayadi may have justice and equality.
Pray for Holy Spirit empowered laborers to be sent to preach and demonstrate Gods love to them.
Ask God to pour out his Spirit, softening hearts and opening eyes that have been blinded by the god of this world.
Pray for mission agencies and churches in Kerala to have a burden to reach the Nayadi people.
Pray for Nayadi disciples to make more disciples.
Scripture Prayers for the Nayadi in India.
https://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2008/09/11
http://www.keralaculture.org/historic-heritage-gallery/the-nayadi-community-in-kerala/489
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2011/may/11/nayadis-struggling-for-higher-education-252007.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3747563/
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Nayadi |
People Name in Country | Nayadi |
Alternate Names | Nayattukar; Nayudu; नायड़ि |
Population this Country | 101,000 |
Population all Countries | 101,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 17768 |
ROP3 Code | 113229 |
ROP25 Code | 305929 |
ROP25 Name | Nayadi |
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 | 10 | ||||||||||||
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 | 10 |
Gujarat 96,000 | |
Kerala 3,300 | |
Karnataka 700 | |
Dadra and Nagar Have 400 | |
Tamil Nadu 300 | |
Daman and Diu 100 | |
Andhra Pradesh 80 | |
Goa 50 | |
Telangana 30 | |
Puducherry 20 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
100.00 %
|
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 | Gujarati (74,000 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | guj Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 7 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Gujarati (74,000 speakers) |
Language Code | guj Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 7 |
Secondary Languages | |
Hindi 7,200 | |
Malayalam 3,300 | |
Kannada 300 | |
Tamil 100 | |
Konkani 100 | |
Marathi 10 | |
People Groups | Speaking Gujarati |
Primary Language: Gujarati
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1809-1965) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1820-1985) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1823-2021) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source |
(Representative photo) Copyrighted © 2023 Isudas All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |