Nicobarese in India

The Nicobarese have only been reported in India
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Subgroups: 2

Subgroup Name Population
Nicobarese Central 11,000
Nicobarese Southern 3,500

Introduction / History

It is festival time in the Andamans. One can see colourful decorations on the poles, on the palm trees and practically everywhere. The islanders gather outside on the sands under the bright full moon that shines through the palm branches. The dancers, dressed in their traditional costumes made of coconut leaves, get ready to dance to the music of the leader, with the accompaniment of a guitar. They move gracefully to the rhythm of the traditional songs, which the leader sings in a monotonous, intense tone. The dancers step left and right according to the leader's direction. They jump in unison and come down on both heels.

This goes on throughout the night, followed by a grand feast, which is the popular Ossuary Feast of the Nicobarese, more commonly known as the Pig Festival. This dance is an expression of one's dedication to the departed head of the family. Nicobarese are the natives of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (12 inhabited). Most of the Indian languages are spoken in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, because of their cosmopolitan nature. In addition to these, Karen, a language with Burmese script, and tribal scripts and dialects like Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese and Andamanese, are used by the people.

Around 70% of Nicobare are members of a tribal community. Nicobari and Shompen are the major ones, with Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese being very few in number. Most of the Nicobarese are Christians, but they do not have any Scripture in their language. There are no gospel tools or radio broadcasts, except for a few gospel recordings. Apart from the major tribes, the others still maintain their own distinct religious and cultural identity. Since the Tsunami, many mission agencies have had the chance to work in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, most of them are focused on the welfare of the community, with just a few sharing the Good News with the natives of the islands.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Nicobarese in India.


Profile Source:   Anonymous  

People Name General Nicobarese
People Name in Country Nicobarese
Alternate Names Car Nicobarese; Central Nicobarese; Kar Nicobarese; निकोबरेसए
Population this Country 32,000
Population all Countries 32,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 3
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 17780
ROP3 Code 113244
ROP25 Code 306080
ROP25 Name Nicobarese
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)
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 1
  Andaman and Nicobar 32,000
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.31 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
95.38 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.46 %
Islam
3.72 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.13 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Nicobarese, Car (19,000 speakers)
Language Code caq   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
Nicobarese, Central
6,600
Nicobarese, Southern
1,800
Hindi
100
English
30
Telugu
10
Tamil
Naga, Lotha
Primary Language Nicobarese, Car (19,000 speakers)
Language Code caq   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
  Nicobarese, Central 6,600
  Nicobarese, Southern 1,800
  Hindi 100
  English 30
  Telugu 10
  Tamil 10
  Naga, Lotha 0
People Groups Speaking Nicobarese, Car

Primary Language:  Nicobarese, Car

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1913-1954)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1940)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1969-2014)
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Nicobarese, Car YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Nicobarese, Car YouVersion Bibles
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Anonymous 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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