Pan in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Subgroups: 3

Subgroup Name Population
Desa Pano 115,000
Khonda Pano 115,000
Sawasi 6,100

Introduction / History

Orissa, India is the primary home of the Pano or Pan people. Many Pans also live in other parts of India such as West Bengal, Jharhand and Andhra Pradesh. The Pano or Pan people are distributed in the Balasore, Cuttack, Puri, Dhankanal and Ganjam districts of Orissa and on the border to West Bengal and Bihar. They have endogamous occupational sub-groups known as Bunapano and Dhulipano. They use Shamal as their surnames.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Panos are Oriya speaking people while some of them also speak Hindi. They are non-vegetarian and rice is their staple food. The majority of Panos live by farming or fishing. They take menial jobs because they are Dalits. Pan people have faced considerable health problems related to contaminated water, poor diet, respiratory infections and lack of medical care. Several charitable groups have made efforts to help them with these problems. This has helped, but most of them still face these same problems. Most Panos worship Hindu and village deities and participate in ancestral worship. They are still unreached, according to the Joshua Project web site.

They are divided into a number of lineages, which regulate marriage alliances and indicate one's ancestry. They have only one gotra, the Nagasa. Their traditional and primary occupation is to serve as serfs to the land holding communities. However a few of them are engaged in private business, in cultivation, as daily wage labourers and as musicians. Their literacy rate is 22.8 percent. They use both modern and indigenous medicines.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Pano worship gods and goddesses such as Mahadev and Durga. Their village deities are Lakhmi, Mongla and Jogmaya. Jogmaya is considered to be their chief deity. The Panos have presumed kinship with other communities such as the Mahaprasad, Mokar and the Maitra. They act as musicians during the worship and life cycle rituals of other communities.

"The Panos in our Orissa parish are demanding that they should receive privileges like the Kui Samaj people since they speak Kui. The Kui Samaj resent this and point out that Panos should not have any of the tribal status they have since many of them are Dalit Christians and are therefore beneath them as a people. The Kuis resent any Panos who would try to receive any benefits even though most Panos are living in severe poverty. Many of our Pano Christians face continued persecution from the Hindu groups and even from their own people." The Catholic Priest was explaining to his bishop the seriousness of the problems faced by the Pano people.


Prayer Points

For the salvation of the Pano people and that God may send several Christian workers to work among them and meet their spiritual and physical needs.
For community development programs and opportunities to hear the gospel message through different ways.
Pray that many in Pano communities will know Jesus as Savior.


Scripture Prayers for the Pan in India.


Profile Source:   India Missions Association - Edited by Philipose Vaidyar / Global Prayer Digest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  

Additional Info
Global Prayer Digest: 2008-09-22
Global Prayer Digest: 2009-09-12
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-11-09
People Name General Pan
People Name in Country Pan
Population this Country 1,609,000
Population all Countries 1,613,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 32
Alternate Names Oriya Pan; Pan Tanti; Panaba; Panassa; Pano; Panoriya; Panothia; Pantanti; Samasi; Sawasi; Sut Bauri; Tantabai; Tanti; Tantubai; पं
People ID 17840
ROP3 Code 113314
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 22
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Odisha
1,473,000
West Bengal
33,000
Jharkhand
31,000
Chhattisgarh
24,000
Andhra Pradesh
14,000
Assam
11,000
Bihar
2,700
Karnataka
1,900
Delhi
1,400
Maharashtra
1,000
Manipur
700
Arunachal Pradesh
700
Tripura
500
Madhya Pradesh
300
Rajasthan
200
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 22  (only 20 largest shown)
  Odisha 1,473,000
  West Bengal 33,000
  Jharkhand 31,000
  Chhattisgarh 24,000
  Andhra Pradesh 14,000
  Assam 11,000
  Bihar 2,700
  Karnataka 1,900
  Delhi 1,400
  Maharashtra 1,000
  Manipur 700
  Arunachal Pradesh 700
  Tripura 500
  Madhya Pradesh 300
  Rajasthan 200
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.25 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.39 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
99.36 %
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 (1,218,000 speakers)
Language Code ory   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 27
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Bengali
74,000
Hindi
38,000
Assamese
4,600
Chhattisgarhi
4,200
Sadri
3,600
Panchpargania
2,900
Kui
2,000
Kurux
1,300
Mundari: Bhumij
1,000
Bhojpuri
900
Juang
900
Kudmali
900
Tulu
500
Telugu
500
Santhali
500
Primary Language Odia (1,218,000 speakers)
Language Code ory   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 27
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Bengali 74,000
  Hindi 38,000
  Assamese 4,600
  Chhattisgarhi 4,200
  Sadri 3,600
  Panchpargania 2,900
  Kui 2,000
  Kurux 1,300
  Mundari: Bhumij 1,000
  Bhojpuri 900
  Juang 900
  Kudmali 900
  Tulu 500
  Telugu 500
  Santhali 500
People Groups Speaking Odia
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source India Missions Association - Edited by Philipose Vaidyar / Global Prayer Digest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Read more