The legend about the origin of the community is that one day a man was going to kill a number of cows. Parashuram was at that time practicing austerities in the jungle. Hearing the cries of the sacred animals he rushed to their assistance, but the cow killer was aided by his friends. So Parashuram made five men out of kusha grass and brought them to life by letting drops of his perspiration fall upon them. Hence arose the name Pasi, from the Hindi pasina (sweat). The Pasi community is especially numerous in India, but they also live in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Despite this flattering legend, the Pasi people have low status in South Asia, especially among other Hindus. They have "untouchable" status, which is very low. Their occupation involves producing toddy, an alcoholic beverage. Both Hindus and Muslims frown on the use of alcohol, but there is a demand. The Pasi community may at one time herded pigs, a profession that would give them low status among Muslims.
This community speaks a number of languages, so they might need separate church planting projects for each language group.
The Pasi people practice Hinduism, which has left its mark in all countries of South Asia. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods like Christians or Jews. There are other Hindus who are much more philosophical, especially among the Brahmins. Almost all Hindus participate in yearly celebrations like Holi, the festival of colors and the start of spring / Diwali, the festival of lights / Navratri, the celebration of autumn / and Rama Navami, Rama's birthday.
This community speaks a number of languages. Separate church planting projects may be needed for each language group. Stories from Scripture, films, recordings, and gospel radio for each language spoken by the Pasi community will be helpful.
May God overthrow spiritual forces of darkness opposing the spread of his gospel among the Pasi community. Pray for the followers of Christ that will soon develop within the Pasi community, that the Lord will provide pastors and teachers for them, and for them to become well-grounded in the faith, fully trusting in Christ. Pray the Pasi community will increasingly be aware of their need to know and follow the creator God.
Scripture Prayers for the Pasi (Hindu traditions) in India.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
Global Prayer Digest: 2017-10-13 |
Global Prayer Digest: 2020-03-13 |
People Name General | Pasi (Hindu traditions) |
People Name in Country | Pasi (Hindu traditions) |
Pronunciation |
PAH-see
|
Alternate Names | Byadha; Gaiduha; Passi; Tarmali; Trisuliya; पासी (हिंदू ट्रेडिशन्स) |
Population this Country | 5,914,000 |
Population all Countries | 5,925,000 |
Total Countries | 3 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 3 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 118 |
People ID | 17852 |
ROP3 Code | 113327 |
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 | 20 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States (only 15 largest shown) |
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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 | 20 |
Uttar Pradesh 6,591,000 | |
Bihar 877,000 | |
Jharkhand 73,000 | |
Delhi 60,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 55,000 | |
Haryana 52,000 | |
Punjab 39,000 | |
West Bengal 30,000 | |
Maharashtra 25,000 | |
Chandigarh 21,000 | |
Uttarakhand 20,000 | |
Tripura 6,500 | |
Chhattisgarh 4,600 | |
Gujarat 4,100 | |
Rajasthan 4,000 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.16 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.08 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.69 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.06 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Hindi (5,225,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 25 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (5,225,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 25 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Awadhi 939,000 | |
Bhojpuri 804,000 | |
Kanauji 366,000 | |
Magahi 161,000 | |
Bagheli 68,000 | |
Maithili 48,000 | |
Bundeli 45,000 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 36,000 | |
Bengali 35,000 | |
Marathi 20,000 | |
Garhwali 8,800 | |
Haryanvi 7,900 | |
Angika 5,200 | |
Malvi 4,100 | |
Gujarati 3,500 | |
People Groups | Speaking Hindi |
Primary Language: Hindi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1806-1962) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1811-1998) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1818-2022) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Map Source | People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |