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).
There are separate Pasi communities, some are Muslim, but most are Hindu. They have subgroups, one of which is the Rajpasi. They are especially numerous in Uttar Pradesh, but they also live in Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Despite this flattering legend, the Rajpasi 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. At one time the Pasi community may have herded pigs.
This community speaks a number of languages, so they might need separate church planting projects for each language group.
The Rajpasi 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 Rajpasi Pasi community will be helpful.
Pray for God to bless every Pasi community economically and spiritually as a testimony of his goodness and power.
May God overthrow spiritual forces of darkness opposing the spread of his gospel among the Rajpasi Pasi community.
Pray for the followers of Christ that will soon develop within the Rajpasi 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 Rajpasi Pasi community will increasingly be aware of their need to know and follow the creator God.
Scripture Prayers for the Pasi Rajpasi in India.
https://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2017/10/13
https://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2020/03/13
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-history-of-Pasi-caste
https://www.indianetzone.com/31/pasi_aboriginal_race.htm
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Pasi Rajpasi |
People Name in Country | Pasi Rajpasi |
Natural Name | Rajpasi Pasi |
Alternate Names | |
Population this Country | 1,591,000 |
Population all Countries | 1,591,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 32 |
People ID | 21773 |
ROP3 Code | 118560 |
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 | 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 | 15 |
Uttar Pradesh 1,303,000 | |
Bihar 206,000 | |
Jharkhand 14,000 | |
Delhi 11,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 8,800 | |
Punjab 6,800 | |
West Bengal 5,600 | |
Maharashtra 4,700 | |
Chandigarh 2,400 | |
Chhattisgarh 1,600 | |
Tripura 1,500 | |
Uttarakhand 1,100 | |
Gujarat 700 | |
Andaman and Nicobar 500 | |
Haryana 100 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.07 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.19 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.69 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.05 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Hindi (752,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 18 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (752,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 18 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Awadhi 286,000 | |
Kanauji 156,000 | |
Bhojpuri 75,000 | |
Magahi 34,000 | |
Maithili 9,100 | |
Bengali 5,900 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 5,200 | |
Marathi 3,000 | |
Angika 1,300 | |
Chhattisgarhi 900 | |
Malvi 900 | |
Bundeli 400 | |
Garhwali 300 | |
Kumaoni 300 | |
Gujarati 200 | |
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 data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |