Gurung Ghaleg in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

Gurung Ghaleg history is clouded with uncertainty because of their lack of a written script in the past. Legends were handed down orally from one generation to the next. We do know that, during the 15th century, a Gurung king named Ghale Raja was overthrown by a Nepali king. In the 16th century the Khasa armies took over large tracts of land in Nepal and the Gurung came under their control. The Gurung were highly regarded as fighters and many of them were enlisted in the Khasa's armies. Later, after the British took control of India, many Gurung men were enlisted as Gurkha soldiers in the British army. Thousands have served in places from Hong Kong to Bosnia and the Falkland Islands.

Like most people groups, the Gurung have subgroups. The Ghaleg are one of the subgroups of the Gurung people. Their primary language is Western Gurung. They live in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and northeastern India.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Because the Ghaleg are a subgroup of the bigger Gurung people, there is little or no information about their daily activities. Most likely they serve in the military like other Gurung people.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Religion plays an important role in the everyday lives of most Gurung peoples. Their belief system is a mixture of Buddhism, Hinduism and shamanism. As one researcher wrote, "Buddhism is followed by the Gurungs today although in ancient times they practiced the animistic and shamanistic form of religion similar to the pre-Buddhist Bon religion of the Himalayan regions." The Gurung groups are usually Tibetan Buddhists, though they have Hindu elements. The ceremonies and rituals that the Gurung perform have mixed origins. One interesting custom, called tuno bandhane, takes place three days after the birth of a baby. It involves wrapping the newborn baby in a long piece of cloth.

Less than one out of every thousand Ghaleg Gurung people are Christians today. The Western Gurung New Testament was first published in 1982, but it has fallen out of print since because of the small number of Western Gurung Christians and because there is no demand for it.


What Are Their Needs?

The Ghaleg Gurung need the chance to hear and respond to Christ's offer of life to the full. They are unreached in every country of South Asia where they live.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love.

Pray that the Ghaleg Gurung people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.

Pray for workers who are driven by the love and boldness of the Holy Spirit to go to them.

Pray for a movement to Christ among them to begin this decade.


Scripture Prayers for the Gurung Ghaleg in India.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurung_people


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Gurung Ghaleg
People Name in Country Gurung Ghaleg
Alternate Names Birbangshi; Daduwa; Gurkhal; Gurum; Gurun; Kyi; Manang; Syangja; Tamu; Tamu Kyi; Western Gurung; गुरुंग
Population this Country 131,000
Population all Countries 747,000
Total Countries 4
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 2
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 4  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 15366
ROP3 Code 110781
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 26
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
West Bengal
95,000
Assam
26,000
Sikkim
3,400
Arunachal Pradesh
1,300
Meghalaya
900
Himachal Pradesh
800
Uttar Pradesh
600
Manipur
500
Mizoram
400
Nagaland
400
Andhra Pradesh
200
Delhi
200
Uttarakhand
200
Tripura
200
Rajasthan
100
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 26  (only 20 largest shown)
  West Bengal 95,000
  Assam 26,000
  Sikkim 3,400
  Arunachal Pradesh 1,300
  Meghalaya 900
  Himachal Pradesh 800
  Uttar Pradesh 600
  Manipur 500
  Mizoram 400
  Nagaland 400
  Andhra Pradesh 200
  Delhi 200
  Uttarakhand 200
  Tripura 200
  Rajasthan 100
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
25.14 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
12.57 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
61.49 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.80 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Nepali (77,000 speakers)
Language Code npi   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 6
Secondary Languages
Gurung
39,000
Bengali
600
Assamese
300
Newar: Newar
60
Kurux
50
Primary Language Nepali (77,000 speakers)
Language Code npi   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 6
Secondary Languages
  Gurung 39,000
  Bengali 600
  Assamese 300
  Newar: Newar 60
  Kurux 50
People Groups Speaking Nepali

Primary Language:  Nepali

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1850-1961)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1821-2010)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1914-2024)
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
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Nepali Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video New Way (Naya Goreto) Create International
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Nepali YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Nepali Bible Biblica
Mobile App Android Bible app: Nepali Bible The Love Fellowship
Mobile App Android Bible app: TBS Nepali Bible General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Nepali Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Ek Rasta Nepali General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Nepali Bible Stories Internet Publishing Sevice
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Nepali YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Bible: Comic Book Version Super Bible / Comic Bible Society
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Nepali Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Timothy Two Project International 
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.


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