Devendrakulathan 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

The members of the Devendrakulam caste claim they gained their name because they are the descendants of Lord Indra, King of the Devas. Leaders of their community were brought to the temple with great fanfare. They would be riding on an elephant with white umbrellas and there would be trumpet and drum players. These were the privileges only the ancient Tamil kings had and were passed on to their descendants. The Devendrakulathan community now has Scheduled Caste status. They resent this large drop-in status. History explains how their status dropped so drastically. Research suggests that they are the descendants of Tamil kings who ruled what is now Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, part of Andhra Pradesh, and Maharasthra during ancient periods and Tamil Nadu up to the 16th Century. After the invasion of the Vijaynagar and Maratha Empires, Tamil kings and their community were relieved of their titles and land. They became agricultural laborers on the farms which they once owned. This new situation continued during the 17th Century until the mid-20th Century. The Devendrakulam now live in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the people of this caste are involved in agriculture. The people who live in villages have their own self-government. They have special priests for temples, barbers, clothes washers, and medical workers in villages. These people also have their own temples that are called King Temples. They are also the priests in village temples and shrines, exclusively owned by these people.


What Are Their Beliefs?

During the height of their culture, this people group built and owned many prominent temples. They take great pride in their past. This pride ties them to the Hindu religious system.


What Are Their Needs?

The Devendrakulathan people need to put all their trust in Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life God offers them. They need to learn new job skills so they can improve their position in Indian society.


Prayer Points

Pray for a spiritual hunger that will drive the Devendrakulathan people to seek and find Jesus Christ. Pray for the Lord to send out workers to tell them about Jesus. Pray for a disciple making movement to flourish among the Devendrakulathan people this decade.


Scripture Prayers for the Devendrakulathan in India.


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Devendrakulathan
People Name in Country Devendrakulathan
Alternate Names Devandrakulathan; Devendra Kulathan; Devendrakulavellalar; Devendran; Kudumbar; Kundumban; Mallar; Pallan; Pallar; Pannadi; Ponnad; Ponnadi; देवेंड्रकूलतान
Population this Country 98,000
Population all Countries 98,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 4  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 2
PeopleID3 16694
ROP3 Code 111922
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 6
Largest States
Tamil Nadu
97,000
Kerala
1,100
Andhra Pradesh
200
Delhi
100
Puducherry
50
Odisha
10
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 6
  Tamil Nadu 97,000
  Kerala 1,100
  Andhra Pradesh 200
  Delhi 100
  Puducherry 50
  Odisha 10
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
100.00 %
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 Tamil (87,000 speakers)
Language Code tam   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
Malayalam
500
Telugu
100
Primary Language Tamil (87,000 speakers)
Language Code tam   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
  Malayalam 500
  Telugu 100
People Groups Speaking Tamil

Primary Language:  Tamil

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1714-1956)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1715-1998)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1727-2024)
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 General Ministry Resources General / Other
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Tamil 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 Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
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 Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Comprehensive list of Tamil Resources General / Other
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 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 Gospel website in this language General / Other
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
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app: Pastors Study Bible Tamil Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible app: Tamil YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible App: Tamil Bible (தமிழ் பைபிள்) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Tamil Study Bible Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Tamil Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Tamil YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Tamil Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Tamil Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Panisa007 - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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