Guna 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 small, virtually unknown Guna community know very little about their past. They claim to have migrated from elsewhere, but they do not know when or from where. During feudal times they were probably soldiers or land owners. Their current status is in question, though it is low. However, they consider themselves to be a high caste, something that no other community would agree with.


Where Are they Located?

Today they live in settlements in the hills of southern Odisha. The climate tends to be cold, humid, rainy, and heavily forested.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Guna people have only one gotra (clan), called Nagesa. They do, however, have several surnames. Men usually marry their cousins, and parents decide who marries who. After the wedding, the bride lives with her husband's family. The Guna usually have nuclear families rather than extended ones.

Guna women work hard, assisting their husbands and families. Like other rural Indian communities, women collect fuel and water. These women often find leaf-plates to sell to supplement the family income. The more fortunate members of this community hold government jobs or run grocery stories.

The Guna people do not have much in the way of their own art forms, though their women are adept at floor paintings and the men are skilled with ornate carpentry. They love folk tales and folk songs, but they seldom play instruments. Apart from the Danda Nacha, performed by men, they do not have their own folk dance.

They do not share water sources with other communities, which isolates them in a sense, since that means less contact. They also have roads that connect their communities with one another, making it more possible for them to remain culturally clustered.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Like many Hindu communities, the Guna people worship village and regional deities. When they go to a temple, they employ sacred specialists from higher communities.


What Are Their Needs?

The Guna people need the chance to excel spiritually through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Guna people to have a spiritual thirst that will lead them to gospel materials and Jesus Christ.
Pray that Guna elders will become followers of Jesus, throwing open the doors for others to follow Him as well.
Pray for workers to go to the Guna people with resources to help them transform their communities in ways that honor the Lord.


Scripture Prayers for the Guna in India.


References

Peoples of India: Odisha, vol XVI, part 1, pp 692-696.


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Guna
People Name in Country Guna
Alternate Names Guniya; गुना
Population this Country 2,300
Population all Countries 2,300
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 16882
ROP3 Code 112167
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 2
Largest States
Odisha
2,200
Tripura
70
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 2
  Odisha 2,200
  Tripura 70
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 Odia (1,700 speakers)
Language Code ory   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Kuvi
400
Primary Language Odia (1,700 speakers)
Language Code ory   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Kuvi 400
People Groups Speaking Odia

Primary Language:  Odia

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1811-1956)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1809-2000)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1815-2021)
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 One Story
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Odia 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 and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
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 Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links (Oriya) 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 Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app: Odia YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Odia (Oriya) / English Bible (AKJV) General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible App: Odiya Bible (ଓଡିଆ ବାଇବେଲ) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Oriya Study Bible Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Odiya Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
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: Odia YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Odiya Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
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
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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