Hill Pulayan 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.

Subgroups: 2

Subgroup Name Population
Karavazhi 400
Kurumba 200

Introduction / History

The Hill Pulayan is a tribal people who have lived in south India for over 6000 years. Their name means one who tills the soil. When the Dravidians arrived four thousand years ago, they blended with the Pulayan to become one people. The Aryans conquered the land in the 9th century AD.

Over the years, the Pulayan were deprived of their land and became virtual slaves to the upper castes. The British outlawed slavery in 1855 but this did little to improve the economic or social conditions of the Pulayan. As late as 1900, the Pulayans were not able to attend government schools or enter Hindu temples.

The Pulayan are a Scheduled Caste, meaning they are eligible for special preference in public jobs and university positions. Most Pulayan work as laborers in rice paddies on land they do not own. They also raise goats and collect forest products. Both men and women chew betel, a nut that colors the teeth a distinctive black.

Unfortunately, they are still denied the use of public wells in many areas of south India. Most Pulayan cannot read of write. The main language of the Pulayan is Tamil.


Where Are they Located?

The Hill Pulayan live in Tamil Nadu. A smaller group lives in Kerala.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The lives of the Hill Pulayan are very challenging even in modern India. The caste system operates in rural areas where the Pulayan reside. The Pulayan suffer from discrimination from the Hindu caste members. They are seen as having low status and that everything Pulayan touch is unclean. The Indian government is taking actions against this discrimination but traditions of hundreds of years change slowly in the Indian countryside.

The Pulayans live in mud huts in the forest away from Indian villages. Most do not have electricity, access to clean water or indoors plumbing.

The Pulayans marry within their group. They have their own priests for life ceremonies. They had their own groves and shrines for worship.

The Pulayan are not vegetarians and their main foods are rice, lentils and vegetables. Meat is a luxury only for holidays or feasts.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Hill Pulayan practice Hinduism, strongly influenced by folk religion. They worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon, especially Shiva, the destroyer god and Kali, the goddess of death and sexuality. Hindus believe that by performing rituals and good works that they will attain moksha or freedom from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Pulayan visit their shrines and offer prayers, food, flowers and incense to their gods. They believe they must appease evil spirits and their ancestors.

The main yearly holidays of the Hill Pulayan people are Holi, the festival of colors, Diwali, the festival of lights and Navratri, the celebration of autumn.


What Are Their Needs?

The Pulayan have many pressing needs. They need most of all to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ who can free them from their sins. The Hill Pulayan need help in educating their children, training in job skills and in gaining access to clean water.


Prayer Points

Pray the Lord sends Christians workers to help the Pulayan see the love and mercy of Christ in action.
Pray that God opens the heart of Hill Pulayan families to respond the good news about Christ.
Pray the Pulayan people will understand that Jesus desires to bless Pulayan families and communities, not harm them.
Pray that the small number of Pulayan Christians might be trained to share the gospel with their brothers and sisters.


Scripture Prayers for the Hill Pulayan in India.


References

http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/399/8/08_chapter%201.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulayar
http://en.etnopedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Mala


Profile Source:   David Kugel  

People Name General Hill Pulayan
People Name in Country Hill Pulayan
Alternate Names Mala Pulayan; हिल पुलयन
Population this Country 114,000
Population all Countries 114,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 5  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 2
PeopleID3 16950
ROP3 Code 112253
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 3
Largest States
Tamil Nadu
111,000
Kerala
3,400
Delhi
200
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 3
  Tamil Nadu 111,000
  Kerala 3,400
  Delhi 200
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.47 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
99.49 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.04 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Tamil (88,000 speakers)
Language Code tam   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
Paliyan
12,000
Malayalam
1,000
Primary Language Tamil (88,000 speakers)
Language Code tam   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 3
Secondary Languages
  Paliyan 12,000
  Malayalam 1,000
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)
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YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
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Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
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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
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Mobile App Android Bible app: Pastors Study Bible Tamil Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
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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
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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 Anonymous 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source David Kugel 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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