Karmali 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 Karmali people of India are a scheduled tribe.


Where Are they Located?

Karmali people live in the state of Jharkhand.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Karmali people build their rectangular homes with mud walls, tiles, bamboo, and wooden walls.
They breed and eat pigs; as a result, other tribes regard them as having low status and do not accept food and water from them.

They have one spouse except in cases of barrenness or the death of a spouse. They don't marry within the same clan or with members of a different tribe. A bride price in paid in cash or with goods by the father of the groom. Fathers or guardians arrange the marriage. The boy's father contacts the girl's father, and the village priest helps to arrange the date of the marriage. A soil digging ritual is performed by women in both houses. The couple has bathing and food regulations. Oil is put on the couple and they are blessed by the families, and a feast follows. The bride stays for a week, then her father takes her home where she stays for one year. Karmali kinship is determined according to parentage and marriage. Lineage is through the father.

Karmali people make baskets, axes and sickles. They sharpen and repair tools and sell them to agricultural tribes and castes. They have difficulty getting raw materials, and daily wage earning has become a common source of income.

Karmali have a community Panchayat (association) and all family leaders are members. The leader is called Mahato and is also the village chief. Panchayats hear cases having to do with divorce.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Karmali people are Hindus who worship many gods. They also believe that spirits of their ancestors live in their houses. They make sacrifices to gods and spirits along with their priests. They also practice witchcraft and celebrate festivals.


What Are Their Needs?

Various visual, audio, and written Christian resources are available in the Hindi language, but Karmali people are still unreached.
They do not see their need for the Savior; their gods have blinded them to God's truth.


Prayer Points

Pray that Karmali people will be drawn to Hindi Christian radio broadcasts.
Pray that Almighty God will raise up Indian churches to lovingly and boldly evangelize this unreached people group resulting in entire Karmali families putting their faith in Jesus Christ and discipling others.
Pray for the Lord to raise up two Karmali believers this year who will spread Christ's fame throughout India.
There are Karmali believers in neighboring Bangladesh; pray that they will make disciples of their kinsmen in India.


Scripture Prayers for the Karmali in India.


References

www.indianetzone.com/56/karmali_tribe.htmhttps://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17102


Profile Source:   Karen Hightower  

People Name General Karmali
People Name in Country Karmali
Pronunciation kar-MAH-lee
Alternate Names Kamalia; Karnalia; करमाली
Population this Country 145,000
Population all Countries 150,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 3
PeopleID3 17102
ROP3 Code 112444
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
Jharkhand
72,000
Odisha
70,000
West Bengal
2,600
Bihar
300
Delhi
100
Uttar Pradesh
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 6
  Jharkhand 72,000
  Odisha 70,000
  West Bengal 2,600
  Bihar 300
  Delhi 100
  Uttar Pradesh 100
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.01 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.11 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
95.14 %
Islam
0.10 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.01 %
Unknown
4.63 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Maithili (48,000 speakers)
Language Code mai   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 26
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Odia
39,000
Santhali
15,000
Sadri
9,200
Hindi
6,800
Kui (India)
3,500
Bengali
1,100
Kurux
1,000
Kudmali
900
Panchpargania
400
Mundari
400
Juang
200
Kuvi
200
Bhojpuri
200
Magahi
100
Chhattisgarhi
30
Primary Language Maithili (48,000 speakers)
Language Code mai   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 26
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Odia 39,000
  Santhali 15,000
  Sadri 9,200
  Hindi 6,800
  Kui (India) 3,500
  Bengali 1,100
  Kurux 1,000
  Kudmali 900
  Panchpargania 400
  Mundari 400
  Juang 200
  Kuvi 200
  Bhojpuri 200
  Magahi 100
  Chhattisgarhi 30
People Groups Speaking Maithili

Primary Language:  Maithili

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes
Bible-New Testament Yes  (2010)
Bible-Complete No
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 Oral Bible stories One Story
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Maithili Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime 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 for Children Bible for Children
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 Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
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: Maithili YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Maithili Bible General / Other
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Maithili YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Maithili Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source (Representative photo)
India Water Portal - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Karen Hightower 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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