Koya unspecified 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: 11 (10 largest shown)  Show all

Subgroup Name Population
Mursi 36,000
Kamar 22,000
Oddilu 6,200
Gutta 2,800
Metta 2,800
Basava Gola 1,600
Tagara Parja 1,400
Rajkoya 1,100
Bhine Koya Unknown
Kottu Unknown

Introduction / History

The Koya live in the forests, plains, and valleys on both sides of the Godavari River, which lies in the central Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Many also live in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The Koya are said to have migrated to central India from their original home in Bastar, northern India. They believe their main deity still resides in a cave in the Bastar region. According to Koya mythology, life originated from water.

The Koya language, also called Koyi, is closely related to Gondi and has been strongly influenced by Telugu, the tongue of the neighboring Hindu population. The Koya are one of the few multi-racial and multi-lingual tribal communities in India. Most Koya speak either Gondi or Telugu, in addition to Koyi.

Since India's independence from the British in 1947, the Indian government has increased its influence over the Koya. As a result, the Koya have rebelled numerous times. The Koya resent the restrictions that have been placed on their use of reserve forests and distillation of liquor. They also resent the hydroelectric projects and rehabilitation of refugees in their land.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Koya are primarily farmers. They once shifted from one plot to another, farming various areas. However, the government has now restricted their movement and has encouraged them to farm on fixed plots. They showed the Koya how to farm coconut and coffee. They also granted the Koya permanent ownership rights to their land if they would grow rice there.

In the hill regions occupied by the Koya, there are still no permanent farms. Crops are grown in small clearings for only two or three years. Rice and tobacco are the main cash crops for those in the hill regions. Their staple diet is sorghum. The Koya's consider the palm tree as a gift of nature, and every family owns at least four to eight of them. During the four month palm season, Koya families live almost entirely on palm juice.

Because the income from farming is very low, many of the Koya who do not own land work as hired farm laborers. Others weave bamboo baskets and sell them at the weekly markets to Hindu merchants. They also are excellent hunters. Good hunters are regarded as heroes. Hunting is valuable to provide food and protection from wild animals. Many still use bow and arrows for hunting and to attack their enemies. Koya gather forest produce to supplement the vegetables grown in their home gardens. Cattle are symbols of wealth, and they are kept for their dairy products, meat, fertilizer, and trade. They are also used in religious sacrifices.

The Koya usually live in villages. Occasionally, they can be found living with other tribal and non-tribal peoples. Koya villages are located near dependable water sources. The larger villages are situated near the rivers, while the smaller ones can be found in the hills and jungles. Their wood, thatch, and mud houses are built without windows. They usually have two rooms and a porch around the outside.

All Koya belong to one of five sub-divisions called gotrams. Every Koya is born into a clan, and he cannot leave it. Birth, marriage, and death are three important celebrations in Koya villages. The family group is called the kutum. Sons usually live separately from the family, but still work the farm with their parents and brothers. Monogamy is practiced. Most marriages among adolescents are arranged by the parents with the consent of the girl. Marriage ceremonies last for three days in the summer when palm juice is plentiful. They involve both the bride and groom's villages.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Koya practice their own ethnic religion, but also worship a number of Hindu gods and goddesses. Many Koya deities are female, the most important being the "mother earth." Sacrifices are carried out by the village priests. The Koya do not believe in heaven, hell, or reincarnation. When a person dies, his body is carried on a cot which is covered with grain, liquor, new clothes, money, and a cow's tail. At the appropriate place, the cot is faced towards the West, and the body is burned. The ashes are placed in a clay pot. The Koya believe that their spirits either linger about the clay ancestor pot, patrol the sky over the village, or wander about the village disturbing daily life.


What Are Their Needs?

Cholera, smallpox, and malaria are big problems for the Koya. They need quality medical care as well as health and hygiene education.

The Bible is available in Telugu.


Prayer Points

Pray that God will give missions agencies strategies for reaching the Koya with the Gospel.
Ask God to give Koya Christians a burden to share the Good News with their own people.
Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Koya towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.


Scripture Prayers for the Koya unspecified in India.


Profile Source:   Bethany World Prayer Center / GAAPNet  

People Name General Koya
People Name in Country Koya unspecified
Alternate Names Bhumi Razalu; Kavor; Kaya; Koa; Koi; Koitar; Koitur; Koyato; Koyi; Manjulotilu; Mayalotilu; Mila; Odavandlu; Rajkoya; कोया
Population this Country 885,000
Population all Countries 885,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 3  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 18
PeopleID3 17282
ROP3 Code 112655
Affinity Bloc South Asian Peoples
People Cluster South Asia Tribal - other
People Group Koya
Ethnic Code CNN25
Total Subgroups 11
  Mursi 36,000
  Kamar 22,000
  Oddilu 6,200
  Gutta 2,800
  Metta 2,800
  Basava Gola 1,600
  Tagara Parja 1,400
  Rajkoya 1,100
  Bhine Koya 20
  Kottu 0
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 15
Largest States
Telangana
557,000
Andhra Pradesh
174,000
Odisha
152,000
Chhattisgarh
39,000
Assam
5,100
Tamil Nadu
1,200
Karnataka
900
Puducherry
700
Maharashtra
500
West Bengal
200
Delhi
200
Arunachal Pradesh
200
Nagaland
30
Meghalaya
30
Madhya Pradesh
20
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 15
  Telangana 557,000
  Andhra Pradesh 174,000
  Odisha 152,000
  Chhattisgarh 39,000
  Assam 5,100
  Tamil Nadu 1,200
  Karnataka 900
  Puducherry 700
  Maharashtra 500
  West Bengal 200
  Delhi 200
  Arunachal Pradesh 200
  Nagaland 30
  Meghalaya 30
  Madhya Pradesh 20
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
1.09 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
98.47 %
Islam
0.21 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.02 %
Unknown
0.20 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Telugu (379,000 speakers)
Language Code tel   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 41
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Koya
404,000
Odia
53,000
Gondi, Northern
29,000
Hindi
22,000
Kuvi
17,000
Chhattisgarhi
11,000
Halbi
4,000
Bhatri
2,900
Assamese
2,100
Kannada
900
Marathi
700
Gujarati
400
Kui (India)
400
Bengali
300
Urdu
200
Primary Language Telugu (379,000 speakers)
Language Code tel   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 41
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Koya 404,000
  Odia 53,000
  Gondi, Northern 29,000
  Hindi 22,000
  Kuvi 17,000
  Chhattisgarhi 11,000
  Halbi 4,000
  Bhatri 2,900
  Assamese 2,100
  Kannada 900
  Marathi 700
  Gujarati 400
  Kui (India) 400
  Bengali 300
  Urdu 200
People Groups Speaking Telugu

Primary Language:  Telugu

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1812-1966)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1818-1989)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1854-2022)
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Mobile App Android Bible app: Pastors Telugu Study Bible Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
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Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Telugu 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 Anonymous 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Bethany World Prayer Center / GAAPNet 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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