Kadu Kuruba 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 Kadu Kuruba are a tribal people who live in south India. Their name means "tribal people of the forest" in the language of Kannada. Since medieval times they served as soldiers in the armies of south India. Up until recent times they collected and sold honey as their main source of income. They weaved baskets and items from bamboo as another way to get income.

In the 1970s the Kadu Karuba were removed from their forest homes by the Indian government. The trees were cut down for lumber and the land cleared for cultivation. The Kadu Kuruba must now work as day agricultural laborers. As low as their previous standard of living was, it has become lower. These days they suffer from malnutrition, poverty, unemployment and repression. Their forest homeland was distributed to businesses and individuals favored by the government.

The Kadu Kuruba speak Kannada as their primary language. They also speak other regional languages of south India.


Where Are they Located?

The Kadu Kuruba live in the south Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The removal from their forest homes has drastically changed the lives of the Kadu Kuruba for the worse. For hundreds of years they gathered honey and food in the forest. They favorite food was yams with honey. They drank their own homemade liquor.

The Kadu Karuba lived in small but clean wooden huts. A fire pit filled the center of the hut. Girls were married as early as age 12. Modern conveniences like electricity, indoor plumbing and access to clean water were unknown to them. They practiced traditional medicine. Literacy was low. They had no concept of private property. Their own priests not Brahmins performed important life rituals.

Now the lives of the Kadu Kuruba are in a state of flux. They have not adjusted well to their new lives. Their children do now have more access to more educational opportunities, but their poverty forces children to work in the fields with their parents.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Kadu Kuruba are Hindus. They worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They worship Shiva and Shakti or energy in the form of a stone. They see stone as the source of all life. As a tribal people they are often excluded from Hindu temples. They also worship their ancestors who they ask to protect them from evil spirits.

The Kadu Kuruba participate in the yearly Hindu holidays of Holi, the festival of colors, Diwali, the festival of lights, Navratri, the nine-day celebration of autumn and

Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva.


What Are Their Needs?

The needs of the Kadu Kuruba are overwhelming. They need a regular source of basic income and food. They need homes to live in, access to clean water and modern medicine. Most of all, they need to hear about Jesus Christ who has promised to meet all their needs if they receive him as their Lord and Savior.


Prayer Points

Pray that the Lord uses the hardships of the Kadu Kuruba to drive them away from Hinduism and into the love of God in Christ.
Pray the Lord sends Christian workers to help the Kadu Kuruba in both their spiritual and physical needs.
Pray the tiny number of Kadu Kuruba Christians might grow into large Bible believing churches.


Scripture Prayers for the Kadu Kuruba in India.


References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuruba
indianetzone.com/10/kadu_kuruba_tribe.htm
kamat.com/kalranga/people/kadu_kurubas/index.htm


Profile Source:   David Kugel  

People Name General Kadu Kuruba
People Name in Country Kadu Kuruba
Alternate Names Betta Kadu; Betta Kuruba; Kadu; Kuruba; कादू कुरुबा
Population this Country 27,000
Population all Countries 27,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 18780
ROP3 Code 112567
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
Karnataka
13,000
Tamil Nadu
13,000
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
  Karnataka 13,000
  Tamil Nadu 13,000
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.03 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.02 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
98.76 %
Islam
0.14 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.02 %
Unknown
1.03 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Kannada (18,000 speakers)
Language Code kan   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 13
Secondary Languages
Tamil
4,700
Telugu
900
Malayalam
200
Tulu
60
Marathi
60
Konkani
40
Odia Konkani, Goan Kodava
Gujarati Gondi, Adilabad Hindi
Primary Language Kannada (18,000 speakers)
Language Code kan   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 13
Secondary Languages
  Tamil 4,700
  Telugu 900
  Malayalam 200
  Tulu 60
  Marathi 60
  Konkani 40
  Odia 10
  Konkani, Goan 10
  Kodava 10
  Gujarati 0
  Gondi, Adilabad 0
  Hindi 0
People Groups Speaking Kannada

Primary Language:  Kannada

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1812-1988)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1827-2023)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1827-2024)
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 Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Scripture / Bible General / Other
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Kannada 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 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 South Asia Bibles
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 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 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: Kannada YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kannada Bible Biblica
Mobile App Android Bible App: Kannada Bible (ಕನ್ನಡ ಬೈಬಲ್) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kannada Study Bible Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible app: Pastors Study Bible Kannada Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Kannada 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: Kannada YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Kannada Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Kannada 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
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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