Ganda 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: 1

Subgroup Name Population
Moharia 89,000

Introduction / History

The Ganda or Gandwa is an indigenous community. Under the caste system prevalent all over India, they are considered as untouchables. They are forced to stay in the bottom of the system as scheduled caste and scheduled tribes.
The Ganda are divided into various divisions. These include the Odia, Laria, Kandria/Kandharia, Kabria and Saharia Ganda, which are further divided into a number of totemistic exogamous clans (bansa) like bagh, sika, nag, and podha. These various subcastes are divided based on their occupation.
The Ganda speak Odia, the language of Odisha. They mainly live in Western Odisha and adjoining parts of Chhattisgarh, especially in the districts of Bolanghir and Bargarh.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Their traditional occupations are as weavers of coarse cloth and village watchmen. Others are farmers. The Ganda are also professional pipers and drummers.
They are best known for their special music known as Ganda Baja, which is played for village functions. The music uses drums, pipes, cymbals and sahnai, a bamboo flute. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of their instruments, the dancers generally being two boys dressed as women. They have long hair and put on skirts and half-sleeved jackets. On their right shoulders are attached peacocks' feathers, and colored cloths hang from their back and arms and wave about when they dance.
In the earlier days, Ganda were patronized by important rajas or zamindars and they were essential parts of their festivities. Today, they are patronized by members of other castes to play at festivals.
The music of the Ganda is considered important to communicate with local gramadevata (village deities). On every Monday in Bora Sambar, a region of Bargarh, the priest performs the boil ritual, where the goddess possesses the priest and puts him into a trance. During this time, the Ganda play their instruments to sulo par, 16 rhythms, representing the 16 goddesses. It is said only the Ganda Baja instruments allow this boil to occur, and the playing of the instruments by the Ganda helps the goddess focus her shakti on the priest, who could lose control due to the sheer strength of her power. During this ritual, the priest can heal people who are suffering ailments such as barrenness due to the shakti he channels, thanks to the Ganda orchestra.
Despite their spiritual connection with the goddess, Hindu society still marginalizes them; upper castes bar them from entering the temple. Since they are considered as impure and as untouchables, their touch is considered defiling. A Hindu will not put anything in the hands of the Ganda while holding it himself but will throw it down in front of the Ganda and will take anything from him in the same manner.
They practice adult marriage between one man and one woman. They arrange marriages through family negotiation while respecting the consent of the couple. They allow for the remarriage of widows, widowers and divorcees. When one spouse dies, this community encourages marriage to a sibling of the deceased. The betrothal is marked by a present of various articles to the father of the bride.
They practice both cremation and burial to dispose of their dead. The dead are buried when the family cannot afford the fuel required for cremation. A man is laid on his face in the grave and a woman on her back. They mourn for three days, except in the case of children under three years old, whose deaths entail no special observances. They give a feast on the fourth day. When all have been served, the chief mourner takes a little food from the plate of each guest and puts it in a leaf-cup. He takes another leaf-cup full of water and places the two outside the house, saying "Here is food for you" to the spirit of the departed.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ganda are Hindus, and their principal deity is Dulha De. They observe Hindu fasts and festivals. During the festival of Dasahra, they worship their musical instruments and the weaver's loom, both being their source of livelihood.
Being considered impure, they do not revere the tulsi plant or the banyan or p?pal trees, which are usually considered sacred by other Hindus.


What Are Their Needs?

The people need to put their trust and identity in the hands of the loving God of Creation who sent his son to make it possible for them to enter his Kingdom.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to bless the Ganda community economically and spiritually.
Pray for the culture to be renewed and enhanced by the work of the Holy Spirit to be shaped into a God-centered and God-honoring mold.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among their family and community leaders to seek his face and enjoy his blessings.
Pray that the missionaries who try to reach them will have no hindrance to preach the gospel and nurture disciples.
Ask God to raise up Ganda people who are more desirous to know the truth than to stay within their traditional spiritual beliefs.
Ask God to send loving, committed workers to the Gandas in the near future.
Pray for many of them to be disciples who will make even more disciples.


Scripture Prayers for the Ganda in India.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganda_(caste)
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41424/41424-h/41424-h.htm#ganda


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Ganda
People Name in Country Ganda
Pronunciation gahn-DAH
Alternate Names Ahir; Gandi; Gara; Gare; Gond; Gond Gowala; Gorh; Gounr; Gour; Gowala; गंदा
Population this Country 1,424,000
Population all Countries 1,424,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 4  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 28
PeopleID3 19082
ROP3 Code 115336
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 22
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Odisha
745,000
Chhattisgarh
431,000
Uttar Pradesh
151,000
Uttarakhand
69,000
Jharkhand
13,000
Assam
4,600
West Bengal
3,800
Andhra Pradesh
1,400
Madhya Pradesh
1,400
Manipur
900
Delhi
800
Maharashtra
600
Tripura
200
Telangana
200
Rajasthan
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 22  (only 20 largest shown)
  Odisha 745,000
  Chhattisgarh 431,000
  Uttar Pradesh 151,000
  Uttarakhand 69,000
  Jharkhand 13,000
  Assam 4,600
  West Bengal 3,800
  Andhra Pradesh 1,400
  Madhya Pradesh 1,400
  Manipur 900
  Delhi 800
  Maharashtra 600
  Tripura 200
  Telangana 200
  Rajasthan 100
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.03 %
Christianity  (Evangelical Unknown)
0.69 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
99.27 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.02 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Odia (609,000 speakers)
Language Code ory   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 17
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Hindi
350,000
Chhattisgarhi
276,000
Bengali
10,000
Garhwali
6,800
Assamese
3,100
Telugu
600
Kui (India)
600
Desiya
500
Kurux
500
Gondi, Northern
400
Kuvi
300
Mundari: Bhumij
200
Bhatri
100
Koda
100
Marathi
50
Primary Language Odia (609,000 speakers)
Language Code ory   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 17
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Hindi 350,000
  Chhattisgarhi 276,000
  Bengali 10,000
  Garhwali 6,800
  Assamese 3,100
  Telugu 600
  Kui (India) 600
  Desiya 500
  Kurux 500
  Gondi, Northern 400
  Kuvi 300
  Mundari: Bhumij 200
  Bhatri 100
  Koda 100
  Marathi 50
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)
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YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
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Amazon
World Bibles
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Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
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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
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General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links (Oriya) Scripture Earth
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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
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Copyrighted © 2024  Isudas  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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