The Kalinge Rai of Nepal

The Kalinge Rai of Nepal, numbering approximately 12,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Rai community of eastern Nepal, particularly Solukhumbu, whose name Kalinge corresponds to Khaling/Khalinge Rai and whose heritage language is Khaling. They mostly adhere to Hinduism and Khaling is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Kalinge Rai

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Himalayan Peoples
Country: Nepal
People Cluster: South Himalayan
Primary Language(s): Khaling (klr)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 12,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG006228
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Kalinge Rai of Nepal

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

95%
%
Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Khaling
Language Family: Sino-Tibetan

71%
%
Khaling Speakers

Media Resources in Khaling:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Khaling:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Khaling bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Kalinge Rai are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Kalinge Rai:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Kalinge Rai of Nepal

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
readRomans 10:14

Pray that those who haven't heard will hear the Word of Christ and believe in Him, calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him!
readPsalm 68:4

Pray that many will come to faith in Christ and share the gospel with others so that His salvation will be known among all nations.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
readDeuteronomy 6:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and might, as they strive to live lives that honor and glorify Him.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
readMatthew 6:9b-10

Pray that God will raise up Christians who are driven by a desire to see God's name worshiped, His kingdom come, and His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Ask Him to send them to the lost in this people group and sustain them.

Rai, Kalinge Across Countries (ROP3 - 104476) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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