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The Mahratta (Khandeshi) of India

The Mahratta (Khandeshi) of India, numbering approximately 605,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an agrarian and warrior community of western India whose historical importance derives from the rise of the Maratha state and empire, and whose modern identity combines agriculture, regional pride, political influence, and Hindu traditions. They mostly adhere to Hinduism and Khandesi is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Mahratta (Khandeshi)

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: Marathi-Konkani
Primary Language(s): Khandesi (khn)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 605,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG046082

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Pray for the Mahratta (Khandeshi) of India

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.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

99%
%
Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Khandesi
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Khandesi Speakers

Media Resources in Khandesi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
JESUSView Film

2 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Khandesi:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Khandesi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Mahratta (Khandeshi) 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 Mahratta (Khandeshi):
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 Mahratta (Khandeshi) of India

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or?rulers?or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
readColossians 1:16

Pray for those who are lost among them, that they will come to know the One who created all things and holds all things together.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
readJohn 3:16

Pray that the lost will seek God and learn that they have a heavenly Father who loves them and wants them to live eternally with Him.

It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
readIsaiah 25:9

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will proclaim and rejoice in His salvation.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
readIsaiah 43:19

Praise the God who is able to make a way forward, even when it seems impossible. Ask Him to do a new thing among this people group specifically and among the nations, raising up believers to go and share the gospel with individuals and places where it has not flourished before.

Mahratta (Khandesi) Across Countries (ROP3 - 116798) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
Mahratta (Khandeshi)PG046082Mahratta (Khandeshi)India605,000Engaged yet UnreachedKhandesiHinduism

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

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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