The Gadaba of India

The Gadaba of India, numbering approximately 180,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Scheduled Tribe of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh whose name derives from the Godavari river or the Oriya word for brook, traditionally practicing shifting cultivation and collecting forest produce for sale. They mostly adhere to Folk Hinduism and Bondo is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: Munda-Santal
Primary Language(s): Bondo (bfw)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Hinduism
Population: 180,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG041676
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Gadaba 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.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Folk Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

100%
%
Folk Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Bondo
Language Family: Austroasiatic

100%
%
Bondo Speakers

Media Resources in Bondo:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Bondo:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Bondo bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Gadaba 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 Gadaba:
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 Gadaba of India

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
readLuke 1:46-47

Pray that those who are lost will recognize their need for a Savior and joyfully embrace the mercy that God offers.

...And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
readLuke 24:47

Pray that the message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus will reach everyone.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
readRomans 5:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will rejoice in the hope of glory and be in awe of God's mercy that gives them access to Him through faith.

And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
readLuke 10:2

Ask God to send out laborers into His harvest field, raising up believers from around the world to go and proclaim the kingdom of God with those who need to hear it.

Gadaba Across Countries (ROP3 - 112022) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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