The Mirdhas of India

The Mirdhas of India, numbering approximately 48,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as a Scheduled Tribe of Sambalpur and Koraput districts in Odisha, formed when a section of the Kora broke away. The Mirdha trace wider ancestry to the Oraon. Cultivation and agricultural labor remain primary They are an Indigenous people, with Mirdha as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the South Asian Tribal people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. They mostly adhere to Hinduism and Kurukh is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: South Asian Tribal
Primary Language(s): Kurukh (kru)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 48,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG041923
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Mirdhas 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: Hinduism
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism

100%
%
Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kurukh
Language Family: Dravidian

100%
%
Kurux Speakers

Media Resources in Kurukh:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Kurukh:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Friends Missionary Prayer Band✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Kurukh bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Mirdhas 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 Mirdhas:
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 Mirdhas of India

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
readPsalm 19:1

Pray that those who are lost will look to the heavens and see the glory of God displayed, leading them to seek Him and know Him as their Creator and Savior.

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
readPsalm 119:97

Pray that the lost will have access to God's Word in their language and treasure it deeply, meditating on God's promises and precepts.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
readRomans 10:13

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and sometimes have doubts, God will help them remember and trust the power of Jesus to save them from their sins.

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
readPsalm 149:3

Pray that God will send His people across cultures to share the gospel so that those who don't yet know the truth about Him might praise His name and share the hope of Christ with others.

Mirdas, Hindu Across Countries (ROP3 - 112980) 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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