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. Their primary religion is Hinduism. They primarily speak Kurukh.

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

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
read1 John 3:8

Pray for those living in darkness to recognize the destructive power of sin and the victory Christ has won over it.

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, "the kingdom of God has come near to you."
readLuke 10:8-9

Pray that the lost will receive messengers of the gospel with joy, turn from their sins, and be healed.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
readHebrews 10:23

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will cling tightly to the hope they have in God to faithfully keep His promises.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
readJohn 1:12

Pray that believers will have the opportunity to clearly share the good news with the lost here, so that all people can be invited to trust in Jesus and become children of God.

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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