The Kurmi (Bagheli) of India

The Kurmi (Bagheli) of India, numbering approximately 150,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large agrarian community found across northern, eastern, and central India. Traditionally known as skilled cultivators and land-tilling farmers, they have played a major role in India's agricultural economy for centuries. They mostly adhere to Hinduism and Bagheli is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: Kurmi
Primary Language(s): Bagheli (bfy)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 150,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG046067

Pray for the Kurmi (Bagheli) 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: Bagheli
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Bagheli Speakers

Media Resources in Bagheli:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Bagheli:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Wycliffe India, 2020✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Bagheli bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Kurmi (Bagheli) 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 Kurmi (Bagheli):
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 Kurmi (Bagheli) of India

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
readPsalm 73:26

Pray that those who are lost and struggling to find hope will find their strength and hope in God, recognizing Him as their portion and deliverer forever.

Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.
readActs 18:8

Pray that rulers and leaders will access the gospel, respond in faith, and be baptized, uniting with Christ and His Church, and influence others to follow Him.

And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
readActs 16:15

Pray that God will bring entire families and households to faith in Him and raise up servant-leaders from among them.

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.
readEphesians 6:18b-19

Ask God to give believers He sends to the lost of this people group the boldness and clarity to proclaim the mystery of the gospel in a way that people can understand.

Kurmi (Bagheli) Across Countries (ROP3 - 116487) 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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