The Panara of India

The Panara of India, numbering approximately 28,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of Bastar district in Madhya Pradesh also called Marar, tracing migration from Koshalpur roughly five generations ago. Vegetable-growing and agriculture remain their occupations and they worship the goddess Danteswari. They mostly adhere to Hinduism and Halbi is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: India
People Cluster: Marathi-Konkani
Primary Language(s): Halbi (hlb)
Primary Religion(s): Hinduism
Population: 28,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG049819

Pray for the Panara 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

99%
%
Hinduism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Halbi
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Halbi Speakers

Media Resources in Halbi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Halbi:

Or check out the Halbi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Panara 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 Panara:
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 Panara of India

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
readLuke 15:7

Pray that God will convict the lost of their sin, give them an urgency to run to Him for forgiveness, and feel His welcoming arms around them when they turn to Him.

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name."
readIsaiah 65:1

Pray that the lost will be found by God, even when they are not seeking Him. Pray that He will reveal Himself to them in a way they cannot ignore and that they will respond in faith.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
readJames 4:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will turn from worldly passions and live in unity with one another.

Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
readLuke 10:3

Ask God to raise up and send humble believers who will depend on Him as they go out like lambs among wolves to share the good news with those who need to hear it.

Panara Across Countries (ROP3 - 118974) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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