Gurung Ghaleg in Bangladesh


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest Bangladesh census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Introduction / History

Gurung Ghaleg history is clouded with uncertainty because of their lack of a written script in the past. Legends were handed down orally from one generation to the next. We do know that, during the 15th century, a Gurung king named Ghale Raja was overthrown by a Nepali king. In the 16th century the Khasa armies took over large tracts of land in Nepal and the Gurung came under their control. The Gurung were highly regarded as fighters and many of them were enlisted in the Khasa's armies. Later, after the British took control of India, many Gurung men were enlisted as Gurkha soldiers in the British army. Thousands have served in places from Hong Kong to Bosnia and the Falkland Islands. Like most people groups, the Gurung have subgroups. The Ghaleg are one of the subgroups of the Gurung people. Their primary language is Western Gurung. They live in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and northeastern India.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Because the Ghaleg are a subgroup of the bigger Gurung people, there is little or no information about their daily activities. Most likely they serve in the military like other Gurung people.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Religion plays an important role in the everyday lives of most Gurung peoples. Their belief system is a mixture of Buddhism, Hinduism and shamanism. As one researcher wrote, "Buddhism is followed by the Gurungs today although in ancient times they practiced the animistic and shamanistic form of religion similar to the pre-Buddhist Bon religion of the Himalayan regions. The northern areas of the kingdom are populated with people of mongoloid stock who are mostly followers of Tibetan Buddhism, and so these Gurungs can also be included within this category, though currently Hindu Gurungs have also emerged due to their contact with the Hindu lowlanders." The ceremonies and rituals that the Gurung perform have mixed origins. One interesting custom, called tuno bandhane, takes place three days after the birth of a baby. It involves wrapping the newborn baby in a long piece of cloth. Less than one out of every thousand Ghaleg Gurung people are Christians today. The Western Gurung New Testament was first published in 1982, but it has fallen out of print since because of the small number of Western Gurung Christians and because there is no demand for it.


What Are Their Needs?

The Ghaleg Gurung need the chance to hear and respond to Christ's offer of life to the full. They live in very unreached parts of South Asia.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love. Pray that the Ghaleg Gurung people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings. Pray for workers who are driven by the love and boldness of the Holy Spirit to go to them. Pray for a movement to Christ among them to begin this decade.


Scripture Prayers for the Gurung Ghaleg in Bangladesh.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Gurung Ghaleg
People Name in Country Gurung Ghaleg
Alternate Names Birbangshi; Daduwa; Gurkhal; Gurum; Gurun; Kyi; Manang; Syangja; Tamu; Tamu Kyi; Western Gurung; गुरुंग
Population this Country 1,200
Population all Countries 749,000
Total Countries 4
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 15366
ROP3 Code 110781
ROP25 Code 302893
ROP25 Name Gurung
Country Bangladesh
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 26  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 5
Largest States
Rangpur
600
Khulna
300
Sylhet
100
Chittagong
100
Dhaka
20
Country Bangladesh
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 26  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 5
  Rangpur 600
  Khulna 300
  Sylhet 100
  Chittagong 100
  Dhaka 20
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
57.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
43.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest Bangladesh census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Gurung (900 speakers)
Language Code gvr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Nepali
400
Primary Language Gurung (900 speakers)
Language Code gvr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Nepali 400
People Groups Speaking Gurung

Primary Language:  Gurung

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1972-2010)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1982-2020)
Bible-Complete No
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Gurung Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Gurung YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Gurung YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Photo Source Timothy Two Project International 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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