Day laborers, street musicians and beggars; this doesn't sound like a very meaningful choice of vocations! But these are the choices for the Dom people across India. Dom tradition says they were cursed by their gods to a life of poverty for killing a cow.
There are a couple of subgroups among the Dom including the Murdafarash. This group lives in Odisha, West Bengal and eastern Madhya Pradesh.
Murdafarash Dom women are subordinate to the men in society, most often working in the home or supplementing the husband's income by begging. Women do, however, have a role in the ritual and religious spheres. These roles are reinforced by the manner in which Dom children are raised. Education is encouraged for boys, but not for girls.
Most Doms are committed Hindus, with particular devotion to the gods Baba Ramdeo and Bhainro. The Baba Ramdeo temple in Rajasthan is a major tourist attraction. Along with this devotion, each family worships a deity of its own choice. There are also a significant number of Dom animists who constantly make small animal sacrifices to deter ill luck. There are no more than a few hundred known Christian believers among the entire Dom population.
Murdafarash Dom people need a John 10:10 blessing: The abundant life Jesus offers those who are willing to submit to his lordship.
Pray for a spiritual breakthrough among the Murdafarash Dom people.
Pray that God would break down centuries-old bondages that keep the Dom people entrapped.
Pray that God would use the Dom people to begin a movement to Christ among low status communities in West Bengal and Odisha.
Scripture Prayers for the Dom Murdafarash in India.
http://indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Murdafarash
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Dom Murdafarash |
People Name in Country | Dom Murdafarash |
Natural Name | Murdafarash Dom |
Alternate Names | |
Population this Country | 211,000 |
Population all Countries | 211,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 4 |
People ID | 21717 |
ROP3 Code | 118505 |
Country | India | ||||||
Region | Asia, South | ||||||
Continent | Asia | ||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||||||
National Bible Society | Website | ||||||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||||||
Total States on file | 4 | ||||||
Largest States |
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Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | ||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 4 |
Odisha 132,000 | |
West Bengal 61,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 12,000 | |
Chhattisgarh 3,400 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.01 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.99 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Odia (102,000 speakers) | ||||||
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing | ||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | ||||||
Total Languages | 7 | ||||||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Odia (102,000 speakers) |
Language Code | ory Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 7 |
Secondary Languages | |
Bengali 48,000 | |
Hindi 17,000 | |
Chhattisgarhi 4,800 | |
Telugu 3,100 | |
Desiya 1,300 | |
Bhatri 200 | |
People Groups | Speaking Odia |
Primary Language: Odia
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1811-1956) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1809-2000) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1815-2021) |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Bible-NT Text | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
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. |