Kolowar in India

Map Source:  People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project.
People Name: Kolowar
Country: India
10/40 Window: Yes
Population: 287,000
World Population: 287,000
Primary Language: Kolami, Northwestern
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Christian Adherents: 0.07 %
Evangelicals: 0.00 %
Scripture: New Testament
Online Audio NT: Yes
Jesus Film: Yes
Audio Recordings: Yes
People Cluster: South Asia Tribal - other
Affinity Bloc: South Asian Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

Kola means bamboo or stick. The Kolam are a scheduled tribe that speaks Kolami. Scheduled tribes have low status in Hindu India. Though most live in Maharashtra, some of the Kolam live in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Kolam people mostly work in cultivation and as day laborers. The women help with agriculture. The Kolam peopledo basket work and make products out of bamboo. They are monogamous meaning that marriage is between one man and one woman. Normally a son takes over as the family head after the father dies, but the Kolam people are starting to change this by allowing the mother to take over as leader. The Kolam people bury their dead unlike most Hindu communities. They have a community council to look after their interests. They prefer herbal medicine over modern medicine. They have a low literacy level, so the gospel will need to be presented in oral forms.

What Are Their Beliefs?

They are Hindus who worship their ancestors.

What Are Their Needs?

The Kolam people need to experience the joy and peace of being blessed by Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points

Pray that the community council leaders come to Jesus Christ and lead their people into a movement to Christ. Pray that gospel recordings and the JESUS Film will be used by the Lord to begin home-based fellowships. Pray for a disciple making movement.

Text Source:   Keith Carey