Day 24 - The Gurung Nationality
Mostly found in Lamjung, Gorkha, Kaske, Tanahun and in the outlying regions of Western Nepal
| Population: |
Language: |
Religion: |
| 450,000 |
Tamu Kui |
Mahayana Buddhism or Hinduism |
The specific origin of the Gurungs is not known, but they probably first came from Tibet. They are stout and strong, have thick lips, flat noses, and most of the men have little or no beard. They speak a language known as Tamu Kui, which is similar to Tibetan.
The Gurungs can be divided into 2 categories: Highlanders and Lowlanders. The highlanders are quite primitive and are mostly Tibetan Buddhist in their beliefs and culture. The lowlanders mostly own businesses and are more Hinduistic. Gurungs often migrate to Nepali cities from their villages and most are well off by Nepali standards. Also, many Gurungs have been recruited for the Gurkha division of the British Army and thus are well educated and have access to foreign currency which has enabled them to buy land and gain status.
Gurungs put much faith in their lamas (Buddhist priests) and ghyabrings (witch doctors) who are consulted for sickness and ceremonies. They do not marry outside their tribe and it is common for a boy to marry his cousin.
The vast majority of Gurungs have little or no concept of who God is and have never even heard the name of Jesus. In many Gurung villages they outwardly persecute and harass Christians. Often times, though, Gurungs show an interest when the gospel is shared and many are open to listen and ask questions.
Key Prayer Points:
- Pray that the Gurung people will not allow peer pressure to affect their desire to make a decision for Christ.
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- Pray for the people to realize the evil behind the idols that they worship. They do not want to break from their traditions and religious festivals.
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- Pray that God would help them to know which parts of their culture and traditions are good and they should keep and which parts are evil and they should get rid of
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- The Gurungs have a tremendous fear that if they don't do the Hindu rituals, their dead ancestors will be punished. Pray that God would set them free from this fear.
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