Tamil Brahmin in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

The Brahmin Tamils have been the highest caste of priests and Hindu scholars in the southern Indian region of Tamil Nadu for nearly two thousand years. They have been accused of racism by the lower caste Tamils by saying that they came for the creator Brahman's mouth while the other castes from other parts of the creator's body. They claim to be true Aryans while the rest of the Tamil peoples are Dravidians. Until recent times they have dominated the Hindu temples in Tamil lands, denying entrance to those from a low caste and others who they deem to be unworthy.

In addition to being the chief Hindu temple priests, they made up the large majority of the administrators and governmental officials during the British period. As a result, the Brahmin Tamils are often despised by many of the lower Tamil castes.

Today the Brahmin Tamils continue to serve as government leaders, university professors, jurists and scientists. Due to their high education level, they speak Tamil, English, Hindi and other regional Indian languages. They are patrons of Indian arts, literature and science.

Many famous Indian people are Brahmin Tamils including the mathematician Ramanujan, US Vice President Kamala Harris, three Nobel laureates, world chess champion Viswanathan Anand and filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.


Where Are they Located?

Like their name suggests, most Brahmin Tamils live in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Some have left their ancestral home and now live in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and other areas of India.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The lives of Brahmin Tamils are filled with the rituals and good works of Hinduism.
Every morning they must take a purifying bath. They are generally vegetarians with rice, lentils, bean curds and ghee, a type of butter, being their main foods. Food is to be consumed only after making an offering to the deities. They abstain from alcohol and tobacco.

The Brahmin Tamils are strictly endogamous, meaning they only marry within their group. Families arrange marriages with the consent of the young people. Sons inherit their father's property with the eldest son gaining the family home and father's titles.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Brahmin Tamils are devout Hindus. Some worships Shiva as the supreme deity while other worship Vishnu are the supreme god. Another group, the Iyers, follow the religious philosophy of the guru Adi Sahnkara. All these Hindu sects believe that Moksha or freedom comes from performing rituals and good deeds.

The Brahmin Tamils participate and frequently lead the Hindu holidays in Tamil Nadu such as Diwali, the festival of lights, Vinayake Chathurthi, the festival dedicated to Ganesha, the god of good fortune and wisdom and Navratri, the nine-day festival in autumn.


What Are Their Needs?

The Brahmin Tamils need to be humble enough to see themselves as sinners in need of the true Savior, Jesus Christ. They need to see the love, grace and mercy of Christ lived out before them. They must see that heir Hindu rituals and good deeds will not save them from their sins.


Prayer Points

Pray for the eyes of Brahman Tamils hearts to be open to Jesus Christ.
Pray for Christ to reveal Himself to Brahman Tamil leaders through dreams, visions, and the Bible.
Pray for Holy Spirit directed Christ followers to go to Brahman communities.
Pray for a disciple making movement to emerge among every Brahman Tamil community.


Scripture Prayers for the Brahmin Tamil in India.


References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin_Tamil
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Brahmin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyer


Profile Source:   David Kugel  

People Name General Brahmin Tamil
People Name in Country Brahmin Tamil
Natural Name Tamil Brahmin
Pronunciation TAH-mill BRAH-min
Alternate Names ब्रामिन, तमिल
Population this Country 529,000
Population all Countries 529,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 11
PeopleID3 19982
ROP3 Code 115764
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 23
Largest States
(only 15 largest shown)
Tamil Nadu
439,000
Karnataka
41,000
Kerala
15,000
Maharashtra
12,000
Puducherry
6,800
Telangana
4,300
Andhra Pradesh
4,000
Delhi
2,800
Andaman and Nicobar
1,000
West Bengal
1,000
Madhya Pradesh
700
Uttar Pradesh
600
Gujarat
400
Jharkhand
300
Odisha
200
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 23  (only 20 largest shown)
  Tamil Nadu 439,000
  Karnataka 41,000
  Kerala 15,000
  Maharashtra 12,000
  Puducherry 6,800
  Telangana 4,300
  Andhra Pradesh 4,000
  Delhi 2,800
  Andaman and Nicobar 1,000
  West Bengal 1,000
  Madhya Pradesh 700
  Uttar Pradesh 600
  Gujarat 400
  Jharkhand 300
  Odisha 200
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
100.00 %
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 Tamil (529,000 speakers)
Language Code tam   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Tamil (529,000 speakers)
Language Code tam   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Tamil

Primary Language:  Tamil

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1714-1956)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1715-1998)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1727-2024)
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 General Ministry Resources General / Other
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Tamil Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Comprehensive list of Tamil Resources General / Other
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app: Pastors Study Bible Tamil Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible app: Tamil YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible App: Tamil Bible (தமிழ் பைபிள்) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Tamil Study Bible Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Tamil Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Tamil YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible Radio App: Tamil Bible Radio iOS Revive India
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Tamil Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Abdullah Al Ameriki - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source David Kugel 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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