The Mahishya or Sadgop people are also known as Chasa or Chasi. The name Sadgop is derived from the two Sanskrit words: 'Sad' means good and 'Gop' means milkman. Hindus believe them to be the descendants of lord Krishna. In the Varna system, they are known as Vaisyas and as the members of Nabashakha group.
As a people, they are found in several Indian states such as West Bengal, Odisha, and surrounding areas, speaking Bengali, Hindi, Oriya, or English as second languages. There are also a large number in Bangladesh. A much smaller number live in Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
The Sadgop are a land-owning community. Agriculture is their traditional and primary occupation. Rice and wheat are their staple foods. They drink alcohol and chew tobacco. Their mother tongue is Bengali.
Their marriages are negotiated and monogamy (one man and one woman) is common among them. Married women have a significant role to play in the ritual wedding performances. They are expert in Alpana or floor painting during pujas, a Hindu time of worship and devotion.
Women worship the Hindu goddess Lakshmi daily. They propitiate Hari and Lakshmi as their family deities. Their village deities are Dharmaraj, Manasa and Shiva among others. Gaya and Vrindaban are their pilgrim centers. Durgapuja, Kalipuja and Dharmarajer are their major festivals.
The Mahishya people need the chance to respond to the Savior who came to give them abundant and eternal life.
* Scripture Prayers for the Mahishya in Sri Lanka.
* Pray for gospel workers to catch a vision for reaching the Mahishya people in Sri Lanka for Jesus and that in God's sovereign timing their hearts would be open and ready to follow Him.
* Pray for Jesus movements to bless extended families so the gospel will spread rapidly among this people group.
* Pray for the spiritual lives of the Mahishya people to become fruitful as they follow Christ.
* Pray for the lives and culture of the Mahishya people to evidence the rule and reign of the Kingdom of God as they open to the gospel, and for the beauty of Jesus to be seen in them.
|Profile Source: Keith Carey|
|People Name General||Mahishya|
|People Name in Country||Mahishya|
|Population this Country||600|
|Population all Countries||10,677,000|
|Progress Scale||1 ●|
|Frontier People Group||Yes|
|Pioneer Workers Needed||1|
|Alternate Names||Chasa; Chasi; Chasidas; Halidas; Haluadas; Haludas; Kaibarta; Kaibartta; Kurmangiya; Mahisayadas; Mahisya; Matsyadas; Pilwan Mahaout; Sadgop; महिष्या|
|National Bible Society||Website|
|Persecution Rank||Not ranked|
|Total States on file||6|
|Specialized Website||South Asia Peoples|
Primary Language: Bengali
|Bible Translation ▲||Status (Years)|
|Bible-New Testament||Yes (1801-1984)|
|Possible Print Bibles|
|Forum Bible Agencies|
|National Bible Societies|
|World Bible Finder|
|Resource Type ▲||Resource Name|
|Audio Recordings||Audio Bible teaching (GRN)|
|Audio Recordings||Online New Testament - Bangla Version (FCBH)|
|Audio Recordings||Online New Testament - Mussolmani Version (FCBH)|
|Audio Recordings||Online New Testament- Common Version (FCBH)|
|Audio Recordings||Online Scripture (Talking Bibles)|
|Audio Recordings||Oral Bible stories in Bengali|
|Audio Recordings||Story of Jesus audio (Jesus Film Project)|
|Film / Video||Following Jesus (India, JF Project)|
|Film / Video||God's Love Story|
|Film / Video||God's Story Video|
|Film / Video||Indigitube.tv Video / Animation|
|Film / Video||Jesus Film: view in Bengali|
|Film / Video||LUMO film of Gospels|
|Film / Video||Magdalena (Jesus Film Project)|
|Film / Video||My Last Day (Jesus Film Project Anime)|
|Film / Video||Rivka (Jesus Film Project)|
|Film / Video||Story of Jesus for Children (JF Project)|
|Film / Video||The Prophets' Story|
|Film / Video||The Savior 3 - Woman at the Well|
|Film / Video||The Savior 8 - Jesus is Risen|