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Christians are a religious community residing in the Indian state of Jharkhand. As per 2011 Census of India, 4.3% of people in Jharkhand are Christians. [1] Christians are majority in Simdega district of Jharkhand. [2]
Christianity is a minority religion in Jharkhand, a state of India. Most people in Jharkhand are followers of Sarnaism & Hindus. Jharkhand is known for tribals such as Munda, Santhal, Oraon and Kharia. A Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ranchi exists. St. Mary's Cathedral in Ranchi has been a cathedral since 1909. [3] The Church of North India has a Diocese of Chota Nagpur with a seat at Ranchi. The Church of North India has a St. Paul's Cathedral in Ranchi. [4] Gossner Theological College is in Jharkhand. Many Munda & Kharia are Christians. [5] The then pope visited Ranchi in 1986. [6] The Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam has its seat in Ranchi. [7] Dhanbad has Oriental Orthodox Churches. [8] Christian missionaries arrived in today's Jharkhand in 1845.[ citation needed ]
By the year 1765 Britishers were successful in their military mobilization to bring Santhal Pargana under British rule. After this conquest, the British colonial planters in India indentured tribal people of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region into Northeast India about 150 years ago for the purpose of being employed in the tea gardens industry as workers and came to be known as Tea tribes. These tribals were influenced by the Christian missionaries who came along with the British. These Christian missionaries worked for the improvement standard of living and providing education to the children of the tribals. Nearly 15 decades later missionaries from Germany left started their voyage to India in 1844 and reached Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in 1845. These missionaries were initially heading for Mergui in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in view of preaching the Christian faith among the Karen people or in the areas located in the footsteps of the Himalayas. However, on meeting some people from Ranchi, they changed their plan and headed for Chhotanagpur and its main town, Ranchi. They reached Ranchi on 2 November 1845 and camped on, what is now known as, the 'Bethesda Ground' in Ranchi.
After India became independent, the missionaries who remained post independence, worked for the improvement standard of living and providing education to the children of the tribals. Evidently many of the tribals emerged as sportsmen especially in the game of hockey and football. [9] Even the first Prime Minister of India, Dr. Jawaharlal Nehru, in his The Discovery of India acknowledges the contribution of the early missionaries for development of tribals dialect stating that even laboured at the dialects of the primitive hill and forest tribes... [10]
| Year | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 [11] | 1,093,382 | 4.06 |
| 2011 [12] | 1,418,608 | 4.30 |
See article: Tribes of Jharkhand .
The Christians are mostly from the adivasi or tribal communities of the state with the major tribes as below with number of Christians and percentage of Christians in each tribe.
| Tribe | Christians | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Oraon | 449,092 | 26.16% |
| Munda | 403,466 | 32.82% |
| Santhal | 236,304 | 8.50% |
| Kharia | 133,249 | 67.93% |
| Sauria | 24,357 | 2.41% |
| Ho | 19,891 | 2.14% |
| Mahli | 8,618 | 5.64% |
| Lohra | 7,408 | 3.42% |
| Birjia | 2,010 | 32.02% |
| Chik Baraik | 1,959 | 3.61% |
| Kisan | 1,103 | 2.95% |
The major denominations and church bodies in the state are given below.
The other smaller denominations are:
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of 79,716 km2 (30,779 sq mi). It is the 15th largest state by area, and the 14th largest by population. Hindi is the official language of the state. The city of Ranchi is its capital and Dumka its sub-capital. The state is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places; Baidyanath Dham, Parasnath, Dewri and Rajrappa are major religious sites. The state was formed on 15 November 2000, after carving out what was previously the southern half of Bihar.
Ranchi is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area of what is present-day Chhattisgarh. The Jharkhand state was formed on 15 November 2000 by carving out the Bihar divisions of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas. Ranchi has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission.
Simdega is a city in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Simdega is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and Subdivision. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 418 metres (1371 feet) above sea level and covers an area of 3,750 km2 (1,450 sq mi). Bounded in the north by Gumla, on the east by Ranchi and West Singhbhum, on the west by Jashpur Nagar, Chhattisgarh and on the south by Rourkela, Odisha. The distance between Rourkela and Simdega is 35 km. It is accessible by road through National Highways from Rourkela and Ranchi. The nearest railway station is Rourkela railway station.
The Kharia are an Austroasiatic tribal ethnic group from east-central India. They originally speak the Kharia language, which belong to Austroasiatic languages. They are sub-divided into three groups known as the Hill Kharia, Delki Kharia and the Dudh Kharia. Amongst them, the Dudh Kharia is the most educated community.
The tribes of Jharkhand consist of 32 scheduled tribes inhabiting the Jharkhand state in India. In 1872, only 18 tribes were counted among the schedule tribes from which Banjara, Bhatudi, Chik Baraik and Mahli were marked as semi-Hindu aboriginal and Kora as proletariat Hindu. In the 1931 census, including above four semi-Hindu aboriginal and Kora, a proletariat Hindu, the number was raised to 26 from 18 by adding four more in the annexure. They were Birajia, Godait, Karmali and Paharia, but Kisan was excluded from the list. In 1941 census, Baga, Bedia and Lohra included again taking Kisan in the annexure and number came to 30 which was prevailing till June 2003. Kanwar and Kol were added on 8 June 2003 in the annexure and the number of Schedule Tribes came to 32.
The Gossner College is one of oldest institutions formed by the Gossner Evangelical and Lutheran Church. It is a minority college affiliated to Ranchi University.
Oscar Sevrin, 22 November 1884 in Neuville-Wanne (Belgium) – 30 April 1975 in Kunkuri, (India), was a Belgian Jesuit priest, missionary in India and successively bishop of Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Raigarh-Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh).
Constant Lievens was a Belgian (Flemish) Jesuit priest, missionary among the tribal peoples of Central India, particularly the Mundaris, Oraons. He is regarded as the apostle of the Chotanagpur.
Followers of Christianity are a significant minority in Odisha state of India. According to the 2011 Census, Christians make up about 2.77% of the population. Kurukh, Sora, Kharia and Panos are notable ethnic groups with a significant Christian population.
Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam (GELC) is a major Christian Protestant denomination in India. It has hundreds of thousands of members. It was established on 2 November 1845. It belongs to National Council of Churches in India, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches. It is led by Moderator Bishop Johann Dang. It is one of the three Lutheran denominations in northeast India along with the Bodo Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church.
North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church is the fourth largest Lutheran church in India. The NWGEL Church has a presence in Nepal. Most NWGEL church members are from indigenous and tribal communities. NWGEL Church became an autonomous church on 10 July 1919. On 28 April 1989 United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India gave provisional membership to NWGEL Church. NWGEL Church is a member of the National Council of Churches in India and local bodies such as Bengal Christian Council, Jharkhand Christian Council, Bihar Christian Council and Chattishgarh Christian Council.
NWGEL Church undertook partnership with the World Mission Prayer League in February 2005. WMPL is helping in developing the Multi-purpose Training Center, near Ranchi.
Nagpuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar. It is primarily spoken in the west and central Chota Nagpur plateau region. It is sometimes considered a dialect of Bhojpuri.
Sarna are sacred groves in the Indian religious traditions of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, and Chhattisgarh. According to local belief, a Gram deoti or village deity resides in the sarna, where sacrifice is offered twice a year. Their belief system is called "Sarnaism", "Sarna Dharma", or "Religion of the Holy Woods".
Bansjore block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Bolba block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Jaldega block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Kersai block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega Sadar subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Pakartar block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Thethaitangar block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Simdega block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Simdega subdivision of Simdega district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
