Bold Believers

in India

TM

Kids of Courage
Kids of Courage is a division of The Voice of the Martyrs, Inc. (VOM), a Christian
mission organization dedicated to serving today’s persecuted church.
 Kids of Courage/The Voice of the Martyrs, Inc.
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Tel: (918) 337-8015
Fax: (918) 338-8832
E-mail: thevoice@vom-usa.org
Website: www.kidsofcourage.com

Unless otherwise marked, all Scripture verses are from the

New King James Version.

Reproduction of the materials in this book is permissible for home or

classroom use except for material that is noted as being reproduced,
adapted, or used with permission. For any other use, please
contact The Voice of the Martyrs.

In the following stories and activities, some of the quotes, testimonies,

and stories have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for
clarity. To protect their identities, the names of some of the people in
the stories and some identifying details have been changed.

© Copyright 2007, The Voice of the Martyrs

 Table of Contents
India Facts 4
Comparing Hinduism and Christianity 7
States of India Bold Believers Stories and Activities
Andhra Pradesh 10
Feature Story: “Why Should We Worry?”
Feature Story: Slave Boy Finds Freedom
Arunachal Pradesh 14
Assam 16
Bihar & Jharkand 17
Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh 18
Feature Story: Persecution Stories from Madhya Pradesh
Delhi 20
Goa 22
Gujarat 23
Haryana 24
Feature Story: Stone Temples & Mud Huts
Himachal Pradesh 27
Jammu & Kashmir 29
Karnataka 30
Kerala 32
Feature Story: Two Kinds of Poison
Maharashtra 34
Manipur 35
Meghalaya 37
Mizoram 39
Nagaland 40
Orissa 42
Feature Story: Tolerance Problems
Feature Story: Forgiveness Changes Minds
Punjab 46
Feature Story: Teenage Sikh Finds Peace
Rajasthan 49
Sikkim 50
Tamil Nadu 52
Tripura 53
Uttar Pradesh & Uttaranchal 54
West Bengal 56
Union Territories of India 58
Answer Key 60

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 India Facts
Capital: New Delhi

Population: Over one billion!

Area: More than one million square miles. India

is one of the largest countries in the world. It is
one-third the size of the U.S.

Religions: India’s population is about 80

percent Hindu.

A busy street in India

You can remember the five largest religions of India by using Hindi is a language.
the letters in the word “CHASM.” Hindu is a religion. The
words India, Hindi, and
C - Christian Hindu came from Indus,
H- Hindu the name of a river.
A - Animist Historians say that India’s
civilization first began
S - Sikh
about 5,000 years ago
M- Muslim near the Indus River.

Look up “chasm” in a dictionary. Everyone has sinned

(Romans 3:23). Because of sin, there is a great CHASM
between people and God. Only one faith
offers a way to bridge that chasm. Read
Romans 5:8-11 to see how Jesus made a
way for us to be close to God.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,

in that while we were still sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him. For if when we were
enemies we were reconciled to God through
the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And
not only that, but we also rejoice in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11)
Indus River

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 India Facts
Recent History: India became an independent country in 1947. Britain ruled India before
that time.

India’s constitution promised freedom of religion. Most Indians believe everyone in India
should be free to practice their religious beliefs.

However, some Hindus would like India to be even more influenced by Hinduism than it is
today. In recent years, these radical (extreme) Hindus have become more powerful.

Christians in many places in India are mistreated because of their faith in Christ. The persecutors
know they are less likely to get punished in areas where radical Hindus are in power.

Hindus accuse Christians who help the poor and needy of trying to “bribe” or “force” people to
become Christian. They also attack pastors who have led Hindus to faith in Christ. In some
states of India, Hindus are trying to get the government to pass laws that will make it harder
for Christians to help people.

Main Languages: Most countries have one or two official languages. India has many,
including: Hindi, English, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada,
Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. Hindustani, a mixture of Hindi and
Urdu, is also popular. (Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts)

Hundreds of other languages are spoken in India. Some groups of Indians have heard very
little, if anything, about the Good News of Jesus. Many of them do not have Bibles because
no one has translated the Bible into their language.

Two of the languages that do have Bibles are Hindi and Urdu. Psalm 9:9 is shown below in
those languages. Look up the verse in an English Bible and write or memorize it.

(Hindi)

(Urdu)

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 India Facts
Flag: The flag of India has three wide horizontal stripes.
The top stripe is saffron (orange-yellow), the middle stripe
is white, and the bottom stripe is green. A blue 24-spoked
wheel is centered in the white band.

Draw and color or paint an India flag on a piece of paper

or cardboard. Hang it up as a reminder to pray for the
people of India.

Flag
of I
ndia

The many faces of India

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 Comparing Hinduism and Christianity
God has made us with a longing in our hearts to be close to Him. (See Acts 17:26, 27 and
Ecclesiastes 3:11.) Hindus feel that longing, too. But they do not believe, or have not been
told, that the way to be close to God is through His Son Jesus. So they try to fill that longing
with other gods, rituals, and works.
Hindu Teachings
God Hindus believe in one main god,
called Brahman. Some Hindus pick
one god to be their own special
god. But Hindu teachings tell of
many gods.
Relationship Hindus do not believe their gods
are like fathers to those who
worship them.
Holy book Hindus respect many Hindu writings.
The “Vedas” are a collection of sacred
writings. The Bhagavad-Gita is a
respected book of stories.
Life after death Hindus believe in “reincarnation”—the
belief that after people die, they can
come back to life again as other
people or animals. “Karma” is the
belief that the way someone behaved
in a former life determines what they
will be in the next life.
Salvation Salvation for Hindus means freedom
from being reborn again and again.
They believe they become part of
their main god when their cycle of
birth and death ends. Some of the
ways Hindus try to get closer to this
“salvation” include rituals, good
works, meditation, yoga, and the
worship of gods.
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Christian
There is one God. “The Lord
our God, the Lord is one!”
(See Deuteronomy 6:4.)
Our Father, God, loves us as His
children. “I will be a Father to
you, and you shall be My sons
and daughters, says the Lord
Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).
The Bible is the Word of
God. “All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God”
(2 Timothy 3:16).
After a person’s life on earth
ends, there is a judgment. “It is
appointed for men to die once,
but after this the judgment”
(Hebrews 9:27). Believers enjoy
unbroken fellowship with God
for eternity. (See Psalm 16:11.)
The only way to eternal life is
by God’s grace through faith in
Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “No
one comes to the Father except
through Me” (John 14:6).
 Coloring Page
The peacock is the national bird of India. Do you know the
national bird of your country?

©2007 coloring page by Naomi S.

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 States of India
Bold Believer Stories
and Activities
India is made up of the 28 states and seven union territories shown on the map below.
You may want to photocopy and color the map, then hang it up as a prayer reminder.

Jammu
& Kashmir

Himachal Arunachul
Punjab
Pradesh Pradesh
Chandigarh
Uttaranchal
Haryana
Meghalaya

Delhi Sikkim

Rajasthan Uttar Assam

Pradesh Bihar Nagaland

d
rkan West
Madhya Jha Manipur
Gujarat Bengal
Pradesh
Tripura
rh
sag

Orissa Mizoram
tti

Daman
ha

Maharashtra
Ch

& Diu

Dadra &
Nagar Haveli
Andhra
ka Pradesh Puducherry
a ta
rn
Ka
Goa

Lakshadweep
Islands
Tamil Puducherry
Nadu Andaman &
Puducherry Nicobar Islands

Kerala

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 Andhra Pradesh
Capital: Hyderabad
Main language: Telugu
Religion: Mostly Hindu

Facts
Andhra Pradesh is larger than England, Scotland,
Wales, and Northern Ireland combined. More
people live in Andhra Pradesh than live in
France or Spain.

Every year, millions of Hindus visit a huge Hindu

temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Many get
Andhra

their heads shaved at the temple and donate their

Pradesh

hair to a Hindu god. The temple was listed in the

Guinness Book of World Records for receiving “the
largest donations of human hair.” Hair dealers buy
the hair, bringing millions of dollars into the temple
treasury. Some of the hair is made into hair extensions
used by Hollywood actresses. (Sources include: The Wall Street Journal)

Bold Believers
We fear that even those who carry Bibles in town will be [arrested] for preaching.
—a Christian in Tirupati

Hindus travel to the Andhra Pradesh city of Tirupati to visit sites that they believe to be
holy. Some Hindu groups complained that Christians were passing out Christian pamphlets
near one of the sites. Perhaps the Christians wanted to let the Hindus know that Jesus
provides eternal hope, and that it is not necessary to donate their hair to a false god.

State officials said they would try to pass a new law against non-Hindus. The law would
make it illegal for anyone to preach any religion other than Hinduism. A Christian in
Tirupati said he did not know how the law would work. He said some of the churches in
Tirupati have been preaching Christianity since the 17th century.

Activity
A town in Andhra Pradesh is famous for its “Kondapalli toys.” The toys are made of wood
with each part carved separately before they are glued together. Make an animal or other
figure out of modeling clay. Form the body and each part separately, then mold all the
parts together. Use several figures to create a scene from a Bible story.

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Feature Story
Andhra Pradesh

“Why Should We Worry?”

Healed by God
Swarna is a teenage Christian girl in India. She lives with her father Jacob, her mother
Mary, and her younger sister Jhansi. God has turned hardships into opportunities for her
family to grow stronger in their faith.

When Swarna was only 3 years old, she fell out of a second story window into a ditch and
broke her leg. She was sad and miserable. Mary asked God to heal her.

Like many people in India, Jacob was not a Christian. In fact, he didn’t even like Christians,
except for Mary. Jacob mocked Mary’s prayers for Swarna.

But God healed Swarna! Two weeks after the accident, the doctor said there was no
evidence her leg had been injured. Jacob’s heart began to soften, and after talking to a
pastor, he gave his life to Jesus.

New Life, New Struggles

Jacob felt God was calling him to be a pastor and to
preach the truth to Hindus. Hindus believe in many gods
instead of only the one true God. Jacob had been a
Hindu before he was a Christian.

Jacob held a big meeting and invited Hindus to come

hear the gospel of Jesus. More than 200 came. But other
Hindus grew angry with Jacob. They didn’t want people
leaving their religion to follow Christ.

One day, Swarna’s friend Anusha had a party for her 13th
birthday. She invited Swarna and her family. As Pastor Jacob was
praying for Anusha, a group of angry Hindus raided the party.
They hit Pastor Jacob with a stick.

Mary shielded Jacob from more of the

attackers’ blows. Then Swarna and
Jhansi placed themselves between their
parents and the attackers to protect
Mary and Jacob. The attackers left, but Pastor Jacob,
they shut Anusha’s hand in the door on his wife, and his

the way out. (Five of the attackers

two daughters

were later arrested.)

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Continuing the Work
Christians around the world have prayed for Pastor Jacob and his family. “This experience
has made our faith stronger,” the pastor told Christians from America who visited his home
in India.

Swarna hopes God will continue to use her to help her parents reach more Hindus. “We
want to follow Christ,” she told the visiting Christians. “Why should we worry about people
who hurt the flesh? I want to join my parents to help strengthen the ministry.” (See
Matthew 10:28.) Pray God will watch over Pastor Jacob’s family as they share the truth
about Jesus.

Feature Story
Andhra Pradesh
Slave Boy Finds Freedom
Narashimalu was born into a poor Dalit Hindu family. His
family was forced to give him to a rich Hindu to be used as
a slave.

Dalits are the lowest class of people in the Hindu caste

system. (See more about castes and Dalits on the Delhi and
Haryana pages.) Many higher-caste Hindus have little or no
respect for Dalits. “They are treated worse than animals,”
said an Indian Christian talking about Dalits.

Dalits are often poor because they have a hard time

Pastor David
getting good jobs or a good education. Narashimalu’s
parents were so poor they could not afford to feed him.

As a slave boy, Narashimalu sometimes saw Christians going to church to worship God.
They seemed so full of joy! Narashimalu wanted to worship God, too. Hindus worshipped
their gods in temples, but Dalits were not allowed to go to temples.

Freedom
Narashimalu began listening outside the church window to the Christians’ church services.
As he heard the prayers and sermons, his faith in the one true God began to grow. He
listened outside the window more and more, until his slave master grew angry at his
absence from work.

Narashimalu tried to go to night school for a while. But he was not allowed to continue
when they realized he was a Dalit.

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Sometimes Christian pastors visited his village. Narashimalu offered to serve them in
whatever ways they needed his help. The pastors taught him more about God.
Narashimalu found out that everyone is a slave to sin until they repent and follow
Jesus—even rich Hindus! He gave his life to Jesus and changed his name to David.

David became a pastor, no longer a slave to sin or to the Hindu master. He would like his
whole village to come to Christ and to find the freedom he has found in Jesus.

Persecution and Forgiveness

Hinduism has nothing to offer Dalits. They are not even allowed to join other Hindus to
worship the false gods that enslave them.

But many higher class Hindus do not want Dalits to leave Hinduism. They persecute David
and others who tell Dalits the truth about Jesus. Radical Hindus burned down the small hut
David used as a church. He rebuilt the church, and now 30 Dalit families worship there.
About 25 children attend his Sunday school.

The Bible says, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be
rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?” (See
James 2:5, NIV.) The Dalits in David’s church are still poor in the eyes of the world. A
Christian from the U.S. who visited David’s village and other villages in India said, “This
was the poorest village we visited. As far as we could
tell, there is no bathroom in the whole
village.” About 500 people live in the village.

David lives in a small hut with his wife

Saramma, their four children, and his elderly
father. His eldest son Kumar is a student at a
Bible college. Their younger daughters Ruth,
Krupa, and Premalatha also go to school.
David is thankful that his children are able to
get an education, because he was forbidden
to do so.

Radical Hindus continue to threaten and

persecute David. Once they beat him up in
A village home in India

front of his family. They stopped beating him

only because 20 Hindu women from the
village came and told them to stop causing trouble in the village.

Although the attackers threatened to continue bothering him if he does not quit witnessing
for the Lord, David said he will not stop preaching in his village or in other nearby
villages. As for his persecutors, David said, “For Jesus’ sake I forgive them.”

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 Arunachul Pradesh
Capital: Itanagar
Main languages: Many languages are spoken.
Some are Monpa, Miji, Aka, and Sherdukpen.
Arunachul

Religions: Hindu, animist, Buddhist,

Pradesh

and Christian

Facts
Scientists discovered a new kind of monkey in a
mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh in
2003. The region is “one of India’s last wild
places,” one of the scientists said.

Parts of Arunachal Pradesh are hard to reach for

missionaries as well as scientists. Some jungle tribes
“have survived for thousands of years without the
slightest knowledge of the gospel,” said a missionary.
“Few are even aware that Jesus Christ exists or that He
died for their sins 2,000 years ago.” (Source: Asia Harvest)

Bold Believers
Christians who have come to Arunachal Pradesh have often
been unwelcome. Many Hindus, Buddhists, and animists do not
want people in their state to become Christians.

The state government passed a law in 1978 that said it is illegal

to convert someone to another religion by “force, inducement,
or fraud.” “Inducement” means causing or leading someone to
do something. Animists are
people who fear
Many Christians live in Nagaland, a state next to Arunachal and worship
Pradesh. Some of them love their neighbors enough to take spirits that they
the gospel message to them, in spite of the risks. One Naga believe are in
pastor started 200 churches in Arunachal Pradesh! Many new things like rocks,
Christians are kicked out of their families, tribes, and villages trees, and plants.
if they decide to follow Christ. (Sources include: Christianity Today online)

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Activity
Arunachal Pradesh is known for its many kinds of flowers. You can make a “flower” to use
as a prayer reminder for the people of Arunachal Pradesh who don’t know Jesus. Lay three
Kleenex halves flat on top of one another. Fold all the layers accordion style, making the
pleats about one-inch wide. Fasten the pleated Kleenexes together by placing a large paper
clip in the middle of the strip of folded layers. Cut off the ends of the folded strip, leaving
about three inches of Kleenex on either side of the paper clip. Gently separate and fluff all
the layers to form a delicate flower.

Step 1:
Fold all the layers accordion
style. If you want to add some Step 2:
color, use markers and color the Place a large paper
edges of the Kleenexes. clip in the middle of
the folded layers.

Step 3:
Fluff all the layers to
form a flower.

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 Assam
Capital: Dispur
Main language: Assamese
Religions: Mostly Hindu and Muslim
Assam
Facts
Assam and six other northeastern states are
connected to the rest of India by a strip of land
called “the chicken’s neck.” Find the chicken’s
neck on a map.

Assam and the six other states are often called

“the Seven Sisters.” Violence is common in the
Seven Sisters. Tribes fight over land, some groups
fight for their own separate homeland, and citizens
fight against immigrants from other countries.

Pray for the peace of Christ to rule in the hearts

of the people living in the Seven Sisters states.

Bold Believers
A Christian from the United States visited friends in India. She took medicine to share with
sick people who had no way to go to the doctor. One day, she saw a little girl with a large
open sore on her leg. “That girl could use some of my medicine,” she said to a Christian
worker with her. “No!” said the worker. “If you give her the medicine and she later
becomes a Christian, you will be blamed for ‘bribing’ her to become a Christian.”

Non-Christians in India often accuse helpful Christians of “forcing” or “bribing” people to

become Christians. In Assam, Christians built a new school for children. Parents in the
village helped build the school for their children. But a mob burned the school down shortly
after it opened. They accused the school staff of trying to make Hindus become Christians.

Activity
Assam is known for growing black tea. To make a black tea drink, stir together 2 cups of
water and 2 cups of apple juice with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the
heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 4 black tea bags and
2 bay leaves. Steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and bay leaves. Add sugar
to taste and serve.

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 Bihar & Jharkand
Bihar
Capital: Patna
Main language: Hindi
Religion: Hindu Bihar

Jharkand
Capital: Ranchi
Main language: Hindi Jharkand

Religion: Hindu

Facts
Bihar and Jharkand both used to be part of one
state in India. In 2000, part of Bihar split off to
become Jharkand. Bihar is known as a place where
people are very poor and many do not obey the law.

Bold Believers
Amar, Vikram, and Preetam are three boys from a Christian family in Jharkand. Their father,
Santosh, used to be an animist. Santosh, his wife Shiva Devi, and the boys became
Christians, so animist villagers said the family “polluted the atmosphere of the village.” The
animists shaved Shiva Devi’s head to embarrass her, and then they chased the family out of
the village and told them to never come back. Santosh’s animist mother and father were
among the people who chased them away. (In Matthew 10:36, Jesus warned those who
followed Him that sometimes, “a man’s enemies
will be those of his own household.”) Pray for the
animists to open their hearts to Jesus.

Activity
Here are some Hindi words you can learn to say.

Yes: hah

No: nuh-HEE

Thank you: DAHN-yuh-bahd

Indian boys

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 Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Capital: Raipur
Main language: Hindi
Religion: Hindu Madhya
Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Capital: Bhopal
Main language: Hindi
Religion: Hindu
Chhattisgarh

Facts
Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh used to be
one state. In 2000, Chhattisgarh became a state
separate from Madhya Pradesh.

News reports told about Saurabh, a 5-year-old policeman in

Chhattisgarh. Saurabh’s father was a policeman who died. An Indian custom allows children
to take the place of parents who die while working for the government. Saurabh’s mother
needed him to go to work to help support their family of five.

Bold Believers
• Hindu militants dragged a Chhattisgarh pastor and four other Christians to a Hindu
temple. The Hindus tried to force the Christians to bow to a Hindu idol and say, “Victory
to the god Ram.” One of the Christians said, “You can kill me, but I will not bow to the
idol.” The militants beat up the Christians.

• About 20 radical Hindus raided a church service in Chhattisgarh one summer day. They
grabbed the pastor’s Bible and put a tire around his neck. They tried to light the tire on
fire, but it would not light. So they dragged the pastor to the police station where the
police arrested him for “outraging religious feelings!”(Source: Compass Direct)

Activity
Kabaddi is a popular sport in India. The rules are somewhat similar to langdi. (See the
Goa page.) But in kabaddi, the “raider” who enters the opposing team’s territory must
repeat the word “kabaddi” [kah-buh-dee] over and over as he tags players. His goal is to
tag as many players as possible—all in one breath. If he takes a second breath, he is out
of the game.

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Feature Story
Madhya Pradesh

Persecution Stories from Madhya Pradesh

Girl Refuses to Pray to Hindu Gods
A group of radical Hindus attacked a Christian training center in Madhya Pradesh. Students
at the training center were learning more about the Bible. The Hindus destroyed furniture
and office equipment.

Then the intruders discovered the 8-year-old daughter of the center’s director. They
ordered her to recite a prayer to a Hindu god. According to a newspaper article, the girl
refused. The attackers threw her to the floor. God protected her from further harm.

Arrested for Good Deeds

Sunny John is a pastor in Madhya Pradesh. He opened a
school and children’s home for poor Hindu children in his
community.

One day police came to the school and took five of the
children, ages 5 to 10, to the police station. The children
were frightened when newspaper reporters suddenly came
to the station asking a lot of questions.

The police tried to find out if Sunny John had converted any
of the children to Christianity. Although none of the children
seemed to be Christians, Sunny John was arrested anyway.

Prakesh and the Bull

Prakesh is a Hindu farmer from a village in Madhya Pradesh.
He was not always well-behaved. Sometimes he drank a lot
of liquor and got drunk. From time to time, he visited a
An Indian school boy

Christian church. Perhaps he was looking for the truth and

for answers to his problems.

One day a stray bull wandered into Prakesh’s field. Prakesh threw a rock at the bull to
scare it away. But Prakesh was drunk and he missed the bull. Instead he hit a Hindu idol
standing at the edge of the field.

After the incident, about 150 radical Hindus and Indian policemen came to the village.
They threatened the village Christians because of Prakesh’s bad aim. Even though Prakesh
had only occasionally attended the Christian church, the Hindus still blamed the Christians
for the damage to the idol. They beat up Prakesh and some of the Christians.

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 Delhi
Capital: Delhi
Main language: Hindi
Religion: Hindu

Facts Delhi
• Delhi is one of India’s seven union territories.
New Delhi, which is part of Delhi, is the
capital of India.

• New Delhi has a monkey problem.

Thousands of monkeys roam the capital,
snatching food from children, taking free
bus rides, and disturbing government
offices. The government has tried hiring
large, fierce monkeys to scare away the smaller
ones. The “police monkeys” are paid $25 worth of
bananas a month.

Bold Believers
Radical Hindus want to change school textbooks in India. The
Hindus want the textbooks to say only good things about
Hindus. Christians and others want the books to tell the truth.
Government officials in India have taken action to remove
schoolbooks written by radical Hindus from schools.

Hindu groups also tried to change textbooks in California in

the United States. The Hindus did not want the books to say
that Hindus worship many gods, or that women have not
been treated well in India. They objected to parts of the
books that talked about “untouchables” (also called
Dalits), the people in the lowest class of India’s
“caste system.”

The Hindus said that the true textbooks were

insulting to their religion and would embarrass
Hindu schoolchildren. Many experts and some
Christian groups spoke out against the Hindus’
ideas for change. A committee approved a few of
the Hindus’ changes, but left the main true ideas
about Hindus in the books.

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 What is a Caste System?

A caste is a social class.

It is based on what f ami ly
someone is born into .
The people in higher
castes ar e thought to be
bet ter than those in
lower castes. The caste
system is no longer
legal in I ndia. B ut people
in lower castes ar e
sti l l look ed down on b y
man y in higher castes.

Indian mother and child

Activity
Draw 35 small squares on pieces of paper. Write the name of one Indian state or territory
on each square. Beside the name, write something to pray for about that state or territory.
Cut out the squares. Glue or tape each one on a calendar. Pray for people in each state or
territory on the date where you attached the square for that location.

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 Goa
Capital: Panaji
Main languages: Marathi and Konkani
Jesus is called “Jezu”
[JAY-zoo] in Konkani.

Religion: Hindu, Christian

Facts:
• Kids in Goa like to swim. A news story in
India reported that three 4-year-olds Goa
swam across the Mandovi River in Goa.
The story did not say how wide the river
is, but it took the children 25 minutes to
swim across it. Two 5-year-olds also
swam across the river. One of them, a
girl, had also swum across the river when
she was 2 1 /2!

• The country of Portugal used to rule Goa.

Portuguese churches are still there.

Bold Believers
The week before Christmas, 80 people gathered
at the New Life Fellowship in Goa to worship the
Prince of Peace. Suddenly 20 Hindu militants
barged into the church carrying chains, sticks, and
iron rods. They smashed equipment and scared
the congregation away. Then they dragged the
pastor to the police station and demanded that he
be charged with “disturbing the peace!”

Activity
“Langdi” is a traditional game from Goa. Two
teams play on a square field. Players from one
Christians are sometimes charged with

team stand in the square. The other team sends

“disturbing the peace” for worshipping Jesus.

one player at a time into the square. That player

must hop on one foot. Whoever is touched by the hopping player is out of the game. If the
hopper puts his raised foot down, he is out and the teams change positions. The game is
over when all the players on one team are out.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
the Martyrs in India
 Gujarat
Capital: Gandhinagar
Main language: Gujarati
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Cows are respected and protected in India because
Gujarat
they are honored in the Hindu religion and because
they are useful to rural families. A law in Gujarat
forbids killing cows. McDonald’s restaurants in
India do not serve beef, which comes from cows.
(Beef is the main ingredient in hamburgers.)

Bold Believers
Pastors and churches in Gujarat have been attacked
by radical Hindus who do not want other Hindus to
follow Christ. A film crew made an infomercial to
discourage Hindus from leaving their religion. The film was
shown at movie theaters before the main movie began.

The film starts with a scene of two dogs fighting. A voice in the background says, “Dogs
will fight. You cannot change their nature.” Then the film shows a cow eating grass. The
voice says, “You cannot change this cow into a meat-eater.” Then the screen goes black
and the voice says, “So why attempt to change someone’s religion?”

To Discuss
The two topics in the film were animals changing their nature and people changing their
religion. How are those two topics not really alike?

Activity
Gujarati words to learn:

English Gujarati How to Say It

Yes Haa hah

No Naa nah

Indian children good morning shubh prabhaat shoob prah-BAHT

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Haryana
Capital: Chandigarh
Main language: Hindi
Religion: Mostly Hindu Haryana

Facts
Two states, Haryana and Punjab, share the city of
Chandigarh as their capital. Chandigarh is also
one of India’s seven territories.

Bold Believers
I do not want to be treated like less than
an animal anymore. I am sick of the caste system.
I have read about Jesus Christ and know that He
offers equality, dignity, and salvation. I want to
follow Him as my Lord. —a Dalit in India

Traditional Hinduism teaches that people are born into castes.

(See more about castes on the Delhi page.) Priests belong to the highest caste, soldiers to
the next, businessmen and farmers to the next, and servants and workers to the next.
Each caste has many divisions and sub-castes. Lowest of all are the “untouchables,” now
called Dalits.

Dalits have often been treated worse than animals. Today the government of India has
laws against the caste system. Dalits receive special rights
and privileges in school and on jobs to help them improve
their lives. But Dalits are still treated badly in many areas
of India.

A group of Dalits in Haryana decided to become Christians.

As Christians, the Dalits lose their special privileges offered
by the government. Hindus in India try to stop Dalits from
becoming Christians.

The Dalit quoted at the top of this story understood the

reasons to follow Jesus. But some Dalits want to be
Christians so they can escape the caste system. The best
reason to follow Jesus is because we know we are sinners
and cannot be saved or be close to God except through
Jesus. Pray that God’s love will lead Dalits to the right
reasons to follow Jesus. Pray higher-caste Hindus will
A Dalit said even animals are
treated better than Dalits.

follow Him, too.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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Activity
The sculptures at a famous garden in Chandigarh are made of discarded building materials.
Collect some of the clean items you would normally throw away. Make a sculpture out of
the materials. Use it as a reminder to pray for the state of Haryana.

Feature Story
Haryana
Stone Temples & Mud Huts
News Item
Dalits in flooded areas of India are facing new challenges. They are often the last people
to receive emergency aid. When camps were set up for people whose homes were
destroyed by the floods, members of higher castes chased the Dalits away. “Our workers
are taking the message of God’s love where it has not been known before,” said a Christian
missionary after the flood. “This includes communities where Dalits live.” — (Source: Gospel for Asia)

Story*
Pastor Vishal and his wife moved to a place in India where many poor people lived. They
wanted to show the love of Jesus to low-caste people who had little hope in their lives.

Many people in low castes believe they are doomed to a

sad life. They hope they will be reborn into a higher caste
in their next life. (Christians know that people have only
one life before they are judged. See Hebrews 9:27.)

One day, four low-caste youth rode their bicycles 30 miles

to visit the pastor. “The flood has washed away our homes,
cattle, and crops,” they told him. “Can you please come to
our village and help?”

The youth returned home. Sometime later, the pastor A mud home
decided to see what he could do to help them.

The trip to the village was difficult. The flood had washed away the mud road, and the
pastor had to walk the final four miles. The youth were surprised to see him. They had not
expected that he would really help them.

The villagers were not Christians. They worshipped many false gods, and they did not
know that faith in Jesus is the way to the one true God. Proudly they showed the pastor a
magnificent stone temple built in the middle of the river to honor the “god of the river.”
The temple, which was more than 1,000 years old, was quite different from the low-caste
villagers’ simple mud homes.

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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“Why do you think you are so poor?” the pastor asked the villagers.

“We work very hard for 10 years,” said one villager. “We save money, buy oxen, build
houses, and then the floods come. Everything is lost. This happens over and over again.
So we are poor.”

“Was the stone temple in the river built to worship the river?”
the pastor asked.

“Yes,” one youth replied. “The river is our mother. She gives us
life. But she can also take life when she is angry.”

“That’s the problem,” the pastor said. “Your ancestors feared

and worshipped the river. That is why they built homes that
did not last instead of stone homes that are strong like the
temple. They believed that the way to stop floods was to
worship the river, so they did not try to control the river or
prevent it from ruining their homes. Your forefathers did not
know what the river was, because they did not know God.”

“They were very religious,” argued one of the youth.

“Yes, they were. But I am not talking about religion,” said A temple located near water

Pastor Vishal. “I’m talking about truth.”

Then the pastor talked with the villagers about the caste system. The temple and the
village chief’s house were made of stone. The other upper-caste people lived in better mud
houses in safer parts of the village. The lower castes lived in mud huts in unsafe parts of
the village.

“False gods will make you slaves, but the true God will make you free,” the pastor
taught them.

Pastor Vishal spent many hours teaching the villagers about God, the Bible, and salvation
from sin through Jesus Christ. A few months later, some of the youth decided to follow
Jesus and were baptized!

Not long after that, the new Christians got electricity in their village, built a water tank to
bring water to their fields, and installed an electric pump. However, later some upper-caste
men and non-Christian officials took away their land. The upper-caste people in the village
were still slaves of the caste system. Pray that the upper-caste people in India will find the
freedom in Jesus that will make them brothers and sisters to their low-caste Christian
neighbors.
*Paraphrased, edited, and adapted from a story in the book The Quest for Freedom and Dignity: Caste, Conversion, and Cultural Revolution by
Vishal Mangalwadi, South Asian Resources.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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 Himachal Pradesh
Capital: Shimla
Main languages: Hindi and Pahari
Religion: Hindu
Himachal
Pradesh

Facts
China took over the Buddhist country of Tibet in
the mid-1900s. China’s government persecuted
people of all faiths. Thousands of Buddhists fled
to next-door Himachal Pradesh. Their leader is
called “the Dalai Lama.” Even though the Dalai
Lama and many Buddhists live in Himachal
Pradesh, most of the people are Hindu.

Bold Believers
Pastor Ramesh was the leader of a house church in
Himachal Pradesh. Radical Hindus were angry because some
of the members of the church left Hinduism to follow Christ. The
Hindus took over the church, set up a Hindu idol in the doorway, and forced Pastor
Ramesh and his family to go live somewhere else. The pastor’s house church is now a
Hindu temple.

Pastor Ramesh
and his former
house church

©2007 photos
courtesy of
Gospel for Asia

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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Activity
Delhi has too many monkeys. (See the Delhi page.) Officials hope to send some of the
monkeys to Himachal Pradesh, which has a temple dedicated to Hanuman, the Hindu
monkey god.

But Himachal Pradesh does not want the monkeys either. Farmers there recently held a
protest march against the monkeys that are already living in their state. “Himachal Pradesh
already has over three lakh monkeys and can hardly afford to get more,” said one official
upset about the monkeys that are destroying crops.

“Lakh” is a number in the Indian numbering system. One lakh equals 100,000. Commas
are placed differently in the Indian system.

U.S. system Indian system

One-hundred thousand 100,000 1,00,000

Three million 3,000,000 30,00,000

If Himachal Pradesh has three lakh monkeys, how many monkeys live there? How would
the number be written in the Indian system? Answers are in the Answer Key.

Monkeys looking down from a building

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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 Jammu & Kashmir
Capital: The summertime capital is Srinagar;
the winter capital is Jammu.
Main language: Urdu
Jammu &
Kashmir
Religion: Mostly Muslim with many Hindus

Facts
Most states in India have more Hindus than
Muslims. Jammu and Kashmir have more
Muslims than Hindus. Many Muslims would
like the state to be part of the Muslim country
of Pakistan instead of India. Indian soldiers in
Jammu and Kashmir have fought to stop
Pakistan from taking over the state.

Bold Believers
Hopegivers International had Web site problems.
(Hopegivers is a Christian ministry that helps poor people
in India and other countries of Asia.)

They hired a Web designer to make them a new Web site. While the designer was working
on the site, only people with a special password could look at it.

Radical Hindus somehow figured out how to access the site. They said the unfinished site
had a map on it that did not show Jammu and Kashmir (sometimes just called “Kashmir”)
as part of India. The Hindus accused Hopegivers of being anti-Indian.

Hopegivers officials were charged in court with stirring up bad feelings toward India. But
the Hindus really just wanted to stir up bad feelings against Christians who help poor
people in India.

Activity
Learn Some Urdu Words:

English Urdu How to Say It

Praise the Lord. Khudawand ki Tarif ho. hoo-DAH-wahnd kee tah-REEF hoh
hello Salam suh-LAHM
please miharbani may-hehr-bah-nee

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Karnataka
Capital: Bangalore (Bengaluru)
Main language: Kannada
Religion: Hindu

Facts
In recent years, several large cities in India have
gotten new names. For example, Bombay was
changed to Mumbai, and Calcutta was changed to
Kolkata. In 2006, officials in Bangalore decided to
change their city’s name to Bengalaru.

Bold Believers
Karnataka

Daniel, age 13, lives in Karnataka with his family.

He has a 12-year-old brother named Thomas, and a
10-year-old sister named Nirmala. They live with their
parents, Pushparaj and Laxmmam.

Pushparaj sells ice cream from an ice cream cart. When he gives ice cream to customers,
he also gives them Christian pamphlets. The pamphlets explain how Jesus saves people
from sin. Pushparaj is also the pastor of a small church. He has witnessed to hundreds of
people who have decided to follow Jesus. Radical Hindus beat him up several times
because of his witnessing. “Jesus was beaten, too,” said Pastor Pushparaj. “My beatings
were just little ones.”

The family’s Hindu landlord made plans to kick Daniel and his family out of their small
home. When the family first moved to the village, people were unfriendly to them. Now
some are willing to be friends. Ask God to continue to provide places for Daniel and his
family to live—maybe with the help of their new friends.

Activity
India has many different groups of people and cultures, and there is not just one kind of
Indian food. The climate in northern India is good for growing wheat. A kind of Indian flat
bread called “chapattis” is a common food made of wheat. Indians in parts of the north eat
some of the same foods as people in Middle Eastern countries, like lamb and yogurt.

In southern India (where Karnataka is located), seafood is popular along the coasts.
Tropical fruit like bananas and coconut are also common, as are strong spices. Although
rice is a main food in southern India, it is also common in the north. On the following page
is a rice recipe from the north you can try with the help of an adult.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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 Indian Rice Dish

In a large saucepan, sauté 1/2 an onion in 2 to 3 tbsp. of oil.

Reduce heat and stir in 1 tsp. ground cloves,

1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. cilantro,
and 1 cup long grain rice.

Cook over medium low heat for about 1 minute,

stirring constantly.

Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 cups boiling water and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan, and simmer until the water is absorbed.

Heat 1 tbsp. of butter in a skillet at medium high heat.

Stir in 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup almonds and heat for
1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir the mixture into the rice and serve.

Rice paddies in India

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Kerala
Capital: Thiruvanathapuram
Main language: Malayalam
Religions: Hindu, Muslim, and Christian

Facts
Many Christians in India believe that Thomas, the
disciple of Jesus, visited India and taught people
about Jesus. Some Christians in Kerala call
themselves “St. Thomas Christians.” St. Thomas
Christian kids and other groups enter a giant Bible
quiz every October. In a recent year, “3.5 lahk”
people took the written quiz. (See the Himachal
Pradesh page to find out how many people that is.)
Winners receive shields, medals, and trophies. Kerala

Bold Believers
Denis Nathaniel is a translator. He is also a Christian. He
translated a book about Hinduism and Christianity into the Hindi
language. The book was written by M.G. Matthew, a Christian from Kerala.

Radical Hindus did not like the book. They said it reported bad things about Hinduism.
Officials listened to the Hindus’ complaints and arrested Mr. Nathaniel. They also arrested
the manager of a book stall that sold the book.

Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, once talked about
officials who arrest people for telling the truth. “If you arrest all the mathematicians,”
Pastor Wurmbrand said, “2 + 2 will still be 4.” What do you think Pastor Wurmbrand
meant by that?

Activity
Almost every recipe in Kerala has coconut added to
it. Try adding shredded coconut to everything you
eat for one meal. What does it taste good on?
What does it not taste good on?

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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Feature Story
Kerala
Two Kinds of Poison
Besly, Lesly, and Hepzy are Christian children in Kerala, India. One day when Besly was 13,
his brother Lesly was 8, and their sister Hepzy was 12, the children rode the city bus home
from school. Unlike a school bus, a city bus has adult riders as well as schoolchildren.

A lady on the bus called the children by name and spoke

kindly to them. The children didn’t remember ever seeing
her before. As they got off the bus, the lady gave them
some chocolate candy. They ate the candy, but began to
vomit while they walked home from the bus. The children
had been poisoned.

Forgiving Enemies
The children’s father, Pastor Ciniraj, preached the Good
News of Jesus among Hindus and Muslims. He had received
a threatening letter a few days earlier. The letter told him to
“be careful” because he was destroying “the true religion.”
Three Indian children

The writer of the letter believed in Islam, the religion of Muslims. Pastor Ciniraj had been a
Muslim when he was young. Later he discovered the truth about Jesus and began to serve
Him. He knew Islam was not “the true religion” as the letter writer believed.

Besly, Lesly, and Hepzy had to go to the hospital. The pastor, his wife Mary, and many
Christian friends prayed for the children and they got well! The family praised God for their
health. The Christians realized that the candy lady must have been sent by enemies to
harm the children.

Pastor Ciniraj continued to witness to non-Christians about the love of Jesus, who teaches
us to forgive our enemies. Holding on to bad feelings about others is spiritual poison.

Surprise Visitors
Later a mob of Hindus and Muslims attacked Pastor Ciniraj. While the attackers were beating
him, the pastor knelt down and asked God to rescue him and to forgive his attackers.

Pastor Ciniraj went to a hospital to get treatment for his injuries. After he returned home,
five of the men who attacked him came to his house. The pastor and his family wondered
what the men wanted. But they did not let the poison of unforgiveness stop them from
listening to the men.

The attackers surprised the pastor by asking for his forgiveness! Pastor Ciniraj talked
with them for five hours and led them all to the Lord! Christians are praying that God will
protect Pastor Ciniraj and his family, and also the new believers.

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Maharashtra
Capital: Mumbai (used to be called Bombay)
Main language: Marathi
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Movies are popular in India. The film industry in
Mumbai is called “Bollywood.” The name comes
from Bombay (the old name of Mumbai) and
Maharashtra

Hollywood, the film industry in the U.S. The state

of Tamil Nadu has its own film industry, called
“Kollywood,” which produces movies in the Tamil
language. “Mollywood” in Kerala makes Mayalayam
language movies. The film industry in Andhra
Pradesh and the one in Kolkata are both
called “Tollywood.”

Bold Believers
Some movies are not popular in Maharashtra—at least not among
radical Hindus. A Christian film team visited the state and showed
the JESUS film to a crowd of about 250 people. (The film is the
story of the life of Jesus.) While waiting for a city bus to drive
them home, the four-member team was surrounded by a mob of
violent Hindus. The Hindus hit the Christians, damaged their
equipment, and dragged them to a police station. The police falsely
charged the Christians with “using a loudspeaker in a public place
without permission.”
JESUS film

Activity
Maharashtra, like many other Indian states, produces spices for use in recipes around the
world. With the help of an adult, try this spicy chicken recipe from northern India.

Mix 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 8 oz. yogurt (plain), 1/4 cup dried cilantro, 4 oz. chopped green chilis,
1 tsp. ground ginger, and 2 tsp. minced garlic. Pour over 4 lbs. skinned chicken pieces
and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 2 tbsp.
melted butter in a baking dish, then add the chicken. Pour any remaining spice mixture
over the chicken. Bake for about 1 hour until the chicken is done, then serve.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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 Manipur
Capital: Imphal
Main language: Manipuri
Religion: Hindu, Christian

Facts
First Pitch: the U.S.-Manipur Baseball Project is a
program started to encourage baseball players in
Manipur. More than 25 sports clubs have baseball
teams in Manipur, but baseball is not as popular in
Manipur
India as cricket.

Cricket is a game somewhat like

baseball. The bat looks a little
like a boat oar. The professional
players usually wear all-white
clothing and the fielders do not
wear gloves. Unlike in baseball, after the
“bowler” (pitcher) throws the ball, it may
hit the ground and bounce up to the
“batsman” (batter) before it is hit.

A cricket ball

Boys playing
cricket

35
Bold Believers The Voice of
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Bold Believers

PERSEVERE: TO CONTINUE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IN SPITE OF DIFFICULTIES

Manipur has a history of being a violent state. Tribal groups have fought each other, and
some groups would like their state to break away from India and form a new country.
Sometimes Christians are also the target of violence.

But some Christians at a church in Manipur have persevered! They began building their
church, called the Believers Church, in 2004. A mob of Hindus destroyed the church before
the building was finished.

The believers persevered and started building again. Then 20 people came and tore down
the wall around the church. The rebuilding continued until a mob of 200 Hindus burned
down the church and attacked four church members. About a month later, a jeep full of
gunmen drove by and fired guns into the unfinished church. Thankfully, no one was injured
by the gunshots.

In the Book of Acts, Paul and Barnabas noted, “We must go through many hardships to
enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, NIV). Jesus said, “He who endures to the end will
be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Believers in Manipur are enduring—and persevering.

Activity
Manipur claims to be the place where a sport that is played on horseback was invented.
Write down the first letter of the following Bible books to spell the name of the sport:

__________ __________ __________ __________

the 19th book the 31st book the 3rd book the 31st book

The answer is in the Answer Key.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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 Meghalaya
Capital: Shillong
Main language: Khasi, Garo, English
Religion: many Christians live in Meghalaya Meghalaya

Facts
In many parts of India, families are happy
when boy babies are born, but not as happy to
welcome girl babies into the family. Meghalaya
is different. Women have a great deal of
responsibility there, and parents are thankful
when they have daughters.

Bold Believers
Wales is known as a land of revivals. Many people came
to the Lord in Wales during Christian meetings more than
100 years ago. During that time, a Welsh missionary started a
church in Meghalaya. (A Welsh person is someone from Wales.)

Today, sadly, most people in Wales are not interested in

seeking the Lord. But in Meghalaya, churches are growing! Two
pastors from Meghalaya recently went to Wales to spread the
gospel. “We owe a lot to the church in Wales,” said a Christian
in Meghalaya. “We have to do our part when our parent
church is in crisis.”

The government of Meghalaya is not quite sure what to think

Wales of the growing churches in the state. “We are keeping a close
watch on the situation,” said an official. (Source: BBC News)

Activity
A butterfly museum in Meghalaya attracts tourists. To make a paper butterfly, fold a
piece of paper in half. Draw half a butterfly against the fold. Cut out the sides that are
not touching the fold. Open the paper to make a butterfly. Use your butterfly as a prayer
reminder for the people of Meghalaya and Wales.

37
Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Coloring Page
Indian girls in traditional dresses called “saris”

©2007 coloring page by Naomi S.

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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 Mizoram
Capital: Aizawl
Main languages: Mizo and English
Religion: Christian

Facts
The state of Mizoram is having a race with the
state of Kerala. The literacy rate in all of India
(the percent of adults who can read) is about 60
percent. In Kerala, it is much higher. About 90
Mizoram
percent of adults in Kerala can read. Mizoram
wants to take over Kerala’s “Number One” literacy
ranking for India’s states. Churches in Mizoram
are helping people learn to read.

Bold Believers
Most of the people in Mizoram are Christians. Many of them
have great zeal for the Lord.

But some youth are not following the example of godly adults around them. They are
involved with witchcraft and other evil practices. The police believe scary movies and TV
shows have led them astray.

The rebelling youth have attacked churches and burned Bibles.

Sometimes the congregations of the churches choose to pray
for the youth instead of reporting them to the police. They ask
other Christians to pray with them for the teens who have
sinned. (Sources: Washington Times, Times of India)

Activity
Some Christian women in Mizoram set aside a little rice in
a special container when they prepare meals. Everyone
who has set aside food brings it to the church once a
month. The food is sold and the money is given to the
work of spreading the gospel.

Can you set aside part of your allowance or earnings to

support the work of the Lord? Talk with your family
about making a plan to do this.

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Nagaland
Capital: Kohima
Main languages: Nagamese, English,
and others
Religion: Christian
Nagaland

Facts
Some groups in Nagaland have been fighting for
many years. The groups do not want Nagaland
to be part of India. Sometimes the groups fight
against each other as well. Church leaders are
trying to help the groups make peace.

The story below happened in the 1960s when

India sent soldiers to Nagaland to try to stop Nagas
from breaking away from India.

Bold Believers
Long ago, the Naga people of Nagaland used to be headhunters.
They chopped off the heads of their enemies and kept them as trophies. After missionaries
shared the Good News of Jesus with the Naga people, they stopped headhunting.

One day, two Naga Christians were arrested by the

Indian army. The soldiers planned to shoot the
Christians outside a military tent. An executioner
came and raised his rifle to shoot them. But the
rifle wouldn’t work!

An Indian officer standing nearby went into a rage.

He checked the rifle, then started toward the
Christians, planning to beat them with it. As he raised
the rifle over his head, it got stuck in the rope that was
holding up the tent, and the officer hit himself in the
head with it. He threw the rifle away from him and
began to weep. He realized God was helping the
Christians. (Source: Asia Harvest newsletter)

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The Voice of Bold Believers
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Activity
A word square is a group of words that reads the same up and down and from right to left.
Here is part of a word square:

A D A M

G A M E

To finish the word square, add the name of a group that used to be headhunters on the top
row. On the bottom row, add a word that ends a prayer. Answers are in the Answer Key.

Pray for:
• Encouragement for those in Nagaland who
are in training to preach the gospel in
other places

• Pray for peace among the groups fighting

in Nagaland

• The people in the countries near India

to hear and respond to the Good News
of Jesus

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Bold Believers The Voice of
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 Orissa
Capital: Bhubaneswar
Main language: Oriya
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Some superstitious people in India believe
elephants bring good luck. Others think the
animals bring too many problems. As the number
of people in India grows, elephants are driven out
of the forests. They often raid farmers’ fields in Orissa
Orissa to get food. Elephants in some parts of India
have run into trains and wandered onto airport
runways. Sometimes they even attack humans.

Bold Believers
In some Indian villages, even the police won’t help Christians
who are persecuted. Christians in Umarkote village in Orissa worshipped together at a
small house church. Hindu radicals set up a temple near the church, then complained to
police that the Christians’ worship was disturbing their rituals!

The Hindus attacked three women who came to the house for a prayer meeting. They
warned the women not to come to the house church again. The Christians complained
about the attacks to the police, but the police would not listen. The police banned the
Christians from worshipping at the house church anymore.

Activity
Many people in India dress like people in America or
Europe. Others dress in traditional clothing of India.
Women and girls may wear wide loose pants and a
long tunic, together called a “salwar kameez.” A sari
is another traditional garment for women. It is a
cloth about six yards long wrapped around the body
to make a dress.

Men often wear long white shirts and loose pants.

Some wear lungis or dhotis which are cloths wrapped
Man in traditional clothing
around the waist to form a skirt-like garment.

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Look in magazines or reference books to find pictures of people from India in traditional
clothing. Photocopy them or cut them out and attach them to a large piece of paper to
make a mural. Write prayer points for the people of India on the mural.

Feature Story
Orissa
Tolerance Problems
A group of Christians and Hindus in Orissa were talking together about their beliefs. Some
of the Hindus became angry and set fire to a Christian’s home. The houses in the village
were close together, so the fire spread quickly to other homes. Thirty-one homes were
destroyed.

What is “Tolerance?”
Tolerance is showing kindness and respect to someone who has different customs or
beliefs. A tolerant Christian is someone who is always prepared…

“to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you
have. [Jesus is the reason for our hope.] But do this with gentleness and respect”
(1 Peter 3:15, NIV).

“Tolerant” Hindus?
Today many people believe “tolerance” means agreeing that other beliefs are just as true
as your own beliefs. Hindus have been called “tolerant” because they say they believe
other religions are just as true as
Hinduism. In reality, many Hindus
seem tolerant of others’ beliefs as
long as the beliefs do not say that
Hinduism is false. (See the story at
the top of the page.)

All religions can’t be true because

they teach different things.
Christians believe Jesus is “the
way, the truth, and the life”
(John 14:6) and, “There is no
other name under heaven given to
men by which we must be saved”
(Acts 4:12, NIV).
A home in India destroyed by militants

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Tolerance Check
Read each pair of statements below. Put a check in the box before the statement in each
pair that best shows true Christian tolerance. Answers are in the Answer Key.

1. o a. Christian tolerance is understanding that God wants us to share the gospel

with all types of people.
o b. We should believe that all religions teach the truth.

2. o a. It is right to treat those who believe differently with kindness and respect.
o b. It is fine to get angry with people because they have different beliefs.

3. o a. Keep the truth to yourself so others won’t be offended.

o b. Love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you.

4. o a. Agree with others who have different beliefs to make friends with them.
o b. Love others who have different beliefs enough to share the truth about
Jesus with them.

A Tamil picture Bible shows Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Tamil is one of India’s official languages.

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Feature Story
Orissa
Forgiveness Changes Minds
Philip Staines was the 9-year-old son of
missionaries to Orissa. He and his 7-year-old
brother Timothy and 13-year-old sister Esther
helped their parents in their ministry for
the Lord.

During one Christmas season, Philip began to

sing, “When the Roll is Called up Yonder I’ll
Be There” over and over. Gladys, Philip’s
mother noticed that the hymn was on his mind
all the time.

A few weeks later, Philip, Timothy, and their

father Graham were in their car. Radical Hindus
set fire to the car. The Staines died in the fire.

Gladys and Esther were very sad. They found

out that the Hindus were angry because Christian
missionaries led some Hindus to Jesus. Gladys
and Esther knew they needed to obey Jesus’
teachings about loving and forgiving their
Gladys Staines

enemies. Only then would the Hindus know that

Christianity is truly different from other beliefs.

At the funeral, Esther said, “I am proud that my father was considered

worthy do die for God.” Gladys said she was not angry or bitter. Instead,
she said she hoped all the people in India would come to know Jesus.

Christians and non-Christians all over India heard about what Gladys
and Esther said. Many Christians were encouraged by the Staines’
strong stand for the Lord. Hindus noticed that Gladys did not seek
revenge. A newspaper in India said Mrs. Staines’ forgiving spirit had
“won more converts” to Christ than decades of missionaries.
(Sources include: Burnt Alive: The Staines and the God They Loved by Gladys Staines, GLS Publishing)

Rev. Graham Staines,

Philip, and Timothy

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 Punjab
Capital: Chandigarh (See information about
Chandigarh on the Haryana page.)
Main language: Punjabi
Religion: Sikh
Punjab

Facts
Religious leaders in Punjab are upset because too
many boys are getting haircuts! Some Hindus live
in Punjab, but most people follow the Sikh religion
(pronounced “seek”). Sikh men and boys are not
supposed to cut their hair. But many youth are
rebelling against this tradition. They are also
refusing to wrap their head in a turban, which is
another Sikh symbol.

Sikhs believe in a god that is more like a force than a

person. They do not believe they can have a close personal
relationship with their god. Like Hindus, Sikh’s believe in reincarnation.

Bold Believers
Angry Hindus interrupted a Christian prayer meeting at a home in Punjab. The Christians
called the police, who then took four Christians to the police station “for their protection.”
But instead of protecting the Christians, the police beat them up!

Christians in Punjab continue to tell others about

Jesus even when it is risky. “You can’t do God’s
work if you are afraid,” said a pastor in Punjab.
“The Lord saves and the Lord protects.”

“We will not stop preaching the gospel,” said

another pastor.

One church in Punjab has 2,800 members, with a

waiting list of people who want to be baptized.

“People find peace here, so they come,” said the

Golden Temple of Amritsar,
church’s pastor. “The Lord does it.”
a Sikh temple

To non-Christians, it might seem strange that

Christians find peace while they risk danger. Christians know about a kind of peace that
does not come only in comfortable circumstances.

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Philippians 4:6,7 says: “Be anxious for nothing…let your requests be known to God; and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.”

Pray that Christians in Punjab will continue to find that peace.

Activity
Sikhs celebrate special occasions by reading their holy book, called “Guru Granth.” Each
member of a reading team takes a turn reading for two or three hours until the book is
finished. A complete reading takes about 48 hours. Try reading a book or books from the
New Testament for thirty minutes, taking turns with four or five other people.

Feature Story
Punjab
Teenage Sikh Finds Peace
Sundar Singh was born a Sikh. After a “baptism” ceremony, all male Sikhs add “Singh” to
their names, and all females take “Kaur” as their last names.

Sundar was the youngest of four children in a very close family. When he was 14, his kind
and loving mother died.

Sundar was so sad, he didn’t know what to do. In his search for peace, he studied the holy
books of different religions.

But he didn’t look for peace in the Bible. Even though he went to a Christian school, he
hated Christians. He began hating them even more after his mother died.

Sundar became the leader of a gang that made fun of Christians and played mean pranks
on them. One day, he decided to set fire to a New Testament in public. His father, who was
not a Christian but respected the Bible, commanded him to stop. Sundar and his friends
burned God’s Word anyway.

Burning the Bible did not give Sundar peace. In fact, it made him feel worse. He went to
his room and wouldn’t come out for three days and three nights.

Finally at 3 a.m. one day, Sundar prayed, “If there is a God, show Yourself to me, show
me the way of salvation, and grant peace to my soul.” Shortly before 5 a.m., his heart was
filled with joy and peace, and he knew that God is real and His Son Jesus is the way of
salvation. He was changed forever.

Sundar’s family begged him not to be a Christian. They were ashamed to have a Christian
in their family. He left his home and village, but his troubles did not end. During his life, he
was jailed, persecuted, and tortured for his faith by people who did not like Christians. “It’s
a joy to suffer for my Savior,” he said.

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 Coloring Page
Sikh boy in traditional clothes with traditional ornaments

Kangha
Wooden comb

There are more

than 20 million Sikhs
in the world today.
Most of them live in
Punjab, India.

Pray they will find true

peace in Jesus Christ.

©2007 coloring page by Naomi S.

Kirpan
Dagger or Sword

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 Rajasthan
Capital: Jaipur
Main languages: Hindi, Rajasthani
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Rajasthan is the largest state in India. Most of
the people are Hindus. At one Hindu temple in
Rajasthan, rats are believed to be holy. The rats Rajasthan
at the temple enjoy food and gifts brought by
visitors. “The rats sit on their laps, shoulders,
head, and hands,” said a Web site devoted to
the rat temple.

Bold Believers
A teenage girl in Rajasthan began to
understand that her worship of Hindu idols was wrong. But
she was scared to stop worshipping Rama and Shiva, two Hindu
gods, because she didn’t know a better way. Here is what she said:

“All this idol worship is rubbish. But I feel scared. Whenever I visit a temple, I just
join my hands and offer prayers. I mean, there just might be a Lord Rama or Lord
Shiva and he might punish me. So I offer my prayers.” (Source: Initiative 360)

Hopegivers International is a Christian ministry in India. Children learn how Jesus can help
them be free of fear in Hopegivers’ orphanages and schools.

Radical Muslims tried to shut down a Hopegivers’ orphanage in Rajasthan. Some Hindu
neighbors brought food to the orphans and showed that they did not agree with the
radicals. The helpful Hindus knew the radicals might attack them, but they continued to
help anyway.

Pray all the Hindus in Rajasthan will hear about the better way offered by Jesus.

Activity
Here’s how to pronounce the numbers 1 through 10 in Hindi:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
eek doh teen chahr pahnch chay saht aht noh duhs

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 Sikkim
Capital: Gangtok
Main languages: Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali
Religions: Hindu, Buddhist

Facts
Sikkim

A visitor to Sikkim said it would be hard to find

“a square meter of level ground” anywhere in the
state. (A meter is about 39 inches.) Sikkim has no
airports. The rough, mountainous land would
make it difficult for planes to land.

Sikkim has the lowest population (less than

500,000) of any Indian state.

Bold Believers
Tall prayer flags flutter in the breeze all over Sikkim.
Buddhists believe that the wind blows the prayers written on the
flags to their gods. Most of the people in Sikkim are Hindu, but many
Buddhists also live there. Like Hindu writings, Buddhist writings tell of
many gods.

Buddhist leaders in Sikkim are

concerned that people seem to be
losing interest in Buddhism. Hindus
control the state government. In
addition, 30,000 people became
Christians in 25 years in Sikkim!
Christian missionaries have started
schools where many children are
learning about Jesus.

Pray for the Buddhists and

Hindus in Sikkim. Ask God to
help them understand that
Christianity is not a threat,
but a way to find eternal
A Buddhist
Buddhist prayer flags peace with God. monk

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Activity
To make an accordion book about India, fold three 8 1/2- by 11-inch pieces of paper in half
lengthwise. Lay them end to end with the folds at the top. Overlap each end of the middle
piece with an end of the side pieces about 1 inch, and tape or glue down the overlapped
parts. Fold the strip accordion-style making each “page” at least 3 inches wide. Cut off any
leftover paper after the entire strip has been folded.

Write and illustrate the book with information about India. Here are some suggestions:

(1) Make an Indian-language dictionary using words found in this book

(2) Write a Hindi number book using the numbers on the Rajasthan page and illustrate
each number with reminders of India. For example, you might include one Bible, two
monkeys, three elephants, four cricket bats, five saris, etc.

(3) Write a thank-you book about people and places to thank God for.

Accordian book

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 Tamil Nadu
Capital: Chennai (used to be called Madras)
Main language: Tamil
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Tamil, the main language of Tamil Nadu, is written
in a different script than English. See what Tamil
writing looks like in a Tamil New Testament
booklet on Page 44.

Some Tamil names for boys are: Guna, Virko,

Nesan, Andi, Amar, and Kani. Some girls’ names
are: Amutna, Pon, Panbu, Bani, Kili, and Kanru.

Bold Believers
Tamil

Angry Hindus have tried to stop people in Tamil Nadu from

Nadu

becoming Christians. They have tried passing laws and writing

complaints in newspapers and on Web sites. On one anti-Christian Web site,
Hindus called the dedication of a new Tamil Nadu church building “a disturbing sign.”

The church started with seven believers meeting together at the house of a pastor. The
Christians kept praying for more people to come to Christ, and the church grew little by
little. The anti-Christian site reported, “Before they even had 200 members, when they still
had a dirt floor and a thatched roof, they were taking missionary offerings.”

Today the church has more than 30,000 members. The anti-Christian site says the church
has sent out 100 missionaries.

Activity
Amy Carmichael took care of children almost all her life. She
was the oldest of seven children in her family. After she grew
up, she rescued hundreds of children from miserable lives in
Tamil Nadu, India. Do some research to find out more facts
about Amy. Where was she born? What experiences did
God use to help her decide to follow His call to become a
missionary? How did she spend the last few years of her life?
Amy Carmichael
Photo used by permission of CLC
Publications, Fort Washington, PA.
All rights reserved.

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 Tripura
Capital: Agartala
Main languages: Bengali, Kakbarak,
and Manipuri
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Tripura has been called “the kidnapping capital
of India.” Different ethnic groups there are Tripura
fighting each other. Sometimes they kidnap
members of other groups. Crops, homes, and
families have been destroyed by their violence.
Sadly, some Christians have fallen into temptation
and have participated in the fighting.

Bold Believers
Bamboo is very important to the people of Tripura. Bamboo
has been used to make houses, furniture, handcrafts, decorations,
fishing rods, mats, lampshades, and baskets. At a “Bamfest” event in India, visitors even
saw bamboo clothing, a bamboo musical instrument, and bamboo pickles to eat!

For some people in Tripura, bamboo is too important. They worship a bamboo pole as a
symbol of a false god.

Christians have found a better way to use bamboo! In the 1990s they started a Bible
school in a bamboo hut in Tripura. Sixty students attended classes to learn how to become
pastors and evangelists during the first year the school opened. Many have graduated, and
they now spread the word of God throughout Tripura.

Activity
Here’s how to sing the words “Jesus loves the little children; all the children of the world”
in Bengali:

Cheh-lay-may-kay bah-loh-bah-shen
(Actual meaning: Boys and girls He loves.)

Jee-shoo joh-goh-ter shaw-kohl

(Actual meaning: Jesus—of the world—all.)

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 Uttar Pradesh & Uttaranchal
Uttar Pradesh
Capital: Lucknow
Main language: Hindi
Uttaranchal

Religion: Hindu
Uttar
Uttaranchal
Capital: Dehra Dun
Pradesh

Main language: Hindi

Religion: Hindu

Facts
Radical Hindus in Uttar Pradesh do not like jeans,
Valentine’s Day, birthday cakes, or other customs
from the U.S. A group of Hindus tried to stop girls from
wearing jeans to school in one city.

Even other Hindus did not like the rule. Two Hindu girls showed up at school wearing jeans.
When radicals tried to block their way, the girls used their martial arts skills to force their
way inside. The girls were expelled for seven days and the radicals considered turning them
into the police for “attempted murder.”

Radicals also tried to stop people from celebrating

Valentine’s Day, which they consider to be a Christian
holiday. In recent years, they have raided greeting
card shops that sold Valentines, and they have
threatened couples who were together in public on
Valentine’s Day.

A church under construction
Bold Believers
Part of Uttar Pradesh split off to become the state of
Uttaranchal in the year 2000. An Indian Christian
group decided to build a school and orphanage in a
village in Uttaranchal.

One winter day, 40 Hindus came to the building

site and threatened all the construction workers. The workers fled for their lives. The
Hindus also threatened the Christian group that was paying the workers. They were afraid
that the Christians would lead Hindus in the village to Christ. Christians asked people
around the world to pray for the believers in Uttaranchal.

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Activity
Uttar Pradesh is the home of the Taj Mahal. Do some research and find out who built
this famous landmark and why. Write what you find out in the space provided below.
Photocopy the picture below or draw your own to use as a prayer reminder for the people
of Uttar Pradesh.

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 West Bengal
Capital: Kolkata (used to be called Calcutta)
Main language: Bengali
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Kolkata is the largest city in India. It was named
after Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. Mother
Teresa, a well-known worker among the poor, helped
Kolkata’s millions of suffering people until her death
West
Bengal
in 1997. Widows, orphans, lepers, and homeless
people are common in West Bengal’s capital city.

Bold Believers
• A boy was born into a poor family. His allergies kept
him from following some of his dreams. He got married
while still a teenager and took a job as a shoemaker.
The marriage was not a happy one. The couple experienced a great deal of suffering
and poverty, and they disagreed on many things. After one of their young children died,
the wife became mentally ill. She died at the age of 51. He experienced as many
struggles and setbacks on his job as he did in his personal life.

• This boy gave his life to Jesus as a teenager and later

became a pastor. He believed that the Bible says
churches are supposed to send out missionaries to
spread the gospel in other lands. In obedience to
the Bible, he and his family traveled to India. They
settled in West Bengal where he set up schools and
translated the Bible and other books into Bengali. His
40 years of missionary work changed the way
Christians think about missions.

Both accounts above describe the life of William Carey,

known as “the father of modern missions.” Carey’s
famous saying was, “Expect great things from God;
William Carey
Photo courtesy of Promotora Española de Lingüística.
Used with permission

attempt great things for God.” Carey did not let his many
struggles keep him from doing just that.

Activity
Find out more about William Carey and Mother Teresa.

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Coloring Page

©2007 coloring page by Naomi S.

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 Union Territories of India
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Capital: Port Blair
Main languages: Hindi, Nicobarese, and others
Religion: Mostly Hindu

Facts
Hundreds of islands are part of the territory, but
fewer than 40 have people living on them. Officials
are concerned that terrorists who do
not like India might settle on the
uninhabited islands.

The people of Andaman and Nicobar

suffered greatly from the tsunami A 2004 tsunami
that hit South Asia in 2004.
damaged much

Christians helped feed and care for

of South Asia.

those who lost their homes.

Chandigarh
(See the information on the Haryana and
Punjab pages.)

Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Capital: Silvassa
Main languages: Gujarati and Hindi
Religion: Hindu

Facts
Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a territory of about 70 villages located partly between the
states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, and partly within Gujarat. Radical Hindus have
threatened Christians in this area of India saying, “Would you like to live as Hindus or die
as Christians?”

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Daman & Diu
Capital: Daman
Main languages: Gujarati and Marathi
Religion: Hindu

Fact
Daman is on the west coast of the state of Gujarat. Diu is an island. Conditions for
Christians in Daman and Diu are similar to conditions in the rest of Gujarat.

Lakshadweep
Capital: Kavaratti
Main Languages: Malayalam and Mahl
Religion: Mostly Muslim

Fact
Lakshadweep is made up of coral islands in the Arabian Sea. The people make their living
by fishing or working in the coconut industry. More than 90 percent of the people are
Muslim. Probably less than one
percent are Christian. Map of India’s Territories

Puducherry
(used to be called Pondicherry)
Capital: Puducherry
Main languages: Tamil, Telugu,
Malayalam, English, and French
Religion: Hindu

Fact
Puducherry is an unusual territory
because parts of it are scattered in
three different states. Two of the
parts are in Tamil Nadu. Conditions
for Christians are similar to
conditions in the areas around
Puducherry.

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 Answer Key

Himachal Pradesh Activity:

3 lakh = 300,000 written 3,00,000 in the Indian system.

Nagaland Activity:
polo
Manipur Activity:

N A G A

A D A M

G A M E

A M E N

Orissa:
Tolerance Problems:
1. a
2. a
3. b
4. b

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