The Lohorung people are an indigenous ethnic group of eastern Nepal, primarily residing in the Sankhuwasabha district in the Arun Valley. They are part of the larger Kirati ethnolinguistic family and speak the Southern Yamphu language. The Southern Yamphu language is becoming extinct.
Lohorung family structures are traditionally extended and kinship-based, with strong ancestral ties. Family roles are clearly defined, and elders hold significant authority. The Lohorung have a rich vocabulary for family relationships, reflecting the importance of familial bonds in their culture. For example:Traditionally, the Lohorung are rice farmers, but their subsistence lifestyle also includes hunting, gathering, and seasonal migration. The forest plays a vital role in their daily lives, providing food, medicine and building materials. Their agricultural practices are closely tied to nature and spiritual beliefs, with rituals marking planting and harvest seasons.In recent decades, some Lohorung have migrated to urban areas or abroad (India, Bhutan, UK, Australia, USA) for education and employment, but many still maintain strong ties to their ancestral villages and cultural practices.
Lohorung people in Nepal practice the Hindu religion. Hinduism is a catch-all phrase for the local religions of South Asia, so it is very diverse. At the popular level, Hindus worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. They visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods hoping to gather protection and benefits. They do not have a person or familial relationship with their gods like Christians or Jews.Their worldview is deeply influenced by ancestor worship, and rituals often involve invoking ancestral spirits for guidance and protection. This spiritual connection reinforces family unity and continuity across generations.
Few Bible resources exist in the Southern Yamphu language. However, complete resources exist in Nepali, the second language of the Lohorung people in Nepal. Who will take Nepali resources to these spiritually needy people? Lohrung people in Nepal live day to day with no knowledge of Jesus and the provision made for the penalty of their sins. They live in constant fear of spirits that Jesus conquered 2,000 years ago.
Pray that Bible resources will be translated into Southern Lamphu, so that elders who do not know Nepali can understand Almighty God's love for them.Pray for the Lord to send signs and wonders to their villages, demonstrating his power and goodness.Pray for the Lohrungs to have an intense desire for spiritual truth, and to have it satisfied by a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Scripture Prayers for the Lohorung in Nepal.
https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/nepal-s-lohorung-language-struggles-to-stay-alive/
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
