The Kedar Range of the Greater Himalayas

 India has the second largest population in the world. It is not far behind China and is projected to overtake China soon with an increase of 16 million each year.

The Lotus is India’s national flower

 75% of the population of India are classified as Hindu  6% of the population profess Christianity of one form or another  2.2% profess to be evangelical in their beliefs

The Secretariat Building in New Delhi

Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Every year more than three million tourists visit it.

 William Carey arrived in Serampore in By Carey's death in 1834 the Bible had been translated into Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Sanskrit, Hindi and Marathi.

 Hinduism has a rigid system of castes, with Brahmans at the top and 'scheduled castes' (untouchables) at the bottom. Untouchables handle animal products, rubbish and human waste. Discrimination against them was made illegal in 1947, but most groups in India are still strongly influenced by caste thinking.

 In 1947 the new constitution of India guaranteed religious freedom to the churches. This meant that some states opened up to Christian missionaries for the first time. Yet by the late 1960s the situation was reversed.

 In response to unbiblical ecumenism the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) was founded during 1951 in Yavatmal, Maharastra State, as a national alliance to provide a voice and platform for Evangelicals. This was instrumental in establishing several evangelical institutions, including the Union Biblical Seminary.

The Indian Peafowl is the Indian national bird. It roosts in moist and dry-deciduous forests, cultivated areas, and village precincts.

 In recent years there has been a significant rise in militant Hindu fundamentalism. All over India, Christian missionaries, evangelists, churches and institutions have been attacked. The Indian states of Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have either passed anti-conversion bills or are attempting to do so.

 There is much poverty and disease in India, with many millions of scheduled peoples who are denied even limited access to government and professional jobs once they have converted to Christianity. Many professing Christians are reported to have compromised for the sake of material advantage.

Cricket is the most popular sport in India

 Pray that the gospel may be heard for the first time by more of India’s vast population.  Pray for the lonely converts from Hinduism who face hostility and rejection from their families.  Pray that converts will not compromise their faith under financial pressure.  Pray that there will be increased freedom to evangelise and convert to Christianity.