The Bommaka People - an Untouched People Group

'The people who walk in darkness, will see a great light...' Isaiah 9:2

The name of this tribe is derived from the goddess of darkness, BOMMAKA, whom they worship. This small group of tribal people live in the hilly area of Salem and Dharamapuri districts, small towns of Tamil Nadu in South India.

The total population of this tribe is 100,000 of whom 55,000 are male, 45,000 are female, and 25% children.

Bommaka Facts

  • This is a 'dark' tribe who always live in, and worship darkness.
  • Once a year they have a festival to worship thier goddess of darkness.
  • They have never been to school and live uncivilized lives.


Bommaka men with an Evangelist from India Bible Literature.
  • The men are called 'Bommian', are mainly hunters, and are involved in black magic (voodoo).
  • The women are called 'Bommaka' and stay at home to take care of the family
  • They have large families and live in one room huts made of mud walls and coconut leaves for roofs.
  • Children by age 7 to 8 should be engaged to each other to be married at a later age.
  • On attending puberty a girl should spend 12 days by herself in the hills.
  • Before marrying a girl should have sex with her maternal uncle, even though the uncle has been married already, perhaps to many women.
  • Their marriages are conducted only in the darkness of night, at midnight in the hills.
  • They will not eat food cooked by someone other than themselves (they do not eat in hotels and resteraunts).
  • Women wear the traditional clothing which is a 'saree', but without the covering the top because they believe that their goddess Bommaka detests that. If they do, they will break out with itching which is a curse from the goddess.
  • When entering his house, if a man sees a pair of slippers of another man at the entrance he should not enter his house until the other man has come out.

Our Involvment

The Bommaka have never heard the words Jesus or Cross. They do not know what a cross looks like. When our evangelist visited this tribe and film of Jesus was shown, the Bommaka were awe struck. They did not fully understand that all this could have happened to a man named Jesus who came to save the world.

One of our team members had to take two sticks, put them across each other, and explain to them the story of the cross. The next day after the film was shown some of the women came to say that they saw Jesus in their dreams.

India Bible Literature has a burden to reach out to this tribe and tell them of the Love of Jesus.

  • We want to help them learn to read and write through our literacy projects - Goal of sending 10,000 adults to literacy classs.
  • We do not want the children of this tribe to follow the evil practices of their parents.
  • We want the children to attend our Children Bible Schools (VBS) - Goal of sending 10,000 children to VBS.
    		•


    Bommaka Children at VBS.

    The total cost of this project is $255,000

    • Through God's grace, funding is in place to send 10,000 children to VBS and 2,000 adults to literacy courses.
    • Funding still needed for Literacy Classes for 8,000 adults - $200,000 - and will also be used to print 66,500 Indian Bibles.
    • $25 prints 8 Bibles and sponsors one literacy student.
    • $25/month prints 96 Bibles and sponsors twelve literacy students in one year.
    • $100/month prints 384 Bibles and sponsors forty eight literacy students in one year.

    Will you help bring the Light of the Word to the Bommaka?
    Contact Information
    Glad Tidings India
    53 Harristown Road
    Paradise, PA 17562    		 Email: gladtidings@frontiernet.net
    Phone: (717) 768-0388
    Fax: (717) 768-0909
    Glad Tidings India is funded by the generous gifts of individuals, churches, and businesses.
    The official registration and financial information of Glad Tidings India may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.