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teachings by K.P. Yohannan.
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Tripura
 If you were to visit the state of Tripura, known for its tourism industry, you may be welcomed by someone placing a garland around your neck and building a bamboo arch in your honor. The people of Tripura have a rich cultural heritage, and they love to express it through their art, music and folk dancing. In rural areas, tribal customs—such as leaving parasols on ponds in memory of the dead—are still observed.
Hot and wet are two words that describe the climate of this tiny state in northeast India. Temperatures vary between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average annual rainfall is 82 inches.
Almost completely surrounded by Bangladesh, Tripura is the second smallest state in India. Its 4,036 square mile area (approximately half the size of New Jersey) is home to more than three million people. The land is mostly hilly terrain and forest, with lowlands containing swamps and thick jungles. More than half of Tripura's population are agricultural workers. Pineapples, oranges, and coconuts are just a few of the foods grown. Rice, the main crop, is cultivated in the marshy northern basin.
The three most common languages spoken are Bengali, Tripuri and Kokborok. Most people can also speak Hindi. Eighty-five percent are Hindu, and seven percent are Muslim (the Bengali people).
While anti-Christian sentiment has recently increased, there is an openness to the Gospel as never before among the indigenous peoples. The 1970s marked the beginning of a movement of many of these tribals turning to Christ. At the same time, large numbers of Bengali immigrants arrived from Bangladesh, making the indigenous peoples a minority in their own state. This presents a challenge to tribal believers, who find it difficult to bring the Gospel to their Bengali neighbors—two million people—due to cultural and ethnic differences. There are few Bengali Christians.
A Bible school consisting of a small bamboo hut marked the start of Gospel for Asia's ministry in Tripura in 1996. Sixty students enrolled for training that year. Today, by God's grace, many more native missionaries are being trained and sent into the harvest fields of Tripura.
Gospel for Asia in Tripura:
Personal evangelism
Church planting
Bible schools
Gospel literature distribution
Film ministry
Radio broadcasts in Hindi, Bengali and Kokborok
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