Mirgan Project

The Mirgan community, also referred to as Panaka, exclusively speaks the Mirgan language. Their population exceeds 100,000 individuals, primarily residing in the Nabarangpur and Koraput districts of Odisha State. The population of Christianity is 2%. Within Nabarangpur, they inhabit the blocks of Kosagumuda, Dabugam, Umorkote, and Jharigam, while in Koraput, they are found in the town of Kotpad.The Mirgan people are resolute in their commitment to using only the Mirgan language, eschewing all others. Consequently, during organized events, they communicate solely in Mirgan, and even state officials participate in this practice, thereby emphasizing the significance of their language. Historically, the ancestors of the Mirgan people originated from Chhattisgarh state, migrating to Odisha many years ago.

Food habits of Mirgan People

Their dietary preferences predominantly include rice and vegetables. Notably, the terms ‘dog’ and ‘hen’ are strictly avoided during meals; the inadvertent use of these words can lead to a cessation of eating and departure from the table. The community adheres to a vegetarian diet.

Occupation of the Mirgan People

Agriculture serves as the primary occupation for the Mirgan people, who engage in tilling the land to cultivate paddy, sugarcane, maize, and various vegetables. Additionally, they are skilled weavers. The majority of these individuals are educated and prioritize sending their children to school to ensure a promising future for them.

Annually, when the paddy crop is ready for harvest, they gather a small portion to present to their deity at the temple, celebrating this event as a festival known as “Nua khai.” During this occasion, family members come together, and children express their affection for their parents, who reciprocate with kisses. Following this, they proceed to harvest the paddy and prepare a meal with the newly gathered rice. Their deity, referred to as ‘Kavir,’ is located in the town of Damakheda in Chhattisgarh state and holds special significance for them. Each February, families make a pilgrimage to this temple to offer their worship. The Mirgan celebrate Sudash Brata, Nuakhai, Amba Nua, and Dhana Nua. When a member of this community passes away, the body is interred, with the grave oriented from north to south. The grieving family refrains from cooking for a period of ten days, during which their relatives are responsible for providing meals. On the tenth day, the male relatives of the deceased will shave their heads, after which they may partake in food, signifying their purification. In the context of marriage, the groom is required to provide a dowry of either Rs 10,000 or Rs 15,000 to the bride’s father. During the wedding ceremony, oil mixed with turmeric powder is applied to the bride.

Rev. Prof. S. Panneer Selvam’s vision and prayer to give the Bible in the Mirgan language did not go in vain. Bro. Nayan Ranjan Lima, the IBT missionary in Kosagumuda, introduced the Indian Bible Translators to Bro Keshab Mirgan from Odisha who had strong desire for the Mirgan people to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. W. Thompson, representative of IBT from Mettupalayam, visited Odisha and conducted the interview and subsequently informed the IBT office in Coimbatore. Later, IBT founder visited him in Kondapuri, accompanied by Brother J. Watson from Sivakasi. After meeting, he appointed Bro. Keshab Miragan as a missionary in 1999. In 2000, he was invited to the IBT centre and translation training was given to him. Then translation project in this language has been started. To date, Gospel of Mark was released by Mrs. Thomson on 15th May 2004 in the IBT Silver Jubilee Camp at Karunya, Coimbatore. The Gospel of Luke was released in December 2004. The Gospel of Matthew was released in 2005 November. The New Testament was released by Rt. Rev Saroj Munni at the Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nabarangpur, Odisha on 7th November 2010. The book of Psalms and Proverbs is released by Pastor. Raju in the IBT Logos Camp in Anaikatti, Coimbatore on 18.05.2019 and these books are distributed to the Mirgan language Speaking people. Currently, keying and language checking of the Old Testament portions are in Progress. Exegetical checking is yet to be done. The Complete Bible is planned to be released in 2028.

IBT Publications:

• In the year 2004 October, Gospel of Luke was released.
• In the year 2005 November, Gospel of Matthew was released.
• In the year 2010 November 7th, New Testament in the Mirgan language was published at the Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nabarangpur, Odisha by Rt. Rev Saroj Munni.
• In the year 2019 The book of Psalms and Proverbs was released the IBT Logos Camp in Annaikatty.