Birjia Bible — Birjia/Bijori New Testament (India)
Overview
The Birjia Bible (formally titled Birjia Published Project ©NLCI-2023) is the complete New Testament in the Birjia (Bijori) language of Jharkhand, India, published by New Life Computer Institute (NLCI) in 2023 and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4676; abbreviation: BIX). A complete NT audio version was uploaded to Davar Audio Bibles in 2025. This NT is among the first written texts of any kind in Birjia and provides scripture for a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) — a community recognized by India's Ministry of Tribal Affairs as facing extreme disadvantage. The Birjia are considered a sub-tribal division of the broader Asur (Asuri) nation, related to but distinct from the Asuri (asr) community that also received an NLCI NT translation in 2023.
Language and People
Birjia (ISO 639-3: bix; autonym: Birjia, meaning approximately "farming wanderers"; alternate name: Bijori, Binjhia) is an Austroasiatic language: Austroasiatic → Munda → North Munda → Kherwarian. It is closely related to Asuri (asr); Asur speakers understand Birjia speech but consider it a distinct language. Some scholars (citing Prasad 1961) have proposed Indo-Aryan affiliation, though the Birjia themselves identify as part of the Asur tribal nation.
The Birjia inhabit scattered communities across:
- Lohardaga, Khunti, Simdega, and Gumla Districts, Jharkhand (primary concentration, Chota Nagpur Plateau)
- Ranchi District, Jharkhand
- Smaller communities in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh
The 2011 India Census counted 6,276 Birjia in Jharkhand alone; total ethnic population (including Binjhia overlap) is estimated at 15,000–20,000, but active first-language speakers are substantially fewer. Ethnologue (2024): ~6,600.
Cultural Context
The Birjia are organized into 12 clans named after animals, birds, and grains (Aind/Eel, Dhan/Rice, Lila/Deer, Suar/Pig, Beng/Frog, and others). Their traditional religion blends animism, naturalism, and ancestor worship, with festivals including Sarhul, Karma, and Rajj Karma. Like the related Asur, the Birjia have strong connections to forest life, with traditional livelihoods in hunting, gathering, and fishing severely disrupted by mining and deforestation in Jharkhand. The language has been documented under India's government SPPEL (Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages) program and studied by the University of Cologne (Goethe University).
Publishing and Organizations
Published by New Life Computer Institute (NLCI) (Bangalore, India) under its pattern of producing Bible translations for PVTG and tribal communities across Central and Eastern India.