OD Rajput — Oadki (Odki) New Testament (Pakistan)
Overview
OD Rajput (ओङ राजपूत) is the complete New Testament (27 books) in the Oadki language of Pakistan, published by New Life Computer Institute in 2023 and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3931). The title OD Rajput reflects the community's claim to Rajput warrior-caste ancestry — a genealogical identity asserted by many South Asian communities to elevate their social status — while the Od or Odki autonym refers to their occupational identity as traditional construction workers and brickmakers. The ओङ (Oṅ) in the Devanagari title represents the Oadki self-designation. Oadki (also spelled Od, Odki, or Vaḍḍi in some sources) is an Indo-Aryan language of Pakistan's Sindh and Punjab provinces, closely related to Sindhi and Lahnda. New Life Computer Institute (NLCI, Lahore) published the 2023 NT as part of its broader program of scripture translation for Pakistan's minority language communities.
Language and People
Oadki (ISO 639-3: odk; autonym: Odki) is an Indo-European language: Indo-European → Indo-Iranian → Indo-Aryan → Northwestern Zone (related to Sindhi and/or Lahnda/Western Punjabi). The Od-speaking community is distributed across Sindh and Punjab provinces in Pakistan, with smaller communities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The language is closely related to the regional dominant languages of its area (Sindhi, Punjabi) but retains distinctive features tied to the Od community's occupational and social identity.
The Od/Oadki community inhabits:
- Sindh Province and Punjab Province, Pakistan — with concentrations in urban centers and construction-labor circuits
- Also present in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India, reflecting the community's cross-border distribution
Estimated speakers: tens of thousands in Pakistan; the wider Od community across Pakistan and India is estimated at several hundred thousand, though a large portion may have shifted to dominant regional languages.
Cultural Context
The Od (Oadki-speaking) community has traditionally been itinerant construction workers and brickmakers, historically associated with building trades throughout northwestern South Asia. Under British colonial rule, many Od communities were classified under the Criminal Tribes Act (1871), a policy that criminalized nomadic and semi-nomadic groups; post-independence Pakistan repealed this legislation but social stigma persisted for affected communities. The title OD Rajput reflects a conscious identity assertion of noble descent — a common pattern among South Asian communities seeking to claim higher social standing within the caste hierarchy. New Life Computer Institute (Lahore) has worked on multiple New Testament translations for Pakistan's minority languages, typically targeting communities without prior scripture access.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by New Life Computer Institute (NLCI, Lahore, Pakistan), a Christian publishing organization specializing in scripture translation and distribution for Pakistan's minority language communities.