Kolkata is the capital of the West Bengal state and the former capital of British India. Once formed by the colonial British into a grand European capital is now one of India's poorest and most overpopulated regions. India's government is a constitutional republic representing a highly diverse population with thousands of ethnic groups, hundreds of languages, and a complex caste system.

The nation has a convoluted social and cultural history, featuring a rich intellectual life in the sciences, arts, and religious tradition. After gaining independence from the British in 1947, India split from the predominantly Muslim regions of present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. Despite earnest attempts to unify the country, tensions between rival ethnic groups and religious sects, rich and poor, have further divided the nation.

Burdening the country further, India has more abandoned children than any nation, with over 30 million orphans wandering bustling streets and railway stations. This cultural dynamism creates immense challenges for the central government but an enormous opportunity for the church of India to step into the harvest fields moved with compassion and great expectation.

• Pray for the advancement of God's Kingdom throughout the many languages of this city, particularly among the UUPG languages.
• Pray for the launch of community centers focused on planting churches by reaching the destitute, "street kids" and the poor. Pray for wisdom, courage, and supernatural protection for the leaders.
• Pray for a mighty movement of prayer to be birthed in Kolkata that multiplies throughout the country.
• Pray for followers of Jesus to walk in the power of the Spirit.
• Pray for a resurrection of God's divine purpose for this city.