The Gaddi is a semi-pastoral Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic tribe living mainly in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
s of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
and
Jammu and Kashmir.
Overview
The origin of the Gaddi Tribe is
Gaderiya (
Dhangar
Dhangar is a herding caste of people found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They are referred as Gavli in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka, Golla in Andhra Pradesh and Karna ...
) they also additionally believe that their ancestors fled from plains because of lack of security or foreign Invasions. The fact regarding their origination lies within the popular myths in the state. There is no accord of the views from where Gaddis migrated to this hilly state.
Bharmour is additionally known as the abode of Gaddis.
Some views are commonly held among these folks like Kailash is the throne (gadi) of the Lord Shiva. Therefore, those people who took refuge and settled in Brahmaur also came to be referred as Gaddis.
Gaddis are semi nomadic, semi-agricultural and a semi-pastoral tribe. They have a defined culture, expressed through language, dress, food, marriage, song, and devout celebrations. Gaddis have their empyreal history deep- rooted in their endemic culture. In order to preserve their cultural heritage, they take pride in their culture and maintain cultural coherence from generation to generation. Gaddi is the language of Gaddi community and Tankri is the script used by the old people of the community. Other people spoke Hindi, whereas Devanagari is used as a script
Caste system prevalent in gaddi community. They are classified as a
Scheduled Tribe
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
in both areas under India's
reservation system.
Gallery
File:Gaddi woman cutting grass c. 1980.jpg, Gaddi woman cutting grass. Painting by Alfred Hallett
Alfred W. Hallett (1914–1986) was an English painter, who spent most of his adult life in north India.
Life Early life
Hallett wanted to study art from the time he was young but his parents were members of the Exclusive Brethren sect and h ...
c. 1980
File:Gaddi village men with hookah, on mountain path, 1980.jpg, Gaddi village men with hookah, on a mountain path
Ridgeways are a particular type of ancient road that exploits the hard surface of hilltop ridges for use as unpaved, zero-maintenance roads, though they often have the disadvantage of steeper gradients along their courses, and sometimes quite narr ...
near Dharamshala
Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The ...
, India
File:Gaddi artisans at Suraj Kund fest.jpg, Gaddi artisans at Suraj Kund fest
References
Further reading
* Verma, V. 1996. ''Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
External links
Gabdika.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaddi (Tribe)
Social groups of Jammu and Kashmir
Scheduled Tribes of Jammu and Kashmir
Scheduled Tribes of Himachal Pradesh
Transhumant ethnic groups