The Node community ( sd, نُود), also known as Nodi or Nodhi, is a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

community primarily found in the state of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and the province of

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. They are one of several pastoral nomadic communities inhabiting the

Banni Banni is a village in the Gambia. It is located in Wuli District in the Upper River Division Upper River was one of the five Divisions of the Gambia. Its capital was Basse Santa Su. It was subsequently reorganised as the Basse Local Governme ...

region of Kutch.

Origins and distribution

Prior to their settlement in Kutch, the Node community spent some time in Sindh, and a few members of the community still live there. Unlike other communities of pastoral nomads in the Banni region of Kutch, the Node do not claim

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

ancestry. They are primarily found in Kutch District, with some also residing in the

Jamnagar District Jamnagar District is a district of Gujarat in Western India. Its headquarters are located in the eponymous city of Jamnagar. It hosts the production facilities of large Indian companies such as Reliance. Among its attractions are several palac ...

of Saurashtra.

Language and social structure

The Node community speaks a dialect of Kutchi with significant Sindhi loanwords. They are an endogamous community and tend to marry within their own community, although intermarriage with other Samma communities, such as the Sameja, is not uncommon. The Node community is divided into a number of clans, with the main ones including the Palli, Uttal, Moora, Rav, Arbab, Deshar, Saad, Hola, Amar, Bavu, Visa, Dora, Jaras, Borath, Bhooth, Bambia, Numria, and Otha. While they do not practice clan exogamy, each clan is of equal status, and intermarriage between clans is permitted.People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Three edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 1033-1036

Economic activities

The Node community is primarily engaged in

Maldhari Maldharis are herder, herdsmen community in Gujarat, India. Originally nomads, they came to be known as Maldharis after settling in Junagadh district (mainly Gir Forest). "Maldhari" is an occupational term which refers to people from a variety of c ...

cattle breeding, a traditional occupation of many communities in the Banni region of Kutch. In addition to cattle breeding, the Node are also cultivators and landless agricultural laborers. Like many Kutchi communities, a significant number of Node community members have migrated to other parts of India in search of employment opportunities.People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Three edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 1033-1036

The Node Jamat

Like many

Gujarati Muslim The term Gujarati Muslim is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the state of Gujarat in western coast of India. Most Gujarati Muslims have Gujarati language as their mother tongue, but some communities such as the Momin Ansari, Memons ...

s, the Node community has a caste association known as the Node Jamat, which is responsible for the welfare of the community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Node (Tribe) Social groups of Gujarat Tribes of Kutch Maldhari communities Muslim communities of India Sindhi tribes * Muslim communities of Gujarat Sindhi tribes in India