Gaddi Tribes of Kangra, Himachal | Who are Gaddis

Do you hear about Gaddi Word? what kind of imaginative pictures can you make in your mind?

Let me guess.

oh no, it’s a car it’s not the Gaddi (Gaddi tribes).

I think this type of picture you will make, but this is not gaddi, usually, we use this type of word for our vehicle.

But here we will discuss the Gaddi tribes, which is usually this type of,

Table of Contents

GADDI TRIBES

Gaddi Tribes refers to a territorial cluster of a special category of individuals that form an exogamous union of Brahmin, Rajput, Khatri, and other groups with agriculture and goat herding as their primary occupation.

They basically live in the district of Himachal Pradesh Which includes Mandi, Kangra, and Bilaspur, and the majority of them live in the Kangra. People of the gaddi tribe are seen around the mountain ranges of Dhauladhar, Chamba, Bharmour, and Palampur.

History of the Gaddi Tribes

There are several stories related to the Origin of the Gaddis Tribes. During 850-70CE, a big part of Brahmin Gaddis moved to a place Chamba and settled there permanently. Additionally, a group of Gaddis Tribes fled to mountain ranges When they were unable to accept the strict rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. This incident happened in the 17th century.

They are classified into various sections. Which include Khatris, Thakurs, Dhangars, Rajputs, Ranas, and Brahmins. Gaddis people are truly loyal to their tribals. Most Hindu and Islamic people are present in Gaddis Tribes. Gaddis Tribes often speak their own language which is known as the Gaddi language.

But when they are coming down to plains areas of mountain ranges during the winter season they use the Takri language which is known as the Phadi language.

Culture

Gaddi can be differentiated into several types, based on their dressing style. In which Gaddi Tribes males wear a sort of Chola with know as Dora. On the other hand, female Gaddi Tribes wear a sort of garment which is known as ‘Launchiri’. They also wear gold earrings which is an old tradition of the Gaddi Tribes community.

Women in this community typically wear semiprecious stones and necklaces embellished with mirror work as ornaments. They have a different style of dance that goes on dancing in circles till they get exhausted. Gaddi Tribes have a trend of attaching a lengthy strand of about 25 to 30 meters by the wrist, and both males and females follow it.

In other words, cultural anthropologists believe the Gaddi Tribes have a rich and opulent cultural background with historical significance that has contributed significantly to its development.

Some Festival of Gaddis Tribes

There are some famous festivals of the Gaddi Tribes. Which include these types

1. Baishakhi

Baishakhi is celebrated on the 1st of “Baishakhi” in the mid of April month. April month is a celebration of the spring harvest primarily in Northern India.

2. Sair

This festival is organized every mid of September month. on this day people wear colorful clothes and bedeck themselves with expensive jewelry. This day is also considered the end of the rainy season.

3. Lohri

Lohri is a popular winter season festival is celebrated primarily in Northern India. The significance of the Lohri festival is many and these link the festival to the North region. During the festival, many people believe that the winter solstice has passed.

4. Shivratri

Shivratri is known as the famous festival of Gaddis. It is associated with Lord Shiva. This festival is celebrated in mid of February and March month.

Conclusion

In this blog, we discuss the Gaddi tribe. They are basically present in Himachal Pradesh. They just depend upon their sheep and goats. Gaddi Tribes people generate their revenue from the wool of sheep and sell them in the market.