The Gaddi is a semi-pastoral community living mainly in the high remote areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in India.
Population
According to the 2011 Census of India, the Gaddi population was 178,130 in Himachal Pradesh and 46,489 in Jammu Kashmir. The Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh had an adult sex ratio of 1014 and literacy rate of 73.3, whereas those of Jammu and Kashmir had a sex ratio of 953 and literacy of 53.5. reservation system.
Classification
The Gaddi community includes people from multiple castes. The castes within the community are variously categorised as
,
and Other Backward Classes by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The castes that are not listed as Scheduled Tribe, especially the Brahmins, Rajputs and Khatris, fall under Other Backward Classes, with the remaining within Scheduled Castes.
The Gaddis are dominant in the districts of
Kangra district,
Chamba district and
, having significant hold on the local politics.
Tradition
Gaddis' traditional practices and habits are changing rapidly with India's modernisation.
In 2024, an exhibit "Journey across the Himalayas" was held in New Delhi, sharing about Gaddis' way of life and modernity.
Gallery
File:Gaddi woman cutting grass c. 1980.jpg|Gaddi woman mowing, Alfred Hallett
File:Gaddi village men with hookah, on mountain path, 1980.jpg|Gaddi men near Dharamshala, 1980
File:Gaddi artisans at Suraj Kund fest.jpg|Gaddi artisans at Suraj Kund fest
File:Gaddi_Couple_1940.jpg|alt=Gaddis in bharmour|Gaddi Couple
External links
Further reading
-
Verma, V. 1996. Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
