Gaddi Tribe

There is still lack of consensus even among the academicians regarding their origin, history, and even social life. Researchers have often described Gaddis as a clan of nomads, caste, a tribe of transhumance people, and even a distinct nationality. It’s in fact a great irony that Gaddis have lived and supplemented the greater mountain culture of the region for centuries, and yet maintained a very distinct identity for themselves. A Gaddi shepherd has been roaming through the plains of Punjab, the terraced farms of lower Himachal as well as the icy deserts of inner Himalayas year after year, but hardly has a Gaddi village ever fallen on the path of an outsider, except the ‘adventurous’ ones. There are still Gaddi hamlets hidden in the shadows of the mighty mountains, but the same cannot be said about the Gaddis themselves anymore.

The truth is that though only a fraction of them today live a pastoral life, a majority of them still remain romantically devoted to their hardy life, constrained by a force no less than Shiva’s dharma. Gaddis have great faith in God and Goddesses especially lord Shiva.Typically nomadic people but now have settled in places still preserving their original folk-culture.They have annual fairs and festivals which they celebrate with music and dancing. The word Gaddi is a generic name and it includes all sects of Hindu society. The language (dialect) spoken within the community is Gaddi. Tankri was the script used by the old people. In general however colloquial Hindi is spoken whereas Devanagari is used as a script.There is no unanimity of the views from where Gaddis migrated to this hill state.

Gaddi shepherds are not nomads anymore. They have homes, substantial village houses, and they own land which they or their family cultivate.The rich cultural heritage is manifested in its folklore, costume, jewellery and lifestyle.Gaddis have become a tribe by circumstance and not due to any particular natural calamity and are called a tribe to uplift their social and economic conditions due to hardship faced in their living conditons. Gaddi is a generic term which includes the Brahmins,the Rajputs,the Thakurs,the Khatris and many more. From its self-contented, semi- pastoral lifestyle, the community is striving to cope up with the fast changing realities of the present day ‘s socio-economic environment.