Tribes in Himachal Pradesh
The state of Himachal Pradesh is been full of variety. The variety also comes in terms of people that is various tribal system of the state. Many tribes resides over Himachal which have their own traditions and customs. Some of major tribes are Kinnauris Gaddis,Gujjars and Lahaulies. These tribes resides over different parts of Himachal especially in far remote area but nowadays the tribal people are residing all over Himachal. Tribes are rich in cultural heritage, the music, the dance, the dresses are so unique that visitors are mostly attracted to the tribes of Himachal. The tribes of Himachal has maintained the balance within Tradition and modern values and education. The tribes of Himachal are in mainstream now and their participation has increased now even in Himachal but also in Indian level. The tribes are explained below :
Kinnauri Tribes :
kinnaur is beautiful district of Himachal Pradesh. With its unique views of nature and climate uniqueness the region is the attraction point for visitors. The tribal culture of Kinnaur is been considered more mysterious and research point for outsiders then nature. The people comes to study the traditions and customs of Kinnauris. Kinnauris are said to be the successor of Kinners of Vedic time, some also looks their ancestors Kirata, the Vedic tribe. The rich culture of Kinnaur has maintained its its glory over the ages. The music of Kinnaur and the dance of Kinnaur is many times displayed in Independence day at National capital too. The dresses of Kinnaur are also popular all over India. Dohru,stall, and Bushehri topi are among popular items. The display of traditional dresses are especially found in folk functions like marriages and deity gatherings of the region. The bulky silver ornaments are the special exhibition ornaments displayed by the women of Kinnaur.The local dialect of Kinnaur is different even among them. The language is affected by tibetan influence. The inhabitant of the region are the followers of Buddhism and Hinduism. The cultural centers of Kinnaur are their local deities. The Kinnauri tribe has now been on developing wheel. The education is spreaded over more than any other tribes. The traditional profession has now been changed from shepherd to horticulture, agriculture. The people are working in various Govt. offices with high ranks. So the development has changed the economic status of this tribe a lot.
Gaddi Tribe :
Gaddi is another tribe of Himachal. The Gaddi tribe resides around Dhauladhar region and Chamba , Bharmour of the state. The Gaddi people mainly resides on the bank of Ravi river and Budhil river. The Gaddi tribe is mainly originated from the migrants of plains that are fled from the plain region at the time of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb reign. The Gaddi tribe include all castes of Hindus like Brahmins, Thakurs,Khatri, Dhankar,Rajput and Ranas. So mainly the tribe is a Hindu tribe but some people also follow the Muslin religion. The main occupation of Gaddi tribe was Shephard and they used to move one place to another seasonally. But now they are residing in villages and agriculture, horticulture and jobs are also getting in profession of Gaddi tribe. So the tribe is nowhere a nomad now.The tribe is known for its peaceful nature. The dresses of the tribe are unique by nature, the men wears Chola and turban whereas the women mostly wears launcher. The tribels are very much fond of ornaments, both men and women are seen to wear gold earrings. The tribe is the followers of Lord Shiva and other then the local dialect like Gaddi, Takri, the main language is now Hindi.
Gujjar Tribe :
Gujjar tribe the tribe mainly established in western region of Himachal Pradesh,Chamba and Kangra. The tribe is been called the immigrants of the plains that run to Himachal because of the invasion of Hunas. The Gujjars were mainly a nomadic tribe that moves with their herds of cattle from one region to another. The tribe remains in plains in winter and in hills in summer. The cattle stock is the wealth of the tribe. But the modern tribals are changing their profession. They are in Govt. jobs and also have settled in villages for agriculture. The Gujjar tribe is mainly the follower of Hindu and Muslim religion. They have their own rich heritage culture. Beside the nationally celebrated festivals Gujjars have also their traditional fairs. The dresses are somewhere like Gaddies i.e. chola and turban, in women traditional stall is well known. Women are more interested in ornaments like necklace with pendent of stone.The language used by the tribe is mainly the Gojri that comes from the famous Rajasthani group of languages. Hindi is also getting poular among them now.
Lahauli Tribe :
Lahauli is another important tribe of Himachal. As the name suggests the tribe is basically from Lahaul, one of the region of Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal. Lahaulies are mainly said to be the successors of mongoloids like the tribes of other parts of Himachal and J & K. The main occupation of Lahaulies are agriculture,herding and weaving crafts. Nowadays the lahaulies are also seen is Govt. Jobs and in business activities also. The family system in Lahaulies is very interesting. Polyandry system of marriage was in action earlier days but now being the impact of modernisation the tribe is leaving the system gradually. The family is centered with the elder most male person of the family who is also the decision center of the family. The society is divided in clan like Gotra or Kul. The different clans can have marriages among each other. Same clan is prohibited for marriages. The people prefer the nearby villages. The lahaulies are known for its Potato production, its world famous potato is popularly used for seeds and vegetables all around India.
In the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh, there is a handful of tribal communities who have resided in every hook and corner of the region. Due to this reason, very naturally, the famous anthropologists of the Indian subcontinent have thronged the state in order to study various aspects of the life style and tradition of the tribes of Himachal Pradesh. Just like any other tribal communities of the Indian subcontinent, these tribes of Himachal Pradesh too have showed the cultural exuberance. Dancing, musical melodies, festivals, fairs etc bore evidence to it.
By nature, these tribes of Himachal Pradesh too are extremely social and love to make friends with other tribal communities. Majority of these tribes of Himachal Pradesh state belong to the famous Indo - Aryan family group. As far as the physical appearances are concerned, these tribes of Himachal Pradesh also have got identifiable features of that of an Indo - Aryan or Mongoloid.
Although these tribes of Himachal Pradesh fete all the important festivals , these tribes of Himachal Pradseh also have added fervor to the festive season by incorporating their own traditional customs and beliefs.