Bodh people

The Bodh people, also known as Khas Bhodi,[1] are an ethnic group of Himachal Pradesh, India. They are found in Lahaul tehsil, Lahaul and Spiti district,[2] predominantly in the Bhaga and Chandra valleys, but also to a lesser extent in Pattani valley,[1] Miyar Valley, in the upper reaches of Pangi, Himachal Pradesh and Paddar valley, Jammu and Kashmir. Their religion is predominantly Buddhism with animistic/shiva worship practices. Caste wise they are identified as rajput/thakurs/kshetris although caste rules are not as rigid as in the plains. Historically, 3-4 prominent families of the area were accorded "rana/wazir/thakur" titles by the king's of chamba/kullu/ladakh for the purpose of general administration and revenue collection. They have a mix of martial traditions alongside Shaman/lamaistic beliefs and certain families/clans uses to be significant zamindars/jagirdars. Culturally and ethnically there is significant mixing due to the region passing under the hegemony of rulers of ladakh/kullu/chamba over the last many centuries. The language spoken differs from valley to valley with some dialects being very close to Kumaoni, while others are mixed with chambyali and dari. They are progressive, enterprising, honest and were involved in the centuries old india-tibet-Nepal trading routes. Organized into family groups/clans with clan names ending in the suffix "-pa" (eg - barpa, Karpa, tholakpa, cherjipa, gerumshingpa, khingopa) similar to the "-ta" suffix (eg- khimta, zinta, brakta, bragta...)found in the family/clan names of the simla area. [1]

Bodh mother and child near Gandhola Monastery