Gadia Lohar

Gadia Lohars (also known as Gaduliya Lohars) are a nomadic community of Rajasthan, India. They are also found in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. They are lohar (ironsmith) by profession who move on from one place to another place on bullock carts, which in Hindi are called gadi, hence the name 'Gadia Lohar'. These Lohars are different from the Lohar clan of Iran, Pakistan and India. They usually make and repair agricultural and household implements.

A girl from the Gadia Lohars nomadic tribe of Marwar, cooking on the outskirts of a village in Ratlam district

Their origin is shrouded in legend. Their forefathers were blacksmiths in the army of Maharana Pratap of Mewar. When Mewar fell to the Mughals they pledged never to return to their homeland and never to settle anywhere else until Rana's hegemony was restored.

A documentary on them entitled "Gadia Lohar: A Life and Livelihood in Question?" (Hindi/Mini DV/ 24 minutes / 2005/) was filmed by director Meenakshi Vinay Rai.

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.