Rabari

Rabari, a caste of Camel Herders- Tashrih al-aqvam (1825)
A Rabari woman in traditional attire in Kutch, Gujarat.

Rabari (also known as Rebari, Raika, Desai and Dewasi) is a Hindu caste which mainly inhabits the Indian states of Gujarat (in Kutch) and Rajasthan (in Marwar) with sparse populations in Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh (in Malwa), and also in Sindh, Pakistan. They were traditionally camel herders but have now taken to rearing sheep and cattle.

Origin

A Rabari camel herder in Rajasthan.

The Rabari claim Balochistan as the place of their origin where there still is a temple of the goddess Hinglaj who they worship. Enthoven traces their origin to Marwar (in Rajasthan) and Sindh, as well as their regular pilgrimages to the temple of Hinglaj in Balochistan. The initial migrations in the folkloric memory of the Rabari refer to flights to Sindh and Kutch undertaken to escape Muslim persecution. According to Sigrid Westphal-Helbusch, significant migrations of Rabaris took place between 12th to 14th century, when they moved from Marwar to Sindh and Kutch. The migrations of Rabaris in fact follow similar paths as those of Rajputs and Charans, two other migrant group in this region, indicating intertwined histories. Westphal-Helbusch ascribes the goddess worship traditions of Rabaris to the Charan influence. as per Kevin McGrath their origins are probably Sindhi, and they came in Kutch, some centuries ago, from Balochistan via a northward circuit through Rajasthan to, where many of them still live.

Vintage Rabari bag with heavy embroidery that is unique to Rabaris of Western India. Such bags are used for gifting at wedding ceremonies.

Culture

Rabaris are known for their elaborate Trajva tattoos. They are usually done on the forearms, face, throat. The tattoo can have a range of meanings, including representations of fertility or skill milestones. Green sap from a nearby plant is mixed with soot to make the tattoos.

References

  1. ↑ "Rabaris: The Pastoral Community". Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Köhler-Rollefson, Ilse (1992). "The Raika Dromedary Breeders of Rajasthan: A Pastoral System in Crisis". Nomadic Peoples. 30 (30): 74–83. JSTOR 43123358.
  3. ↑ Chaudhary, Shyam Nandan (2009). Tribal Development Since Independence. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 23 & 126. ISBN 978-81-8069-622-0.
  4. ↑ Kothiyal, Tanuja (2016-03-14). Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert. Cambridge University Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-107-08031-7.
  5. ↑ McGrath, Kevin (2015-01-06). In the Kacch: A Memoir of Love and Place. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9653-2.
  6. ↑ IANS (2023-07-27). "The evolution of traditional tattoos in India". The Statesman. Retrieved 2024-07-15.

Bibliography

Books

Further reading