Banjara
Encyclopedia
The Banjara are a class of usually described as nomadic people from the Indian state of Rajasthan, North-West Gujarat, and Western Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Sindh province of pre-independence Pakistan. They claim to belong to the clan of Agnivanshi Rajputs, and are also known as Banjari, Pindari, Bangala, Banjori, Banjuri, Brinjari, Lamani, Lamadi, Lambani, Labhani, Lambara, Lavani, Lemadi, Lumadale, Labhani Muka, Goola, Gurmarti, Gormati, Kora, Sugali, Sukali, Tanda, Vanjari, Vanzara, and Wanji. Together with the Domba
Domba
The Domba or Dom are an ethnic or social group, or groups, scattered across India. They are usually segregated from the mainstream community as outcastes.The Domba are sometimes also called "Chandala". Both terms also came to be used in the sense of "outcaste" in general...

, they are sometimes called the "gypsies of India".

They are divided in three tribes, Maturia, Labana
Labana
Labanas are a Punjabi tribe. The Labanas of Punjab region are mostly Sikhs, with a small minority of Muslims and Hindus.- History:According to British records 33% of the Labana were baptised Sikhs and were found primarily in the Lahore, Gujranwala, and Sialkot areas...

, and Charan
Charan
Chāraṇ is the term for a caste living in the Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India. According to Shrimada Bhagwata Skand Charans were created along with other divine forms such as Yaksha, Gandharvas, Kinnara, Sidhdhas, Apsara, etc. and lived with them in Heaven...

.

Distribution

The origin of Banjara community is stated in the area between Bikaner and Bahawalpur, Pakistan. After fall out Rajputs, they started spreading across the country. The Banjara have spread to Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

 and other states of India. About half their number speak Lambadi
Lambadi language
Lambadi is a Rajasthani language spoken by nomadic Banjara people across India.The language is known by various other names, including Lamani, Lamadi, Lambani, Labhani, Lambara, Lavani, Lemadi, Lumadale, Labhani Muka and variants, Banjara, Banjari, Bangala, Banjori, Banjuri, Brinjari, Vanjari,...

, one of the Rajasthani dialects, while others are native speakers of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...

 and other languages dominant in their respective areas of settlement. Rathod, Parmar, Pawar, Chauhan,and Jadhav castes belong to Banjara community in Rajasthan and Gujarat now are in General Seats after the communal rights taken place in Rajasthan for Reservation in 2008 as they were landlords in Amarkot, Fathaykot and Sialkot before Partition of India and Pakistan. They are an ST
ST
ST or St may refer to:In geography:* São Tomé and Príncipe, ISO 3166-1 country codeIn technology:* .st, Internet country code top-level domain for São Tomé and Príncipe* ST connector, a type of optical fiber connector...

 in Andhra Pradesh (where they are listed as Sugali), Orissa, Karnataka (SC), Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. Even though, they settled across the country, they still consider themselves as NOMAD community.

Etymology

The word "Banjara" must have evolved from Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...

 and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

 and Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...

 words "Bana/Ban or Vana/Van" meaning Forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

 or Moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...

s and "Chara" meaning 'Movers'.
The Banjara are (together with the Domba
Domba
The Domba or Dom are an ethnic or social group, or groups, scattered across India. They are usually segregated from the mainstream community as outcastes.The Domba are sometimes also called "Chandala". Both terms also came to be used in the sense of "outcaste" in general...

) sometimes called the "Gypsies of India".

The word Banjara is a deprecated, colloquial form of the word of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 origin. The Sanskrit compound-word vana chara, "forest wanderers" was given to them presumably because of their primitive role in the Indian society as forest wood collectors and distributors.

Food

The traditional food of Lambadis is bati (roti
Roti
Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and...

). Daliya is a dish cooked using many cereal, such as wheat or jawar. Banjara people also enjoy many non-vegetarian foods. Among the non-vegetarian dishes unique to them are saloi, made from goat blood and other goat parts. The Banajara are also known for preferring spicy food.

Dress

Women are known to wear colorful and beautiful costumes like phetiya (as ghagra) and kanchalli (as top) and have tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...

s on their hands. The dress is considered fancy and attractive by Western cultures. They use mirror chips and often coins to decorate it. Women put on thick bangles on their arms (patli). Their ornaments are made up of silver rings, coins, chain and hair pleats are tied together at the end by chotla.

Men wear dhoti and kurta (short with many folds). These clothes were designed specially for the protection from harsh climate in deserts and to distinguish them from others.

Arts, literature and entertainment

Their customs, language and dress indicate they originated from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

. They live in settlements called thandas. They lived in zupada (hut). Now many of them live in cities. They have a unique culture and dance form. On many occasions they gather, sing and dance.

Their traditional occupation is nomadic cattle herding. Now they are slowly moving into agriculture and trade.

The accurate history of Lambanis or Lambadis or Banjaras is not known but the general opinion among them is that they fought for Prithvi Raj Chauhan
Prithviraj III
Prithvi Raj III, commonly known as Prithviraj Chauhan , was a king of the Hindu Chauhan dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Ajmer and Delhi in northern India during the latter half of the 12th century....

 against Muhammad of Ghor. The trail of the Lambadi/Banjara can be verified from their language, Lambadi borrows words from Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...

, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...

, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...

 and the local language of the area they belong to.

Banjaras originally belong to Rajasthan and they were Rajputs who migrated to southern parts of India for trade and agriculture. They settled down in the southern or central area of the country and slowly loosened contacts with Rajasthan, and their original community. Over a period of time both the communities separated and they adopted the local culture. The language spoken by Banjaras settled in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha, Maharashtra is an admixture of Hindi, Rajasthani and Marathi.

Lambadi Dance is a special kind of dance of Andhra Pradesh. In this form of dance, mainly the female dancers dance in tune with the male drummers to offer homage to their Lord for a good harvest. At Anupu village near Nagarjunakonda, Lambadi dance originated. They are actually semi-nomadic tribes who are gradually moving towards civilization. This dance is mainly restricted among the females and rarely the males participate in Lambadi dance. Lambadi is a special kind of Folk Dance which involves participation by tribal women who bedeck themselves in colorful costumes and jewelry.

Related communities

In Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

 and Gujarat, there are several communities of Muslim Banjara
Banjara (Muslim)
The Muslim Banjara are a Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in India. Many members of this community migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and have settled in Karachi and Sindh. They are also known as the Rahmani, especially in Uttar Pradesh, and they use...

s, who are simply Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 converts from the Banjara caste. The Muker
Muker (tribe)
The Muker are a Muslim community, found in North India and Nepal. They are also known as Muzkeri, Mekrani, Barmaki, Ranki and Mukri.-History and origin:...

, another Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 community also traces its ancestry from the Banjara. Three other castes that claim kinship with the Banjara are the Labana
Labana
Labanas are a Punjabi tribe. The Labanas of Punjab region are mostly Sikhs, with a small minority of Muslims and Hindus.- History:According to British records 33% of the Labana were baptised Sikhs and were found primarily in the Lahore, Gujranwala, and Sialkot areas...

 of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

, the Gawaria
Gawaria
- Origin :The Gawaria are community are a sub-group within the larger Banjara community of India. According to their own traditions, the community is descended from three brothers, Tapasvi Singh, Lakhi Singh and Bhumi Singh. These brothers lost their land, and took to peddling goods and services....

 of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

 and Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

 and Lavana
Lavana
-History and origin:The Lavana are a branch of the larger Banjara community of North India. They claim descent from the Rajput community, and the word lavana also means salt in Hindi, and the community’s traditional occupation was the peddling and transportation of salt.-Present circumstances:The...

 of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

.

Gotras

The Banjaras are grouped into five gotras, or super-families, also called goth or pada in Lambadi.
  • Banoth, Pangoth
  • Rathod, Bhukya
  • Chavan, Jath
  • Amgot, Pawar
  • Jadhav, Vadtya


Some believe the Rahtod/Bhukya gotra is split into two, making Banoth as a separate gotra by itself and bringing the total to six gotras. Others claim the Turi/Badawatis form an additional (sixth) gotra. Each gotra is divided into subdivisions called jaaths, which are generally used as surnames of its members.

Marriage

Members of the same gotra cannot marry as they are considered brother and sister, a term known as bhaipan (brotherhood). Members of different gotras may marry, and this state is known as kai-laageni (can marry). Traditionally, the jaaths of prospective couples are checked by experts known as dhadi bhaat who knew the gotra/jaath system and could identify proper marriages. Nowadays the Banjarpoint website (coded by two Banjara software engineers) fulfills a similar function with gotra/jaath webpages to identify which can marry which. Banjaran community used to practice multiple wives to single man, multiple husbands to single woman (like Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...

) and wife swapping. These customs cease to exist now.

Notables

  • Reshma
    Reshma
    Reshma, SI, is a renowned folk singer of Pakistan, who is popular in India too.- Early life :She was born in Loha village of in Tahsil Ratangarh, Rajasthan to a Banjara family about 1947. Her family moved to Pakistan during the partition of India soon afterwards. She says she does not have any...

     (b. ca. 1947), Pakistani singer
  • Vasantrao Naik
    Vasantrao Naik
    Vasantrao Naik was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1963 until 1975. He was born in Gavli, Pusad in 1913. His experience in grassroots politics made him a responsible legislator...

    , Chief Minister of Maharashtra (1963-1975)
  • Sudhakarrao Naik
    Sudhakarrao Naik
    Sudhakarrao Rajusing Naik was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 25 June 1991 until 22 February 1993...

     (1934–2001), Chief Minister of Maharashtra (1991-1993)
  • Maharaja Ranjit Singh
    Ranjit Singh
    Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...

    , the ruler of the Sikh Empire, may have been of Banjara background.
  • Ramsing D. Pawar, Joint Director (L.F.A), Nagpur,Maharashtra.
  • D. Anjaiah Nayak, M.Sc (PhD), IICT, HYD, A.P
  • Guguloth Veeranna M.A, M.Ed, M.Phil, Ph.D,Department of Political Science,Kakatiya University,Warangal, Andhra Pradesh
  • Sreedhar Naik Bhukya Ph.D Computer Science,University of Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh
  • Hari Babu Vankdoth Founder, Banjara Education growth and Englightenment Society,Andhra Pradesh
  • Ramuji Naik, Rathod, Izardar of Yeoli, Distt. Yavatmal
    Yavatmal
    Yavatmal is a city and municipal council of the Yavatmal district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The name derives from the Marathi Yavat and mal .-Demographics:yavatmal ,district in Amravati administrative division....

    , Maharashtra
    Maharashtra
    Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

     state, India.
  • Ranjit Naik
    Ranjit Naik
    Shri Ranjit Poojari Naik was a renowned Architect and Social Worker, who helped Mumbai slum dwellers, and particularly the Banjara people.-Background:...

     (22 October 1933 – 30 July 2004), architect and social worker
  • B. T. Lalita Naik, Karnataka, poet
  • Revu Naik Belamgi MLA, Gulbarga Rural
  • Prabhu Chouhan MLA, Aurad Tq. Dist: Bidar
  • L. Narsingh Naik, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed., Ex. Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh (Nalgonda District), helped make the Telangana Lambadies into the ST category in 1976. First Lambadi Post Graduate(1970).
  • Sunil J. Rathod, (Art Director Film City Mumbai) (Raipur Tanda Tq. Kinwat Dist. Nanded)
  • Anprosh J. Jadhav ( Production Executive in KPCL Kherdi D & NH)
  • Gajanan V. Chavan - livestock development officer (class-1) ambad dist-jalna (Maharashtra)
  • Nenavath Mahesh Naik, Ph.D (University of Hyderabad)
  • Suresh Tejavath, ph.D (university of hyderabad)
  • ((Indarchand Chavan)Ph.D.(Dr.BSKKV,Dapoli)
  • Dr Pandit Laxmanrao Chavan M.A. Ph.D Social Worker and Associate Professor In Vasantrao Naik College Nanded Maharashtra

  • Mr Chavan Govindrao Editor Banjara Pukar Weekly From Nanded Maharashtra 09922029512
  • ((Santosh Rathod) NOC Engineer(Zenith Infotech Ltd(MUMBAI))
  • Tejavathu Ramesh, Ph.D, Khammam, Andhra Pradesh
  • Bhukya Nageswar rao,M.TECH(nitc),khammam,andhra pradesh
  • Nageswara Rao Palathya, B.tech(CSE), Software Engineer
  • Prof. Dr. Rajaram G. Rathod,M.A.,Ph.D.,SET,D.C.J.,Assistant Professor, Dept. of Marathi,Rayat Shikshan Sanstha's,AMA&NCS College,Rajapur, Dist-Ratnagiri, Maharashtra
  • Neelakanth Rathod-(Joint Director of Industries Karnataka(Gulbarga)

See also

  • Banjara (Muslim)
    Banjara (Muslim)
    The Muslim Banjara are a Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in India. Many members of this community migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and have settled in Karachi and Sindh. They are also known as the Rahmani, especially in Uttar Pradesh, and they use...

  • Dhangar
    Dhangar
    The Dhangar caste is primarily located in the Indian state of Maharashtra...

  • List of Scheduled Tribes in India
  • Rajasthani people
    Rajasthani people
    Rajasthani people are the native inhabitants of Rajasthan region of India. They form an ethnic group which is a result of assimilation of Scytho-Dravidian, Aryo-Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Indo-Scythian, Indo-Greeks, Indo-Iranians and Austro-Asiatic ancestries...

  • Vanjari
    Vanjari
    Vanjari may refer to:*Vanjari , a community of India that are mainly found in Maharashtra state.*Vanjari, Punjab, a town Union Council of Mianwali District in Pakistan....


External links

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