Lakhera
Encyclopedia
The Lakhera is a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 found in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...

. They are a community traditionally associated with bangle making.

Origin

The Lakhera get their name from the 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...

 laksha kuru meaning a worker in lac. According to their mythologies, the community was created by the dirt washed from the body of the goddess Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...

.Other traditions make them out to be Yaduvanshi Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...

s. They are said to have originated in Bulandshahr District
Bulandshahr District
Bulandshahar District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Bulandshahr city is the district headquarters.-Geography:...

 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 then spread to 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...

, 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...

 and 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 community 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...

 speak Hindi, while in 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...

 they speak Haryanvi.
Group Email Addresses
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Present circumstances

The Lakhera community consists of a number of clans, the main ones being the Chauhan, Bhati, Nainvaya, Bagri, Nagoriya, Parihar, Solanki, Hatadiya and Atariya etc. They are an endogamous
Endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such basis as being unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. A Greek Orthodox Christian endogamist, for example, would require that a marriage be only with another...

 community, and each clan is exogamous
Exogamy
Exogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...

. The majority of the Lakhera are still involved in the manufacture and sellng of bangles. Some members of the community are now shopkeepers. The Lakhera are Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

, and have customs similar to other North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...

n Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

s. They live in multi-caste villages, occupying their own distinct quuarters.

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...

, the community is found mainly in the south and east of the state. They are found mainly in Jalaun
Jalaun District
Jalaun District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India.The district is named after town of Jalaun, which was the former headquarters of a Maratha governor, but the administrative headquarters of the district is at Orai. Other large towns in the district are Kalpi, Konch, and...

, Hamirpur
Hamirpur District, Uttar Pradesh
Hamirpur district is one of the 70 districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India and Hamirpur town is the district headquarters. Hamirpur district is a part of Chitrakoot Division. The district occupies an area of 4,121.9 km². The district has a population of 1,042,374...

, Lalitpur
Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh
Lalitpur District is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Lalitpur district is a part of Jhansi Division. Lalitpur is the main town and administrative headquarters. The district occupies an area of 5,039 km²....

 and Jhansi
Jhansi District
Jhansi District is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The town of Jhansi is the district headquarters.The district is bordered on the north by Jalaun District, to the east by Hamirpur and Mahoba districts, to the south by Tikamgarh District of Madhya Pradesh state, to...

.

Lakhera is an occupational based caste residing in Rajasthan,Haryana, Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh,Punjab, and Bihar. People of Lakhera community are professional artist of Lakh(substance use to make bangles) which is an inherent heritage of Lakhera community. Prime objective of Lakhera group is to enhance the knowledge about Lakhera community through the process of sharing, getting together and then working to achieve the objectives. To makes efforts, to integrate Lakhera community, achieve maximum cooperation and mutual understanding by all the ways of formal and informal discussions, academic relations and personal interactions.
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