Tribal People of Chamba

The culture and traditions of these remote hill people remained uninterrupted from outside influence. The period during which the Rajput Hindu family reigned was the 7th century A.D. till 1947. During this time, the influence of Muslim and British people was minimal. The conservative character has tended to perpetuate the existing social customs and conditions

The Gaddhis are an ancient tribe. They are nomadic shepherds. They usually migrate to higher plains in the summer, and move to lower land in the winter. Bharmour is the center of their culture. The Gaddhi women wear heavy, silver jewelry.

The Pangwals live in the Pangi Valley. They are robust people with a reputation for pretty faces. The Bhots are mixture of the Mongol and Aryan races. They also live in the Pangi Valley. They practice a mix of Hinduism and Buddhism. Polyandry, several brothers married to a single woman, is a common practice in this tribe.

The Guijjars are a Muslim tribe of probable Central-Asian origin. In the summer, they move to high mountain ranges with their cattle. They are rugged, and their main source of income is dairy products.

The Dhogrias are a local tribe living in Lakarmandhi near Dalhousie. They make a living by making coal by burning wood in underground kilns.

(All pictures on this page are courtesy of Kamal Prashad Sharma & Surender Mohan Sethi from their book, Costumes & Ornaments of Chamba, Indus Publishing Co., 1997.)