Gaddi Shepards


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Gaddi Shepards

Gaddi Shepherds: Gaddi shepherd is a pastoral community of Himachal Pradesh. They had a similar cycle of seasonal movements like Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir.

Movement of Gaddi Shepherds: During winter, Gaddi Shepherds grazed their flocks in scrub forests of the low hills of Siwalik range. By April, they moved North and spent the summer in Lahul and Spiti.

  • Further to the East, in Garhwal and  Kumaun, the Gujjar cattle herders came down to the dry forests of the bhabhar in the winter and went up to the high meadows—the bugyals in summer.
  • Many of the Gujjar cattle herders were originally from Jammu and Kashmir and came the to up hills in the 19th century in search of good pastures. When the snow melted on the high mountains, they moved onto higher mountain meadows (dhars).
  • By September, they began their return movement. On way, they stopped once again in the villages of Lahul and Spiti, reaping their summer harvest and sowing their winter crop. On the way down, they stop for a while to have their sheep sheared.
  • The sheep are bathed and cleaned before wool is cut. Uhl valley near Palampur in Himachal Pradesh is one of the areas where shearing of wool is being done. Then, they further descend to their winter base - the Shiwalik Hills.
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