A Gaddi (shepard), Smoking a Hookah, Meets a Girl in a Hilly Landscape

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This highly stylized portrait depicts against the background of a terrain and within an arched frame a Gaddi youth with a huqqa in his hand conversing with a Gaddi woman. The turquoise background has a mat-like texture and from this same texture seem to evolve three mountain peaks smeared in different shades of brown. Towards the eastern foot of the hill there are a few cypresses and a couple of houses. The Gaddi has a typical Sikh build and might be an immigrant of Punjab plains. In her features and style of dress the Gaddan too appears to be of a non-Himanchali origin. Their pet has a dog's posture and bearing but a sheep's build, typical of Himalayan dogs. Gaddi's cap with two spires and his coat, a mix of a gown, frock-coat and 'angarkha' are typically Himanchali. His dress, huqqa, walking staff, knife contained in a wood case attached to his belt and Gaddan's as moderate ornaments and garment suggest that they belong to the upper strata of Himanchali society. Otherwise too, Gaddis are a strikingly handsome community with a very refined taste for colours and clothes.

Gaddis constitute a considerably large segment of Pahari population, a colourful medley of diverse tribes and communities - Gujjars, Kinnauras, Lahulis and Spitians, besides the Gaddis. Gaddis have been and are pastoralists, a shepherd like community. Grazing sheep and goats, trading in these animals, as well as in wool, camphor, 'charas' and gold have been their traditional occupation. Brahmaur, a tehsil of Chamba district, is Gaddis main-land. Most of the Gaddis at Brahmaur are Lahore's migrants. "Ujjaraya Lahore, vassaya Brahmaur' is still a common-place amongst Gaddis. It seems, the Lahore Gaddis migrated to Kangra, under the protection of Kangra rulers, in view of recurrent Islamic onslaught, especially during the discriminatory rule of Aurangzeb, and shifted later to Brahmaur, which came to be known as Gadderan after its Gaddi inhabitants. Gaddis, by being largely the immigrants, were treated as inferiors by the Himanchali natives, but after Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra, the best known and the most popular of all Pahari rulers, wedded a Gaddan, they came in prominence.

Gaddi is an occupational name of a community, which otherwise comprises of diverse communities - Brahmins, Khatris, Rajputs, Thakurs and Rathis. As much diverse are their origins. Gaddi Khatris yet have their Punjabi surnames and claim their Punjabi origin. Due to Islamic invasions in successive waves over centuries they migrated to this peaceful Himalayan region. Gaddi Brahmins and Rajputs acclaim their migration from Delhi during the reign of Raja Ajay Varman, A. D. 780-800. Initially these immigrants seem to have diverse occupations and a large number of them were soldiers. In A.D. 920, as records the state annals, Gaddi soldiers rendered great assistance to Raja Sahilla Varman in his battle against Kulu. But later they confined themselves to their pastoral engagements alone. Gaddis are sometimes mentioned as nomads. Under the compulsion of their cattle related occupation they are required to lead a migratory life, but they certainly are not the nomads.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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