Gaddi Tribe of Himachal :

The Gaddis are devotees of Hindu deity Shiva and believe that they are created by him while he was seated on his Gaddi ( Royal Seat ).

Location :

Himachal is the abode of snow and is the cultural heritage of the Gaddi community. This culturally rich community live in the Himalayan mountain ranges concentrated in Bharmour Tehsil(Sub Division) of Chamba, parts of Kangra (Dharamshala, Palampur, Baijnath dominantly), Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh and in parts of Jammu & Kashmir, northern states in India. The community occupies the inaccessible, inhospitable terrain in between the Pir-Panjal and Dhauladhar mountain ranges, between Ravi and Chenab rivers. It is a high altitude area and remains cut off most of the time due to heavy snowfall in winter.The area has thick and dense forest with low rainfall and low humidity.

 Occupations :

The majority of the Gaddis are now also landowners and practice agriculture as their primary means of livelihood. They are also pastorals and own large flocks of sheep and goats, as the traditional occupation. This has also resulted in their bartandari (customary) rights on forest land which are Government owned. Today, many of them have also taken up jobs as teachers, in government and private organizations and other white collar jobs. Some are also working as unskilled laborers in public works department and forest departments to augment their income.They have agricultural land-holdings where they are growing corn, potatoes, vegetables etc. The women are taking care of the farming, cattle and the households whereas the men are now moving out in to the world to look for ways of earning money. 
The community has a total dependence on local market, where at times the people barter their meager surplus cereal produce with the shopkeeper, who acts as middlemen between the people and the market. Horticulture produce is sold to bigger markets through local collecting agents. Barter is rarely resorted to and cash forms the usual medium of exchange. The children below 15 years, both boys and girls, assist their parents in and outside the household activities and also tend the cattle. While working as causal labors in road maintenance they also receive wages in cash. Education and employment have brought them in contact with the wider world. Liberalization of the caste Considerations have been observed in families which have got education and moved to urban centers. The Gaddis are talking part in political activities at the regional level in State Assembly and the cabinet.

Traditional practices adopted by Gaddi Shepherds :

Gaddis sometime consider shepherding as their dharma given to them by Lord Shiva. But it is not just that that makes them follow their ancestors' migratory life. Nor is it a love of the unique life. It is the prosperity that the sheep and goats bring -the former largely from wool, the latter from meat. If the Gaddis lived solely from the cultivation of those tiny strips of terracing there would not be so many newly built houses on the opposite hill, shops filled with shoes, cloth, and stuff suchlike, nor women laden with jewellery, nor substantial land owned by them in Kangra. And have comparative prosperity and with their travelling habits, combined with a pride in their homeland and culture. They have have the outgoing and friendly manner that make life such a pleasure.

The indigenous resource management found in Bharmour/Pangi involving very limited external inputs, developed by gaddi shepherds in difficult and isolated hilly terrain, is an example in itself.

Places where Gaddi Community stay :

Bharmour :

Their homeland is Gadheran, Bramour tehsil, in the Chamba district. It comprises the valleys of the upper Ravi and its tributary the Budil whic  meet at Kharamukh just below Bramour. This is surmounted by Mount Kailash. 18,500 ft., the seat of Lord shiva and his consort Parvati. Gaddis are staunch Shaivites and wherever they may wander, feel an unusually strong cultural and religious involvement with their homeland, also referred to as Shivbhumi, the land of Shiva. During the last hundred years or so many Gaddis have bought land and built houses on the southern slopes of the Dholadhar- the northern edge of Kangra valley but whether or not they still have land or relations in Bramour tehsil, they consider themselves as belonging to Gadheran. 
 

Gaddis in Kangra :

The Gaddis of Kangra lead a simple and unsophisticated life, with a few needs and fewer worries, they are content with their lot. The Gaddis are Hindus and have permanent villages in the valley bottoms, where they are engaged in agriculture. The Gaddi women remain in the villages while the men roam with their sheep and goats in the higher meadows during summer. Here, they live a hard and adventurous life, often having to scare away Leoparsds and Bears who prowl arround to attack their sheep. Cheerful and courageous, they add colour to the region. The main approach to the town in from pathankot.

Gaddi Festivals :

Common Festivals celebrated by Gaddis are common with those of other inhabitants of the region.

Baishakhi : Baisakhi or 'Bisu' is celebrated on the Ist of "Baisakh" month(mid April). On this day cakes of Bhares and wheat flour are taken.

Sair : "Sair" is celebrated with great enthusiasm on 1st of Asuj (Sept-Oct) month. Meat is eaten on this day. Some take "Sur"(homemade beer, Babrus (fried bread)of wheat flour are eaten with variety of vegetables. People go to their relatives, specially married daughters visit theri parents. This day is considered as the end of rainy season.New clothes are purchased on this occasion.

Patroru Sagrand : "Patroru Sagrand" is celebrated on 1st of Bhadon (August-September) month. On the eve of the day `Kachalu leaves' roled with `Besan' (gram dal flour) are fried in oil. Babrus are also eaten on this day.

Lohri : "Lohri" is celebrated in the sarne way as that of plains. On this day `Khichari' of rice and Mash Dal is eaten with Desi Ghee and curd.

Shivratri : Shivratri is favourite festival of gaddis as it is associated with Lord Shiva. It is celebrated in the month of Phalgun (Feb-March). On this day some keep fast and cereals are not taken by many persons.

In addition to these festivals, Holi, Dussehra and Janamashtmi festivals are also celebrated in the same manner as by other communities.

Gaddi Fairs :

Gaddis of Kangra and Bharmour attend almost all the fairs. Some of them even go to Chamba to attend the Minjar fair. Many go to Mani Mahesh also to have dip in the holy waters and perform Puja. In Kangra district Dal fair, Ghanyara fair, Dari fair, Navratra fairs and Holi fairs at different places are held which are equally attended by Gaddis. To the fairs they go well dressed in their traditional attractive clothes. The use of Sur and Jhol is very common in the fairs. Sweets are purchased from the mela. Tamak is also beaten by Gaddis. Very few Gaddis go to attend the `Suhi' fair which is held at Chamba. In this fair "Naina Devi" is worshipped. Six day long fair, which is held at Brahmaur, is also attended by a few Gaddis of Kangra district.