India is a land of contrasts

…a rich tapestry of cultures, ethnic mixes, languages and traditions. India’s landscapes span from the awe inspiring Himalayas, beaches, forests, the Deccan plateau and the Rajasthani desert. From North to South, East to West – there are changes to color of skin, clothing, food and language. These may appear to be superficial regional and language changes. Yet, varying religions, traditions, culture and caste add another layer to the complexity of Indian society. India’s caste system is intricately entwined with the people’s identities. The people group name denotes everything – it is a person’s occupation, religious beliefs, social standing, traditions and life story.

India – tradition and change

As India continues to grow, many people are drawn away from their traditional occupational groups into other professions and locations. A father and grandfather who are itinerant cattle herders have a grandson who works at a call centre in Delhi. Although he is an office worker, the community identifies this young man with his people group. Everything about who he is, his surname and who he will marry is entwined with the knowledge of this background.

People Groups of India

There are over 72 People Groups with a population of more than 100,000 each in Uttar Pradesh, North India. This site currently features 72 profiles of these groups from the Agaria to the Yadav. There are, of course, many hundreds more depending on how you define these groups. Here are 5 random profiles. You can find a full list on our profiles page:

Khangar- Who are they? The Khangar claim that they are of the same status as Rajputs who are of the Kshatriya caste (second highest class of warriors). They trace their ancestry from Khet Singh and Bhopat Singh of the Grah Kundal princely state of Tikamgarh (Russel and Hiralal, 1916). There is… ...Read More...

Brahmin- Who are they? The Brahmin people are a prominent community spread across the whole of India. The Brahmin are the highest of the four Hindu castes, made up of priests and scholars of Vedic literature and their traditional occupation is to concern themselves with the spiritual guidance of the people,… ...Read More...

Musahar- Who are they? Traditionally, the Musahar of Uttar Pradesh are bee keepers (honey collectors) and stitch leaf plates for local sale. The Musahar also cultivate land. Some other occupations include wage-labour in industry, forestry, fishing, pulling hand carts and rickshaws, working as laborers in brick kilns. Some Musahar are involved… ...Read More...

Arakh- Who are they? The Arakh are a small community of cultivators of about 250,000 in number. It is believed that they migrated from Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, which is one of seven sacred cities for Hindus. The Arakh have two endogamous subgroups, namely, Suryavanshi Arakh (of the sun’s lineage) and Mooti… ...Read More...

Bhisti- Who are they? The Bhisti are traditionally a community of water-carriers and supply water in skin bags. A few still do this work but drinking water has been made readily accessible and the Bhisti are no longer needed to provide water. The water is needed mainly by vegetable growers, at… ...Read More...

Community Forums

We have now also added a new forum feature to give members a space to communicate more freely around a broader range of topics. You can find a forum for each of the people groups and several others to discuss other topics. More will be added later.