Mythologies of the Gadia Lohara Tribes

 

Gadia Lohars (also known as Gaduliya Lohars or Lohar) are a nomadic community of Uttar Pradesh, India. They are also found in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. They are lohar (ironsmith) by profession who move on from one place to another place on bullock carts, which in Hindi are called gadi, hence the name 'Gadia Lohar'. These Lohars are different from the Lohar clan of Iran, Pakistan and India. They usually make and repair agricultural and household implements. Their forefathers were blacksmiths in the army and the Lohar claim to be descendants of Maharana Pratap of Mewar. When Mewar fell to the Mughals, Maharana Pratrap ran to the forest where he met these people who helped him and his family. They pledged never to return to their homeland, never to settle anywhere else, and never to live under a roof until Maharana Pratap won Chittorgarh back. But Maharana Pratap did not win Chittor back and hence the Lohars continue their pledge even today.

Lohar is considered to be a caste among Hindus and a clan among Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, and in Nepal. They form traditionally artisanal castes. Writers of the Raj period often used the term Lohar as a synonym for blacksmith, although there are other traditional smiting communities, such as the Ramgarhia and Sikligar, and numerous non-traditional communities, including the Kayastha, Rajput and Brahmin. Lohars are one of the most widespread communities in Uttar Pradesh. They are divided along religious lines, with Hindu Lohars known as Vishwakarma. Hindu Lohars are further divided into a number of exogamous groupings, the main ones being the Kanaujiya, Purbia, Bahai, Moulia and Magajia. Most Lohars are still engaged in their traditional occupation of metal fabrication, although the majority of those in western Uttar Pradesh are cultivators. The assimilated Lohar speak Hindi and its various dialects such as Awadhi; other speak the Ho language.

The Gadia Lohar travelling community is an intriguing community living without government help or support. Despite a royal legacy—they were once the blacksmiths for the legendary 16th century ruler of Mewar, Maharana Pratap—they have been reduced to being roadside blacksmiths living in poverty. “I think it’s important for us to delve into more details about this community and hopefully create awareness that can ensure the help they require.” India’s Forgotten People unfolds the story of this travelling nomadic community, which is mostly unknown and misunderstood. The documentary delves into their history and how they ended up in their current state. “Contrary to belief, they are a peaceful community and has zero crime rate. The documentary aims to present all of these important factors in a light manner,” added Deana. What makes this film unique is the host Deana Uppal’s interactions with the community. “Deana is from the UK; so having someone from the Western world explore the rustic villages of Rajasthan and interact with the traditional people makes the film an interesting watch,” said a representative of DKU Productions. Travelling across the length and breadth of the land of the royals, Rajasthan—from the pink city of Jaipur to the blue city of Jodhpur, from the city of lakes Udaipur to the legendary Chittorgarh, and various villages—the documentary was made by Deana and four of her crew members. To address the problems of the Gadia Lohars, Deana spoke to various ministers such as Subhash Garg, B.L. Soni and B.D. Kalla as well.

The Lohara is a tribal community, settled in the state of West Bengal. The word Lohara is derived from the word loha, meaning iron, as they were traditionally blacksmiths. In 1891, Risley stated that Lohra was a synonym for Lohar and Asur. According to him, the Lohar are a large and heterogenous conglomeration, where the tribal population is made up of several different tribes and castes. Apart from West Bengal, the Lohara occupy parts of Jharkhand like Singhbhum, Hazaribag, Palamu, Ranchi and Santhal Pargana. There are also the Loharas of the Chotanagpur plateau in Bihar. It is a discrete community and one of the early inhabitants of this area. The Lohara tribal communities earn their livelihood by getting employed in different occupations. Some of them are shepherds, many of them rear cattle and have developed the expertise of weaving exquisite baskets. Iron smelters also are found in Lohara society. With the touch of their skillful hands, beautiful iron products can be carved out from the raw and hot iron bars. Special tools are also used by these Lohara artisans for carving. The houses in which these Lohara tribes live in too bear the reflection of their artistic acumen. Some of them, however, practice the typical occupation of any other Indian tribe, namely, cultivation. Both males and females of Lohara tribes perform dance forms wearing their conventional attires. Singing songs in accompaniment of wonderful musical instruments add stupor to the whole of merrymaking. Art work is done using conventional 'handloom weaving' tools and beautiful wall paintings are also exhibited at the time of festivals. Their tongue is similar to that of all the other tribes of this region. The costumes of this tribal community are similar to the other tribal communities of this region. The male folks of this community wear ganji, kurta and dhoti, whereas the females of this community wear saree, blouse and salwar-kameez-dupatta. The Lohara tribes of West Bengal have a plethora of festivals. Some of the festivals are either feted at individual homes or they are feted as community fetes. All the religious festivals are commemoration of worship of various folk deities. The reason for worshipping these deities is to appease them and seek their blessings. Rituals and social ceremonies are also no less in numbers. Rituals of Lohara tribes mainly center on conservation of nature and also booties, which actually support their livelihood. Festive mood gets heightened with incorporation of beautiful dance forms and joyful songs.

While turning the pages of history, the story of Gadia Lohar dates back to the sixteenth century, when this community of blacksmiths produced swords and other weapons for Maharana Pratap and his royal army. Later, towards the end of the sixteenth century it is said that when the Mughal forces tried to capture Rana Pratap’s territories like Chittorgarh and Mewar, it led to the start of the nomadic life of Gadia Lohar. These royal blacksmiths pledged to never return until the return of Mewari Rana. They promised to live their lives in carts or Gadia and vowed never to build a house and embraced a life as a banjara (or nomads). Soon, in 1955, Pandit Nehru organised a Chittor March to bring the Gadia Lohar back to Chittorgarh and settle down to a normal life, however, by that time, many families had migrated to different parts of the country and were unable to find a place of their own. Currently, the Gadia Lohar community is scattered in various parts of the country but can be primarily traced in the Northern and Central regions of the country such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. After passing on their lineage of traditional ironsmith skills, the community currently thrives by making small utensils for households, sculptures, and other ornamental works of art. Limited economic opportunities and growing market competitiveness highlight the need for urgent policy intervention.

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