23001864

The Bhotias of Uttarakhand
Author(s): Bishwa B Chatterjee

Source: India International Centre Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 1 (January 1976), pp. 3-16
Published by: India International Centre
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The Bhotias of Uttarakhand
Bishwa B Chatterjee
Who are the Bhotias?
the outset a possible misunderstanding may be cleared. The Bhotias

At of Uttar Pradesh have nothing to do with the people of Bhutan, which
is an independent Himalayan state in the north-eastern part of the sub
continent, bordering Assam. The term Bhotia, as used in the Census, in

cludes a number of tribes who reside in the high mountain valleys situated
near the Indo-Tibetan border in Uttar Pradesh. These mountain valleys,
seven in all, sprawl over the three districts that border the Himalayas viz.,
Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi. Of these, Uttarkashi and Chamoli

belong to Garhwal Division and Pithoragarh to Kumaon Division. These
three border districts together comprise Uttarakhand, which is a develop
mental unit, and not an administrative or a revenue division. The perma
nent dwellings of all the Bhotia tribes are to be found in villages at altitudes
varying from 6,500 to 13,000 ft. situated in the upper reaches of these
seven river valleys, all of which originate near the Indo-Tibetan frontier.
The Bhotias reside in these villages called mail during the summer, rainy
and autumn seasons. With the onset of winter they move down to villages
of lower altitudes, called gunshas. Before the closure of the Indo-Tibetan
border in 1962, the Bhotia people used to carry on trade in Tibetan mandis
across the Himalayas. In exchange for goods and commodities taken from
Indian mandis of the terai1 and bhabhbhar2, the Bhotia traders would bring
back Tibetan products like wool, salt and borax.
While the Bhotias of the seven river valleys do not constitute a single
ethnically or linguistically homogeneous tribe, they are, however, not com
pletely isolated from each other. A certain amount of communication,

exchange and transaction in many social-cultural-economic matters did
take place between them. And the term Bhotia, in a loose, generic sense
has come to be applied to all the Bhotia groups that inhabit these seven
river valleys because of certain features that they share in common. The
term is not of recent origin but has considerable antiquity. How this
broad homogenization of the different Bhotia groups residing in the seven
river valleys has been brought about is a matter of considerable academic
Based on a talk delivered at the Centre on November 1.0, 1975

4 Bishwa B Chatterjee
speculation. I shall seek to establish the thesis that this homogenization

has been brought about by certain geographical and economic similarities
shared by all the seven river valleys, as well as by the trans-Himalayan
region north of the valleys in the Tibetan plateau, and the sub-Himalayan
regions lower down in the valleys. These common geo-economic features
are syndromal in nature, in that all of them invariably occur together, in all
of the seven river valleys.
The Bhot Pradesh : The Land of the Bhotias
The characteristics of the hardy, colourful, cheerful and hospitable Bhotia

people can never be fully understood until we have some idea about the
geography of the river valleys where they reside. The overall topographic
scheme of the high Himalayan region which constitutes the Bhot Pradesh,
can best be understood if we follow the principle of "from the whole to the
parts".
The word Bhot means north; most probably it is a phonetic derivative
of the Sanskrit word uttar meaning north. The Garhwalis and Kumaonis
used the word 'Bhotia' for people 'who live or come from the north', that
is, with respect to their own habitat. In turn, those whom we call Bhotia,
used this word for the Tibetans or Hunias, because they (the Tibetans) also
came from the north, so far as the Bhotia habitat was concerned.
How can the Bhot Pradesh be demarcated, at least in a rough and
ready fashion, within the Garhwal-Kumaon region? To start with, we know

that the Bhot Pradesh comprises the northern and upper reaches of seven
river valleys in the Uttar Pradesh Himalayas, the southern parts of the
same river valleys being the home of the Garhwalis and Kumaonis.
The northern boundary of the Bhot Pradesh can be easily and un
ambigously defined : it coincides with the great continental divide, the

Himalayas—which comprise the international border between India and
Tibet in Uttar Pradesh. This border follows roughly an east-west line.

The corner at the extreme right being somewhat depressed towards the
south, and the corner at the extreme left being pushed slightly northwards.
The great Himalayan divide is pierced at certain places by passes at altitudes

ranging between 16,000 to 19,000 ft. This divide marks the watershed areas
sharply : rivers rising from glaciers on the southern side of the high ranges
flow southwards into Indian territory, and rivers rising from glaciers on the
northern side—across the continental divide—flow first northwards and then
westwards, following the contours of the high western Tibetan tabeland.
The reference point defining the westernmost corner of the boundary

line is a point about 40 miles north as the crow flies from the Gangotri
shrine on the Bhagirathi. A mountain pass called Thaga is situated here,
which roughly coincides with the tri-junction between Tehri-Garhwal,
Himachal Pradesh, and Tibet. The reference point defining the right ex
tremity of Bhot Pradesh is another mountain pass, the famous Lipu Lekh,
which was the most popular traditional gateway to western Tibet and to the

The Bhotias of Uttarakhand 5
great Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage centers of Kailash and Mansarovar.

Incidentally, Lipu Lekh is situated at the tri-junction of Kumaon, Nepal and
Tibet.
Starting from Lipu Lekh if we move southwards and slightly towards
the west along the river Kali which marks the international boundary bet
ween India and Nepal, we reach a point named Jaul Jibi, where the Gori
Ganga river, coming down from the north-west—here, fully west rather
than northwest—meets the Kali. As the crow flies, Jaul Jibi would be
about 100 miles south of Lipu Lekh. If we proceed to draw another line
connecting Jaul Jibi with Thaga at the northwest extremity, we define a
triangular region with the Himalayan divide as the base. This is the Bhot
Pradesh, within which lie the upper reaches of the seven river valleys which
form the homeland of the Bhotia people.
Fig. 1. The triangular region for conceptualizing the Bhot Pradesh.
The triangular region of Bhot Pradesh can be further divided into two
parts by drawing a line parallel to the eastern boundary line, about halfway
between the base line and the apex at Thaga pass. Now we have a trapezoid
on the right comprising the Kumaon region which contains the four Bhotia
valleys, of Byans, Chaudans, Darma and Johar, and a triangle on the left,
comprising Tehri-Garhwal which contains the three Bhotia valleys of Niti,

Mana, and Jad.
While the watershed line on the north, which has been the traditional
frontier between India and Tibet, runs roughly in an east-west direction,
the mountain ranges within Garhwal and Kumaon run more or less in a
north-south direction. That is, within Indian territory, the mountain

run north to south, the northern parts becoming higher and higher,
ranges

resulting in the great Himalayan continental divide. However, the highest

peaks are not very near the border, but lie somewhere to the south of the
border. Thus peaks like Shrikantha, Kedarnath, Nilkantha, Trisuli, Nanda

Devi and Pancha Chuli are not near the Tibetan border, but lie further
south. The only exception is Kamet, the second highest peak in the Uttar
Pradesh Himalayas, which is near the Badrinath shrine and is not far from
the Tibetan border.
Just one more additional feature will account for the topographical
disposition of the river valley system in the triangular area of Bhot Pradesh.
As mentioned earlier the mountain ranges in the Tehri-Garhwal triangle
and the Kumaon trapezoid run roughly parallel in a general north-south
direction and the ones in the middle, along the medial line which separates
Kumaon from Garhwal, are of so great an average altitude that two separate
watershed regions result. The western watershed region, comprises the
Yamuna - Bhagirathi - Mandakini - Alaknanda -

Dhauliganga - Pindar
Ganga
system. With the exception of the Yamuna which is too far to the west,
all these rivers drain into a common channel, which in deference to tradition,
is called the Bhagirathi system. On the other hand, in the Bhot trapezoid
of Kumaon on the east, all the rivers run eastwards to join the Kali. The
source of the Kali lies very near the Lipu Lekh pass, which is one of the three
apexes of the Bhot Pradesh triangle. It flows in a southerly course, some
what slanted westwards, so that the big rivers, Kuti Yankti, Darma and
Gori, all flow in a south-easterly direction. They join the Kali almost at
right angles, at Gunji, Tawaghat and Jaul Jibi respectively and are joined
by the Sarju lower down, as the Kali emerges through the terai regions
near Tanakpur. The big rivers in this region, the Kuti Yankti, Darma
or Eastern Dhauli, and the Gori, drain into the Kali, so that the system
is called the Kali system. Other rivers like the Eastern Ram Ganga and
the Sarju also join the Kali. But at this juncture the Kali is renamed the
Sarda, which happens lower down outside the Bhot Pradesh. Thus within
the Bhot Pradesh, the high mountain ranges which effectively divide the
Bhagirathi system from the Kali system, also serve to separate the Bhotia
tribes, that inhabit the river valleys of the two river drainage systems.
Bhotia Settlements of the Seven River Valleys
To those people who have not trekked in the high Himalayas, a succession
of names of rivers, mountain ranges, places, peaks and gorges can become
utterly confusing and meaningless. But communications, transport, settle

ment and social-cultural-economic transactions in the high Himalayas have
followed certain specific and restrictive patterns, determined by the topo
graphic contours gouged out by the mighty snow-fed rivers of the region.
And the mountain ranges which rise to tremendous altitudes from the sides
of the deep gorges are largely responsible for determining the natural lines
of communication in these areas. In the ultimate analysis, an understanding
of the Bhot Pradesh and its people, requires an understanding of the
topography and of the disposition of river valleys in this region.

Keeping in mind the fact that neither mountain ranges or rivers ever
run in a
straight line but tend usually to follow a zig-zag course, the
schematic disposition of the seven river valleys of Bhot Pradesh can be
constructed without much difficulty. A simplified schematic arrangement
is shown below :
/rJDO -
TlRETA<V
BORDER
Fig. 2. Schematic plan showing the disposition of the twin river systems
of Bhagirathi and Kali within the triangular area ofBhot Pradesh.
As we have seen, this conceptualized triangle-shaped Bhot Pradesh,

with Thaga pass at the northwest, Lipu Lekh pass on the northeast, and
Jaul Jibi on the southeast corners of the triangle, contains the upper reaches
of two mighty but separate river drainage systems of the Bhagirathi and the
Kali. The Bhagirathi system spans Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts, and
the Kali system falls within the Pithoragarh district of Kumaon. Of the
seven river valleys of Bhot Pradesh, three belong to the Bhagirathi system,
and four belong to the Kali system. In these seven valleys are to be found
Bhotia settlements, each inhabited by people having a separate ethnic,

cultural and linguistic identity.
Starting from the west, the first of the Bhotia settlements is located
where a tributary, Jahnavi Ganga or Jad Ganga, joins the Bhagirathi at a

place called Bhairo Ghati about 10 miles downstream from the Gangotri
shrine. This is the name of the Jad Bhotias who have their permanent
dwellings or maits in two villages, Neelang and Jadung situated on the
Jahnavi Ganga and its tributary, at an altitude of over 1,100 ft. During
the Sino-Indian border conflict of 1962, Jad Bhotias were evacuated from
Neelang and Jadung and were resettled in a village called Bagori, further

downstream from Bhairo Ghati. Bagori (altitude 8,300 ft) is situated

slightly west of a charming place called Harsil which derives its name from
the old temple of Hari-Shaila on the Bhagirathi. A little upstream on the
Bhagirathi is the ancient village of Makhuva, where live the Brahman
priests who cater to the religious needs of pilgrims visiting Gangotri and
Gomukh. Bagori is actually situated on the old pilgrim route from Uttar
kashi to Gomukh which passes through Sukhi, Jhala, Makhuva, Ania,
Dharali, Kopang and Bhairo Ghati. From an account given by Heinrich
Harrer, who escaped to Tibet during World War II along this route, it
is possible to assume that Bagori had Bhotia dwellings even in the past.
However, it should be clearly understood, that most of the houses of the
Jad and Koli Bhotias at Bagori have only recently been built by the dis
placed Jad Bhotias of Neelang and Jadung.
Another Bhotia settlement is to be found just 3 km. upstream from
Badrinath on the Alaknanda near the confluence of the Saraswati Ganga

and the Alaknanda. Here is located the very ancient and large village of
Mana, which was known as Manibhadrapur at the time of the Mahabharata.
Mana is the home of the Marchha Bhotias. Some Marcha Bhotias are
also to be found in smaller settlements downstream on the Alaknanda
and the Mandakini.

Further downstream at Vishnu Prayag near Joshimath, the
Alaknanda is joined by a river called the Dhauli Ganga which comes down
from the northeast. Upstream along the Dhauli Ganga, beyond a place
called Tapovan, are many settlements inhabited by the Tolchha Bhotias.
Their biggest settlement is at Malari at an altitude of 9,000 ft. which is
located at the confluence of the Dhauli Ganga and the Ghirti Ganga.
Malari which is the last village of the Tolchhas, is an ancient place where
pre-historic relics, including human skeletons have been discovered.
Further upstream along the Dhauli Ganga are a few large sized and pros
perous villages, the last of which is Niti, all of which are inhabited by the
Marchha Bhotias.
It may be mentioned here that the Jads and Kolis of Bagori, the
Marchhas of Mana and Niti, and the Tolchhas of the Dhauli Ganga valley,
are called Garhwali Bhotias by their counterparts in Kumaon.
The four remaining Bhotia settlements are all located within the
Kali system and are separated from the Bhotia settlements within the
Bhagirathi system by high mountains. Again starting from the west, the
first of the Kali system Bhotia settlements is that of the Johar Bhotias.
The Gori Ganga river originates from the huge Milliam glacier not far from
the Tibetan border. The Gori is joined by a river called Gunkha at the
base of the Milliam glacier, where the large and sprawling village of Milliam
is situated. This is the last village of the Johar valley, the name given to
the Gori valley downstream upto Munshiari. Many settlements of the
Johar Bhotias are to be found all along the Johar valley of the Gori Ganga.
The next Bhotia settlement is located where the Darma river flowing in a
south-easterly direction meets the mighty Kali at Tawaghat, just below

the large village of Khela. From Khela upstream the valley is called the
Darma Valley. In this valley are found a number of settlements belonging to
the Darma Bhotias. The last of the inhabitated villages on the Darma
is Go.
From Tawaghat upstream upto a place called Budhi about 75 km.
on foot, is the Kali river valley called Chaudans patti. Other Bhotia settle
ments are located here and the inhabitants of this portion of the Kali valley
are called Chaudans Bhotias. The biggest village inhabited by the Chaudans
Bhotias used to be Sosa.
The fourth Bhotia settlement within the Kali system is located up
stream from Budhi where a big river named Kuti Yankti, flowing down
from the north-west joins the Kali at a place called Gunji. The villages
along the Kali from Budhi northwards, and along Kuti Yankti from Gunji
upstream, comprise the Byans patti. The last village in Byans patti is
Kuti at an altitude of 12,300 ft. while the largest village in Byans patti
is Garbyang, which lies north of Budhi. The people of these villages are
called the Byans Bhotias. Across the Kali, almost opposite Garbyang
and well within Nepal are located two villages called Chhangru and Tinker,
which are also inhabited by the Byans Bhotias.
The four Bhotia communities of the Kali system within the Kumaon
trapezoid, and the four Bhotia communities of the Bhagirathi system within
the Tehri-Garhwal triangle, manifest some distinctive characteristics
largely because of the topographical separation between the Bhotia valleys
of Garhwal and Kumaon. In other words, the three Garhwal Bhotia
communities of the Jads, the Marchhas and the Tolchhas share greater
similaritiesand affinities among themselves, just as the four Kumaon
Bhotia communities, viz., the Johar, the Darma, the Chaudans and the
Byans, share greater similarities among themselves.
Yet, it is also equally true that there are some pervasive and overall
similarities which justify to a great extent, the use of the loose generic
term Bhotia to include all seven Bhotia communities. How this 'unity in
diversity' has been brought about, as an outcome of the homogenizing and
integrative impact of certain geo-economic factors, which are syndromal

features of the high Himalayan river valleys and the Tibetan tableland
beyond the frontier, will be considered next.
Geo-Economic Syndrome of Bhotia River Valleys
The Bhotia communities of all the seven river valleys have traditional and
multiple dwellings, thus practising what is technically known as 'trans
humance'. The Bhotias migrate from their summer dwellings (mait) situated
at the upper reaches of the river valleys to their winter dwellings (gunshas)
situated at lower altitudes in the same or different river valleys. A homo
geneous and relatively pure ethnic-cultural group will have a village to

themselves only at the upper reaches of the rivers, at altitudes varying from
7,000 to 12,500 ft. With the onset of winter, the Bhotia families move

down with a part of their possessions and animals to their winter dwellings,
which are usually large villages or even small townships such as Dharchula
on the Kali. These cater to the residential requirements of families drawn

from several villages which may not even belong to the same river valley.
Thus in Dharchula, situated upstream from Jaul Jibi, are to be found the
winter dwellings of Bhotias from the three river valleys of the Darma,
Chaudans and Byans pattis. Some Bhotias, such as the Johar valley Bhotias,
may have three and even four sets of dwellings, one for the monsoon, one
for the autumn, one for the early winter and one for late winter. The general
rule however is the lower down the river the village is situated, the more
heterogenous will be the ethnic composition of its residents, drawn as they
are from villages which may belong to several adjacent valleys, further up
in the north.
A close examination of the topographical and economic characteris
tics of the Bhotia valleys thus shows that six separate features are invariably
present in each of the seven Bhotia valleys. These six features together form
a syndrome.
We have already discussed the first feature of the syndrome, namely,
trans-humance or seasonal migration along a river valley, which forms the
life-line of Bhotia existence. The six separate syndromal features are strung
along this river valley, but tend to become a little diffuse at either end, as
we shall presently see. In order to comprehend the syndromal nature of the
six features, strung along and conditioned by the physiography of the river
valley, let us look more closely at one particular valley, and then see how
the rule applies to the remaining valleys. We will illustrate this phenomenon
with the help of the Jad Bhotia settlements of Neelang and Jadung (now
resettled at Bagori near Harsil) on the Jahnavi Ganga, a tributary of the
Bhagirathi.
The Jad Ganga flows into the Bhagirathi at a place just below Bhairo
Ghati, which is about 10 miles downstream from Gangotri. About 20-25
miles upstream on the Jad Ganga is situated the village Neelang. Jadung
is situated further north, on a tributary of the Jad Ganga. Neelang and
Jadung are the original settlements of Jad Bhotias.

If we follow the main Jad river upstream, we pass Hilding and then
Dusumdo, two camping spots for graziers. Further upstream is the Thaga
pass, which forms one of the three corners of the Bhot Pradesh triangle.
By taking a path to the right from Do-Sumdo via Tirpani, we soon reach
the Himalayan border at Jelu Khaga pass at an altitude of 17,490 ft. By
crossing into Tibet, and then proceeding northwards one soon reaches
Chhabrang Zong, which is the first Tibetan mandi on this road. Another
10 km. to the north-east is Tholing, the seat of an ancient monastery and
the ancient capital of Western Tibet at the time when the great Buddhist
scholar Ateesha Deepinkara visited it a thousand years ago. Tholing, situa
ted at an altitude of 12,200 ft. is still an important mandi, being the junction
of many trade routes in Western Tibet. A schematic sketch of this region is
shown opposite :

Shipki Pass
{GflRTfeK]
NiANGr Tibet
>OUN& MATH]
Fig. 3. Roads radiating from Tholing Math in Western Tibet
We now have four elements of the six-element syndrome of all Bhotia

valleys. To recapitualate, these four elements are :
1. A fairly widening valley near the Himalayan border, where summer

dwelling houses which are able to withstand the ravages of the severe Hima
layan winter can be constructed, and where some agricultural operations
may be carried on.
2. The incidence of trans-humance along the river valley, downwards

during winter and upwards during summer.
3. Along the river to the north, a mountain pass at the border,
through which one can cross over to Tibet is to be found. In case of the
Jad Bhotias of Neelang and Jadung this pass is Jelu Khaga.
4. Beyond the pass the traditional route should lead to a market
place in Tibet, which is usually located 2-3 days march from the pass.
Chhabrang Zong is the market place in Tibet for the Jad Bhotias, but it is
overshadowed by the bigger settlement of Tholing which has also a big
monastery. One route from here leads to Gartok on the Indus river which
is the present capital of Western Tibet.

These four elements of the syndrome are strung northwards from the
last summer settlement. The other two elements of the syndrome are strung
southwards. These are the location of winter dwellings for the Bhotias
and of markets in the foothills within Indian territory. The winter resi
dence of the Jad Bhotias, is located at a place called Dunda about 12 km.
south of Uttarkashi, downstream on the Bhagirathi. From here, the Jad
Bhotias travel further southwards to the terai and bhabhbhar or even to the
plains beyond the foothills of the Himalayas, to market towns like Dehra

Dun, Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Ramnagar etc. At these market towns they

sell commodities and wares brought from Tibetan mcmdis such as wool,
borax, salt, semi-precious stones, yak tails, etc. In exchange they buy such
commodities as they need for their own consumption, or which they can sell
or exchange in barter at Tibetan mandis in the next summer, such as fine

and coarse grains, gur, textile goods, metal wares, knick-knacks, tobacco,
etc. Although the barter system prevailed in Tibetan mandis some transac
tions did also take place in Indian rupees and in Tibetan money called
tankas.
This six-element syndromal pattern, viz., (1) trans-humance along the

river valley-mountain pass -mandis; (2) mait or permanent summer settle
ment at altitudes over 7,500 ft.; (3) a mountain pass near or on the
Tibetan border; (4) a mandi or market place in Tibetan territory not far
away from the mountain pass; (5) gunshas or winter settlements at alti
tudes of 3,500-6,000 ft; and (6) markets in the foothills within Indian
territory, is found repeated in all the Bhotia valleys of the Uttar Pradesh
Himalayas. For example, the market towns favoured by the Marchha
Bhotias of Mana in the adjacent Alaknanda valley are Kotdwara, Ram
nagar and Haldwani. Their gunshas is at a place called Ghinghran near

Gopeshwar. Their mait or permanent summer settlement is in Mana village,
on the Alaknanda, about 3| km. upstream from Badrinath. Further up
stream, along the Saraswati Ganga, beyond Ghastoli and Ratakona camp
ing sites, the mountain pass of Mana on the Tibetan border is reached.
Across the border the Marcha Bhotias would frequent the markets of Dapa
Zong and Tholing in Tibet. Movement along this pattern from market to
settlement to mountain pass to mandi and back is repeated year after year,
and season after season. The common geo-economic syndromal features of
all the seven Bhotia valleys are shown in table form on page 13.
When the Tibetan border was sealed in 1962, all movement across the
mountain passes came to a halt. The seasonal movement southwards from
the mait near the border to Indian markets however, still continues in all
the seven river valleys, though to a reduced extent.
Cultural Affinity Among the Bhotia Communities
The Bhotia settlements in the seven river valleys as we have seen,

are generally isolated from each other unless they are located laterally
along the same river valleys, as in the case of the Marchha Bhotias and
Tolchha Bhotias of Dhauli Ganga, and the Bhotias of Byans and Chaudans
pattis on the river Kali. It is not easy for Bhotias from a settlement in one
river valley to cross to a Bhotia settlement located in an adjacent valley
because of the high mountains that separate these river valleys. It would be
foolhardy to try to traverse eastwards from Neelang or Jadung, across high

mountains and glaciers to Mana village on the Alaknanda. It was much
easier for the Johar Bhotias to travel to adjacent Niti via Tibet, rather than
to take the more hazardous Lapthal-Topi Dhunga-Bara Hoti-Kala Zabar

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route. Similarly to reach Darma valley from Kuti the last village in Byans
patti, involved crossing the 18,000 ft. Jolingking pass, and so on. The only
exception is perhaps the comparatively easier route between Niti and Mana.
By going in the direction of Dhaman maidan from Bampa and by skirting
around the Kag Bhusundi peak, below the mighty Kamet, one could reach
the Alaknanda valley. Traditionally, however, contact between the diffe
rent Bhotia groups usually took place in three other ways. Bhotias from ad
jacent valleys would frequent the same markets in the terai and bhabhbhar
and in the plains of India, where they would come into contact with each
other. Similarly, Bhotia communities sharing the same river valleys would
come into contact with each other during their seasonal movements upwards
to the Tibetan mandis or downwards to Indian mandis. In some cases the
same village would form the gunsha for several Bhotia groups. For example,
Dharchula on the Kali is the winter residence of Bhotias from Darma,
Chaudans and Byans pattis and consequently provides a common meeting
place. Lastly, communities from adjacent valleys would meet in

Bhotia
Tibetan mandis as the traders moved from one mandi to the next in search
of more business. For example, Bhotia traders from almost all the seven
river valleys would be found to congregate at the provincial capital of

Gartok in Tibet.
The importance of geo-economic factors in determining contact lead
ing to social and cultural interaction and affinity, and to ultimate homo
genization, is brought out very well when we find that Bhotia groups
from adjacent valleys or from contiguous locations along the same river
valleys, are more similar than those who are settled further apart. Thus
the Marchas of Mana and Niti are very similar and they tend to inter
marry. The Marchas of Niti valley do also intermarry with the Johar
Bhotias of the adjacent and accessible Alaknanda valley. There is also
considerable intermarriage between the Bhotias of Darma, Chaudans and
Byans pattis. These are examples of adjacent or lateral contact. Again
the Tolchha Bhotias and the Marcha Bhotias of Dhauli Ganga do inter
marry, just as do the Byans and Chaudans Bhotias. These are examples
of serial contact.
Life of the Bhotia People
When we speak of a tribe in India the general image is of a community

which is poor and backward. Such an image is wholly inapplicable to the
Bhotia people. They were not poor, being shrewd and successful business
men. Nor could they be branded as being backward. In actual fact Bhotia
traders were on the whole very affluent. Without their traditional gene
rosity and hospitality many Indian pilgrims to Kailash and Mansarovar
in Tibet, would have perished each year. The Bhotia life style manifests cer
tain characteristics which can be briefly described here.
The ethnic origin of the different Bhotia groups has not been deter
mined with any degree of certainty. Most ethnographers would concede

that there has been considerable admixture of blood among them, drawn
from Scythian (Shaka), Dard-Khas, Caucasian, Hun-Rajput-Jat-Gujar,
Tibeto-Mongoloid and Gurkha strains. To go beyond this would be
speculative. As a rule the Bhotias are all Hindus with the surname of
Singh. The Harijan Bhotias, dominated by the Doms, however, do not use
the surname Singh. The vestiges of Tibetan Lamaism and animism that
remained in their religious customs are fast vanishing and a process of
Sanskritization has been going on vigorously. The Bhotias of the Kali
river system, have a special death ritual called Dudung, which is a peculiar
admixture of Hindu sradhdha rites and local rituals. But the ritual of
Dudung is being increasingly given up in favour of the purely Hindu form
of sradhdha which is conducted by Brahman priests. The 'dormitory system'
practised by the Bhotias of Darma, Byans and Chaudans pattis, called
rang bang3 is also on its way out. Today more and more marriages are
instead being settled by the parents. The foundation of the economic afflu
ence of the Bhotias was trade in both Tibetan and Indian mandis. With
the sealing of the Indo-Tibetan border in 1962, this has been shattered, and
today the Bhotias from being an affluent people have suddenly become
poor. Traditionally, the Bhotias were also excellent spinners and weavers
of wool. Their life was animal-centred. Sheep, goats, jhabbusi mules,
horses and fierce Tibetan sheep dogs traditionally constituted their wealth.
Today this source of wealth has also been depleted. Consequently, some of
the Bhotias have taken to petty jobs, like those of porters, labourers etc.
Some have become petty contractors, concerned with the transportation of
goods. The educated among the Bhotias have tended to migrate to the
south to the plains of India in search of white collar jobs. This in turn has
resulted in a draining of talent from the Bhotia villages located in the far
off mountains.
Bhotias also make natural mountaineers. Great explorers like Nayan
Singh and Kishan Singh came from the Bhotia community, and Mount
Kamet was conquered by Smythe with the help of Bhotia porters who did
not use oxygen.
As a mountain people the Bhotias possess some unusual qualities.
They have toughness, courage, openness, helpfulness, resourcefulness, and
a sharp business acumen. Economically they are now down and low, and
there is urgent need for pushing realistic plans for their economic rehabili
tation, which is made more difficult because of the sheer physical hurdles
and hazards of even reaching the Bhotia villages. It would take no less than
7-8 days of strenuous walking and climbing through precarious mountain
routes, for a team of plains people to reach from Tawaghat at 3,500 ft. to
Kuti the last village in Byans patti located at an altitude of 12,300 ft. Routes
in Bhotia valleys are made difficult due to steep ascents followed by equally
steep descents, which are encountered with heart-breaking frequency. In
Chaudans, one climbs from Sirdang at 7,000 ft. to Rungling Top at 10,000
ft. only to climb down to Simkhola at 7,500 ft. all within a short distance of
four miles or so. From Budhi at 9,500 ft. one climbs up to Chhialek Height

at 11,300 ft., only to climb down to Garbyang at 10,400 ft., all within a
mere three miles. Bagori on the Bhagirathi, Mana on the Alaknanda and
Malari on the Dhauli Ganga are the only summer settlements which can be
reached by vehicles: the rest involves walking or riding on mules and horses.
And reaching the last Bhotia villages is usually difficult and exhausting.
But once you reach there you are rewarded amply by the hospitality of the
cheerful Bhotia people, as well as by the majesty of the Himalayas. The

purity of the air, the brightness of the sun, the emerald of the lush bugyals5,
the colourful splash of the mountain flowers, the sparkle of mountain streams,
and above all the pristine glow of the eternal snows of the mighty Himalayas,
soon envelope one in a tranquility, which can be felt, but not described. One
who has visited Niti, Milliam or Kuti has little use for Srinagar, or Geneva
of Colorado Springs. When one tries to know the Bhotias one begins to
know the Himalayas : and an entire life time is not enough to know the
Himalayas.
Notes
1. A belt of marshy jungle between the Himalayan foothills and the plains.
2. The name given to the dry forest belt of the southern slopes of the Himalayas. This
region lies just above the terai belt.
J. The "dormitory system" provides young men and women with the opportunity
to gather together and choose their lovers which ultimately leads to marriage. Rang
bang is also spelled as Rambang.
4. A hardy variety of cattle obtained by crossing the Tibetan ox, called Yak or
Chamar, with the Indian cow. The Jhabbu is used for farming and as a beast of
burden since it can withstand the severe Himalayan climate.
5. The extensive pastoral grasslands of the inner Himalayas of Garhwal and Kumaon
are known as bugyals. The most famous of these is the Bedni Bugyal in Garhwal.


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The Bhotias of Uttarakhand

Author(s): Bishwa B Chatterjee

This content downloaded from 202.41.10.30 on Tue, 17 Sep 2013 09:47:16 AM

Who are the Bhotias?

the outset a possible misunderstanding may be cleared. The Bhotias

continent, bordering Assam. The term Bhotia, as used in the Census, in

Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi. Of these, Uttarkashi and Chamoli

pletely isolated from each other. A certain amount of communication,

Based on a talk delivered at the Centre on November 1.0, 1975

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speculation. I shall seek to establish the thesis that this homogenization

regions lower down in the valleys. These common geo-economic features

The Bhot Pradesh : The Land of the Bhotias

The characteristics of the hardy, colourful, cheerful and hospitable Bhotia

How can the Bhot Pradesh be demarcated, at least in a rough and

ready fashion, within the Garhwal-Kumaon region? To start with, we know

The northern boundary of the Bhot Pradesh can be easily and un

ambigously defined : it coincides with the great continental divide, the

Tibet in Uttar Pradesh. This border follows roughly an east-west line.

The great Himalayan divide is pierced at certain places by passes at altitudes

northern side—across the continental divide—flow first northwards and then

westwards, following the contours of the high western Tibetan tabeland.

The reference point defining the westernmost corner of the boundary

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great Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage centers of Kailash and Mansarovar.

Fig. 1. The triangular region for conceptualizing the Bhot Pradesh.

comprising Tehri-Garhwal which contains the three Bhotia valleys of Niti,

north-south direction. That is, within Indian territory, the mountain

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resulting in the great Himalayan continental divide. However, the highest

border. Thus peaks like Shrikantha, Kedarnath, Nilkantha, Trisuli, Nanda

Yamuna - Bhagirathi - Mandakini - Alaknanda -

apexes of the Bhot Pradesh triangle. It flows in a southerly course, some

Bhotia Settlements of the Seven River Valleys

utterly confusing and meaningless. But communications, transport, settle

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As we have seen, this conceptualized triangle-shaped Bhot Pradesh,

Bhotia settlements, each inhabited by people having a separate ethnic,

where a tributary, Jahnavi Ganga or Jad Ganga, joins the Bhagirathi at a

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downstream from Bhairo Ghati. Bagori (altitude 8,300 ft) is situated

Badrinath on the Alaknanda near the confluence of the Saraswati Ganga

Mana, which was known as Manibhadrapur at the time of the Mahabharata.

and the Mandakini.

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integrative impact of certain geo-economic factors, which are syndromal

Geo-Economic Syndrome of Bhotia River Valleys

geneous and relatively pure ethnic-cultural group will have a village to

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on the Kali. These cater to the residential requirements of families drawn

Jadung are the original settlements of Jad Bhotias.

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Fig. 3. Roads radiating from Tholing Math in Western Tibet

We now have four elements of the six-element syndrome of all Bhotia

1. A fairly widening valley near the Himalayan border, where summer

2. The incidence of trans-humance along the river valley, downwards

is the present capital of Western Tibet.

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Dun, Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Ramnagar etc. At these market towns they

or exchange in barter at Tibetan mandis in the next summer, such as fine

This six-element syndromal pattern, viz., (1) trans-humance along the

Bhotias of Mana in the adjacent Alaknanda valley are Kotdwara, Ram

nagar and Haldwani. Their gunshas is at a place called Ghinghran near