GADDI'S OF BHARMOUR:-
The word Gaddi means ‘seat’ and since Bharmour
was the seat of the emperor of Chamba, all the people of the
Gadheran called themselves Gaddies. The "Gaddi"
are a tribe living mainly in the Indian states of Himachal
Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir. The Gaddies are Hindus and belong
to several castes including Brahmin, Rajputs, Dhangar, Khatri,
Rana and Thakur. Gaddies are widely respected for their honesty,
friendliness and peaceful lifestyle. They have great faith
in Gods and Goddesses especially Lord Shiva. The language
spoken within the tribe is Gaddi.
Old people used the Taakri script. Crime is almost unknown
in Gaddi villages. Gaddi is a generic term used for all of
the indigenous population of the Bharmour area of Chamba district
and some regions of Jammu and Kashmir. The Gaddis include
the Savarnas such as Brahman, Rajputs, Khatri, Thakur Rathi
and the non–Savarnas like Hali, Rihare and Dom. Although
all are categorized as scheduled tribe by virtue of their
living in a scheduled area, the non-Savarnas are also included
separately as scheduled caste.
Traditionally domiciled on both sides of the Dhauladhar
Range in Himachal Pradesh. They reside mostly in the Bharmour
region of Chamba District, in the upper reaches of the Ravi
River and the valleys of the Budhil River. They are also found
in the Kangra district, particularly in the villages like
Palampur, Draman, Nurpur, Shahpur and Dharmashala. The Gaddis
are not fully nomadic, since they have homes in villages;
Gaddies are shepherd and generally travel with their flocks
to higher reaches in the summer and lower areas in winter.
Mainly they travel Lauhal & Spiti in summer, Kangra and
other lower district of Himachal even in Punjab in winter
with their folks. Over a period of time they have settled
down and practice agriculture. Horticulture in the area has
been quite successful in the recent years. Red Royal Apple,
golden apple and Chestnut grown in the area is one of the
best varieties in the world.
INTRODUCTION TO BHARMOUR:-
Bharmour, anciently known as
Brahmpura,
was the ancient capital of
Chamba, Himachal
Pradesh (India) till 920 AD. Bharmour is situated in Budhil
and Ravi valley between North latitude 32° 15' 36? and
32.26° and East longitude 76° 19' 12? and 76.32°at
altitude of 2195 meters from sea level forty miles to the
south-east of Chamba.
Bharmour is also popular because of its
proximity with Manimahesh Lake, Manimahesh Kailash and Chaurasi
(84) ancient temples, which are reflecting the glorious past
of this hidden town. Bharmour is also known as the Abode of
Shiva as there are numerous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
in and nearby regions The whole region around Bharmour is
considered to be under the control of Lord Shiva, hence is
also known as the Shiv Bhumi..This place besides being an
aesthetic and scenic beauty is also spiritual in essence.
The old archaeological remains are said to be the temples
in and around the area.
Bharmour is inhabited
by Gaddies (Shepherd) who reside exclusively on the snowy
ranges and mountains which divide Chamba from Kangra and Lauhal
& Spiti district.
Gaddis are semi-nomadic and partial pastoral
tribes. Being the home of an interesting Gaddi tribe Bharmour
is also known as Gadheran in Kangra district. The place is
also known for its red delicious apples, medicinal herbs,
hidden treasures and warm woolen blankets.
DISTANCES FROM NEAREST CITIES:-
- Chamba (District Headquarter) 64 km
- Kangra 140 km
- Dharmashala 145 km
- Mcleodganj 160 km
- Manali 220 km
- Shimla 350 km
- Pathankot 150 km
- Delhi 650 km
- Chandigarh 350km
NEAREST APPROCHES:-
- Road
Pathankot (150 km)
Delhi (450 km)
Shimla (350 km)
- Railway station Pathankot (150 km)
- Airport
1. Kangra airport at Gaggal (130 km
2. Kullu airport at Bhuntar (185 km)
3. Shimla airport at Ganhatti (350km)
HISTORY OF BHARMOUR:-
Emperor Meru Varman, the father of the prince
Jaystambh in the
Chamba state was the first
to settle in
Bharmour. He belonged to the
ruling family of Ayodhya. Meru found access to the upper mountainous
region through the Ravi valley. In the middle of 6th century
he wins the many battles from Ranas holding their territory
and founded the town Brahmpura and he made it the capital
of a new state.
According to one legend, the name Brahmpura was in use at
a still earlier period for the more ancient kingdom of Bharmour
which existed in the territories of Garhwal and Kamaun, and
that Meru Varman gave the same name of Brahmpura to the state
that he founded with present Bharmour as his capital. After
Meru, several Rajas ruled in succession until Sahil Varman.
After about four hundred years Sahil Varman who conquered
the lower Ravi valley and transferred the capital from Brahmpura
to the new capital he founded at Chamba.
According to a another local legend, the place Brahmpura
was older than Meru's time and as per common belief this is
used to be the garden of goddess Brahmani who used to reside
Brahmani Devi was having a son who was very fond of his pet
chakor (birds). One day the chakor was killed by a peasant
and the son was shocked to death by this loose, Grief-stricken
Brahmani Devi also sacrificed by burying herself alive. The
spirits of these trios dead souls started haunting the people
awfully who raised Brahmani Devi to the status of deity and
built her a temple. The people believe that the place was
called Brahmpura after Brahmani Devi.
THE ANCIENT CHAURASI TEMPLES:-
Maa Brahmani ka Bharmour:-
There is only one legend regarding Chaurasi temples. In
ancient time when this beautiful place Brahmpura present Bharmour
was used to reside by goddess Brahmani Devi one shrine three
kilometer on the ridge from Brahmpura with a scenic garden
present Chaurasi. One day when goddess Brahmani Devi went
to somewhere then Lord Shiva reached their with 84 Sidhas
while visiting to Manimahesh Kailash. God Shiva want to leave
84 Sidhas, perhaps they choose this place to leave them. When
in evening Goddess Brahmani Devi, the presiding deity of the
place seen the smoke of fires lit by the Sidhas, she felt
very angry at this trespass. She came down to the garden and
ordered Shiva and the Sidhas to get out of the place. Shiva
importuned in all his humility for allowing them to spend
a night in their beautiful garden as they are tiered, and
promised to leave early in the morning.
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Goddess Brahmani condescended to their wishes and went away
to Dughashaar (a place on ridge) from where she cannot see
the smoke of fires lit by the Sidhas. In morning God Shiva
left slept 84 Sidhas and went to Manimahesh Kailash, but the
84 Sidhas transformed themselves in to 84 Shivlingas because
they did not want to go anywhere and wished to settle there.
After that the Lord Shiva granted a boon to goddess Brahmani
Devi that all persons intending to go on pilgrimage to Manimahesh
must have a dip in their holy pool. Failing this, their pilgrimage
would not be acceptable to Lord Shiva. That’s by every
visitor firstly take bath in Brahmani’s holy pool before
Manimahesh Lake.
Brahmani holy pool is about 20 square meter below Brahmani’s
cave.. Goddess Brahmani had stolen this holy water from Lord
Sandhola Naag which is another side of the ridge. An interesting
story in this event is that one day when Goddess Brahmani
Devi and Goddess Jhakani Devi both went to stole water from
Sandhola Nag’s water. Both the Goddess stole the water
in their pot and ran away at the same time Sandhola Naag saw
them immediately he took the bow arrow and ran after them.
But the shrine of Goddess Brahmani Devi was another side of
the ridge, so she thrown their pot filled with water from
the top of the ridge toward their shrine which reached at
their cave. But the knee of goddess Jhakani Devi was hit by
arrow, so goddess Jhakani Devi could not reach up to their
destination and the water fell at village Badie and kardouta
so a temple was executed at their. Seven water streams are
coming from the bottom of cave which are presently serving
water supply facility to Bharmour and running many flourmills.
Chaurasi was the level area on which these eighty four temples
were standing and the name was attributed to the 84 Sidhas
who are believed to have meditated in Bharmour over 100 years
who supposed to come from Kurukshetra while visiting to Manimahesh
Kailash. The Chaurasi Temple Complex offers you a delightful,
clean and a scenic view. The complex is surrounded by numerous
schools. The most extraordinary site of the complex is the
tallest temple of Manimahesh, which is built in the Shikhara
style of architecture. Another temple built in the same style
is that of Lord Vishnu cast in his Nar Singh Avtar.
Bharmour, once known as Brahmpura, was between the 6th and
10th centuries, the capital of the princely state of Chamba.
It is renowned for its cluster of temples collectively known
as the ‘Chaurasi’. Though of varying architectural
design, these temples are noted for their fine workmanship.
Legend has it that in the 10th century, 84 Sidhas (holy
men) visited Bharmour; they blessed the ruler Raja Sahil Varman
with ten sons and a daughter Champavati whom the town of Chamba
is said to be named. And while some shrines were already in
existence, the Raja had the remainder built to commemorate
their sojourn. These include the Lakhna Devi Temple, the Ganesh
Temple and the Nar Singh Temple. Installed in the sanctum
of the Lakhna Devi Temple is an exquisite brass image of the
goddess, The temple of Lord Dharamraj is also in the Chaurasi
and only one in the whole world.
THE
MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF CHAURASI ARE :-
1.Nandi temple (belongs to Lord Nandi):- 2.Dharameshwar Mahadev temple (belongs to Lord Dharamraj
only one in the whole world:-
- Ganesha Temple(belongs to Lord Ganesh)
- Manimahesh temple (belongs to Lord Shiva)
- Nar Singh temple (belongs to Lord Vishnu)
- Maa Lakhna Devi (belongs to Goddess Mahisasurvardni)
- Maa Shitla Temple(belongs to Goddess Shitla)
- Maa Chamunda Temple(belongs to Goddess Chamunda)
- Hanuman Temple belongs to Lord Hanuman/ Bajrangbali)
- Kartik Temple (belongs to Lord Kartik)
- Dharameshwar Mahadev temple (belongs to Lord Dharamraj
only one in the whole world)
- Nandi temple (belongs to Lord Nandi)
- Jai krishan Giriji temple (belongs to Saint Jai
krishan Giriji Maharaj)
- Trameshwar Mahadev, Bijleshwar Mahadev, Moniling
Mahadev, Suryaling Mahadev, Gyarahrudhra Mahadev (all
temples belongs to Lord Shiva)
- Ard Ganga holy Pond (used for holy bath on the
occasion of Janamastmi)..
HISTORY OF GADDIES:-
In regard to the history of Gaddies as per their own traditions,
the Gaddis descended from migrants who fled the plains of
India for the relative security of the hills during times
of trouble. It is thought that the Chauhans Rajputs Gaddies
and Brahman Gaddies emigrated to Bharmour from Rajasthan.
Most of the other castes of Gaddis are thought to be descended
from people who fled to the hills to escape from the Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb's persecutions in the 17th century. The
history confirms that Gaddi Rajputs migrated from Lahore (Pakistan)
to this place in order to avoid religious persecution. One
of the most dominant Rajputs 'Lalhal’ migrated from
a city named Lalhal near Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan) during
the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Presently the bulk of the population lives in Bharmour of
Chamba district, but a scattered population of this tribe
is also found in the adjoining districts of Kangra and Mandi
of Himachal Pradesh even in Jammu and Kashmir. The community
occupies the inaccessible, inhospitable terrain in between
the Pir-Panjal and Dhauladhar range, between Ravi and Chenab
valley. It is a high altitude area and remains cut off most
of the time because of heavy snowfall. The language spoken
within the community is Bharmouri Gaddi. Taakri was the script
used by the ancestors. The Gaddi man is identified by typical
dress which consists of a chola, Dora and white turban (Saffa).
PROFFESION:-
The majority of the Gaddies are landowners and practice
agriculture and horticulture as their primary means of livelihood.
They are also pastorals and own large flocks of sheep and
goats, as a subsidiary 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 many high ranking jobs in government and private organizations
and other white collar jobs. Most of Gaddi shepherd spent
their whole life with their flock. They travel with their
flocks to high riches of Himalaya, generally the goes to Lauhal
valley in summer through Chobia, Kalicho and Kugti Passes
and in winter they goes to Kangra valley, Una and even in
Punjab.
The majority of Gaddies are landowner, the wheat and maize
are main grains and mah and rajmah are main pulses of Bharmour.
Gaddies also practice in horticulture and developed world
famous variety of red royal and golden delicious apple, chestnut
and almond trees.
GADDI CUISINE:-
The majority of community is non-vegetarian and they mostly
eat the meat of sheep, chickens Families, who keep poultry,
also eat their eggs. The staple food of Gaddis consists of
cakes of maize and wheat with mah and rajmah. They also make
moderate use of vegetables, including roots and tubers, and
fruits. Mustard oil is the usual cooking medium. People are
very fond of sur which is taken on religious functions. Their
special dish madra along with a sweet preparation is a must
on all social and festive occasions. Gaddi stock their eatables
and fire woods in the month of October for winter session..
FAIR AND FESTIVALES:-
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Gaddi community celebrates all the national festivals.
But they also celebrate local festive like Manimahesh Jatra,
lohri, Bhaishaki, Patrodu, Dolru, etc. Manimahesh fair is
best occasion to see and study the custom and rituals of Gaddies.............
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