THE SHEPHERDS / BAKKARWALS

The Himalayan Mountains in Jammu and Kashmir are home to the pastoral nomads known as Bakkarwals. Nomadism, as a way of life, is based on their need to forage for their flock. They climb up to the mountain pastures in the summer and move back down to their settlement in the foothills in the winter. Braving the elements of nature and wild animals, recently they have also had to deal with attacks and extortion of the rebels who live in the mountains. It is a hard life, but they have each other. The spirit of cooperation is a salient feature of their lifestyle. This is the strength by which the community survives the vagaries of nature and their own vacillating fortunes. Nomadism is in their blood. So much so, that they say that if a Bakkarwal doesn’t have a single goat, he will carry his hen to the mountains!

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