History -> A Profile of the Gadi Lohar

The Gadi Lohars are a community of wandering blacksmith found in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. However, they are concentrated mainly in north-east part of maharashtra and few scattered through the other states.

They are known under different name in the different states - Chittoriya Lohar, Panchal Lohar or Gadi Lohar in Madhya Pradesh; Ghisadi, Chittoriya Lohar or Rajput Lohar in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Gadi, Gadia, Gadoliya or Gaduliya Lohar are found in southern part of Rajasthan and north-eastern region of Maharashtra. As a matter of fact, the words, Gadi, Gadia, Gadoliya or Gaduliya are the synonyms of bullock-cart.

Traditional Bullock cart

The Gadi Lohars are characterised by five taboos:
- not to return to the Chittorgarh Fort
- not ot live in permanently settled homes
- not to light candle at night
- not to keep their cots in the carts
- not to keep a rope for drawing water from a well.

They attribute the taboos to their Rajput ancestors who, it is believed, prepared iron weapons for the army of a Rajput ruler of Chittorgarh but escaped from the Fort when it was attacked by Akbar, They then pledged to become a nomadic people observing the above self imposed taboos till the freedom and glory of the Fort were revived.

Although no historic evidence is available, the tradition among the Gadi Lohars is fairly strong. Moreover, some of their customs and beliefs, revealed though their actual practices, lend support to the traditional account of the origin of the community.

Despite social Workers and Politicians, assured the Gadi Lohars to get back their lost respect, they didn't left their traditional belief that those who break the taboo would be destroyed by Kali, the Goddess of that Place.

If their contentions that their ancestors belonged to the upper caste of the Rajputs is accepted, it is really painful to imagine the different factors which must have contributed in lowering the social prestige of the community till, at last, they were pushed to a very low status in the Hindu Society.

Their adoption of the practice of using bullock-carts, conditions with no clothes, illiteracy, extreme poverty were looked down by the Hindus in particular and the damage to their prestige caused by heir own taboos, especially not keeping a rope for drawing water from a well. to get water, they have to stand a foot away and depend on upper caste people to pour water in their empty pots.

All these circumstances od the last four centuries demonstrate how a historical accident almost completely changed the socio-cultural life of the community.

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