Nomadic community of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, India
A girl from the Gadia Lohars nomadic tribe of Raibareli, cooking on the outskirts of a village in Raibareli district
Gadia Lohars (also known as Gaduliya Lohars or Lohar) are a nomadiccommunity 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.
A documentary on them entitled "Gadia Lohar: A Life and Livelihood in Question?" (Hindi/Mini DV/ 24 minutes / 2005/) was filmed by director Meenakshi Vinay Rai.
Another documentary is
India's nomads: The forgotten world of the Gadia Lohar (Netflix, 2020) 52 minutes, by Deana Uppal.[1]
