The Bajgi are a Hindu
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
found in the states of
Uttar Pradesh and
Uttarakhand in India. They have been granted
Scheduled Caste
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
status in both these states. The Bajgi are also known as Auji, Das, Jhumarya and Dholi.
[People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 1334 to 1338 Manohar Publications]
The community get their name from the
Garhwali word ''bajana'' which means to play an instrument. They are said to have acquired this name on account of their traditional occupation which was to act as drummers in the courts of the temples of different village deities. The Bajgi are also called to play on special occasions such as marriages. They are found throughout
Garhwal Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India:
Places
*Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas
*Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom
* Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India
*Gar ...
, and speak Garhwali. The Bajgi are a sub-group with the Shilpkar ethnic group of Uttarakhand. A few are also found in the adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh such as
Bijnor
Bijnor is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India[2011 Census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...]
for Uttar Pradesh showed the Bajgi population as 886.
References
{{reflist
Scheduled Castes of Uttarakhand
Scheduled Castes of Uttar Pradesh