The Bhambi Rohit 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 cultural ...

found in the state of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. They are a sub-group within the Bhambi community. They used to claim to be Rajput via Rajputization.

Origin

The community gets its name from Rohidas, a Hindu saint, and Rohit are followers of this saint. They broke away from the

Bhambi Khalpa The Bhambi Khalpa are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are a sub-group within the Bhambi community. The Khalpa have scheduled caste status. Origin The name Khalpa has been derived from the word khal, which is the Gu ...

community, when they decided to abandon the traditional occupation of the Bhambi, which was

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and ho ...

shoemaking Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

. According to other traditions, the Rohit are a sub-group of the

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

community due to Rajputization. They are found in the districts of

Kaira Kaira or KAIRA may refer to: Places * Kaira (Lydia), a town of ancient Lydia, now in Turkey In India * Kheda, also known as Kaira, a town in Gujarat, India ** Kaira district ** Kaira Agency, a former administrative unit ** Kaira (Lok Sabha constitu ...

Surat Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is no ...

, Ahmedabad, and

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capi ...

. The Rohit are a Gujarati speaking community.

Present circumstances

The Rohit are an endogamous community, and practice clan exogamy. Historically, they used to intermarry with the

, but this has been discontinued. Historically, the Rohit were

tanners and shoemakers, but like other artisan communities are abandoning their traditional occupation. Many are now employed as wage labourers.People of India Gujarat Volume XXII Part One edited by R.B Lal, S.V Padmanabham & A Mohideen page 162 to 166 Popular Prakashan

References

{{Social groups of Gujarat Indian castes Tribal communities of Gujarat Scheduled Castes of Rajasthan Scheduled Castes of Gujarat

Origin

Present circumstances

See also

References