Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Rabari Nomadic Migration
Back on the road towards the Adalaj Step Well, I shouted, "Stop, stop, stop." Desheret
pulled to the side of the road and I leaped out. A Rabari migration was on the move. The
word "Rabari" means the "outsiders" and, if you're lucky, can be seen roaming the coun-
tryside with their droves. Since their animals needed space for grazing and pasturing, these
people lived outside the main communities, and were given the name, "Rabari."
The Rabari travel hundreds of miles on migration routes in search of new pastures to
graze their animals. A very small percentage of Rabari are still nomadic, or semi-nomadic.
Estimates range from 1-2% since most of the grazing land is gone in India. Because of this,
the younger generation is moving away from animals, settling down in communities, enter-
ing politics, commerce, business and education.
Women led the way carrying small children on their shoulders or walking alongside
them. Sharing the busy highway with automobiles and trucks while babies napped on litters.
Pots, pans, all belongings were placed on top of beds/cots that were carried by laden don-
keys. A baby goat, too young to walk, lay next to the pots along with an injured lamb who
had a red rag tied around its leg.
The semi-nomadic Rabari men and older children straggled along at the "tail end" (yuk-
yuk...) of the migration, herding goats, sheep and cows.
These shepherds sells their sheep and cows along the way. The Rabari will ask a farmer's
permission to pasture their animals in fields that have already been harvested in the evening,
rest for several days, and then move on again. A fascinating sight to see...
