The 'Land of Johar' has produced many great and extraordinary people who have shown their talents and feats in all walk of life! From the early history of Johar, the 'Shaukas' have made many contributions in the development of our region and the nation.
This small community with a population of about 15,000 has given 04 Padma Shri Award recipients to the nation. It shows the liveliness, endurance, sense of responsibility, and the feeling of nationalism of this community! This blog "Legends of Johar" is a small tribute to all those legendary people from the Johar Valley who has made us proud to be a Shauka!
Jai Bharat! Jai Johar!
I hope you will keep writing more along the same lines. I think it's fascinating. And well written.
ReplyDelete@Dan: first of all, thanks for your visit & liking this blog! it's really a pleasure for us that even people beyond our community are also interested & enjoying these articles! due to my busy routine, i'm unable to update this blog in a regular mannner....but still i'll try my best! :)
ReplyDeletePeople have attempted death before dignity. This dignity is passed on from generation to generation or even ages after.
ReplyDeleteThis blog depicts a fine example of underrstanding of dignity. There are media references like http://hindi.media, Vimeo, and other media portals which are accessible world over and disseminate the feelngs of humankind which is the only species possessing justifiable dignity.
This blog effort, hence is really comendable.
Are people of johar kumaoni...just asking
ReplyDeleteYes they are Kumauni because they are living in Pithoragarh which comes under Kumaun division.
DeleteBut they will be happy if you called him/her Rung.
They have there own specific community.
Rang community is very sensitive community because they tried to ssve their ancient and ancestors value
So they are kumaKum by region but Rang(रंग) by community
The straight answer is Yes.
DeleteThe people living in Johar valley are Joharis.
Geographically 'Munsyari Block' of Pithoragarh contains the area known as Johar, the valley which is along the River Goriganga and eastern part of Ramganga River. Above Munsyari it is referred to as 'Malla Johar' and the area on the Ramganga side is referred to as 'Talla Johar' (malla in local language is higher and talla means lower).
The community in Johar valley to which Pundit Kishan Singh belonged is called as "Shaukas" and engaged in border trade with Tibet till 1962 when the Indo China war resulted in closure of land boundary and therefore the border trade.
They had a migratory lifestyle with the summer home in Milam or Malla Johar from where the trade to Tibet was conducted in summer - crossing three Himalayan passes of more than 17 000 feet !! Munsyari was the autumn & spring home. After celebrating Ramlila the Shaukas moved to their winter home in Talla Johar area from where most of the menfolk moved to the plains and cities like Amritsar, Delhi & Kolkata to sell the items bought from Tibet and to buy goods to sell in the 'mandis' in Tibet.
The communities conducting trade in Tibet from the vallies to the East (Byas, Chaudas & Darma) call themselves as 'Rang' while those from the vallies in the west (Niti & Mana in Garhwal) call themselves as Tolchas & Molpas.