The Boricha are a sub-group of the Ahir caste

Caste

Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 found in the state of Gujarat in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Origin

The Boricha get their name from the Boricha region of Kutch, which was their original homeland, from where they emigrated to Jamnagar District

Jamnagar district

Jamnagar District is located in state of Gujarat, India on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch. The headquarters is in Jamnagar. The famous city of Dwarka is situated in this district. The district had a population of 1,904,278 of which 43.91% were urban as of 2001.Jamnagar is a very beautiful...

 due to a draught. According to other traditions, the word Boricha means those who are of value. The community are now found in the Jhodia taluka of Jamnagar District

Jamnagar district

Jamnagar District is located in state of Gujarat, India on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch. The headquarters is in Jamnagar. The famous city of Dwarka is situated in this district. The district had a population of 1,904,278 of which 43.91% were urban as of 2001.Jamnagar is a very beautiful...

, Kutch District

Kutch District

Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....

 and Morvi

Morvi

Morvi or Morbi is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was a Princely State ruled by Jadeja clan of Rajputs until Indian independence in 1947. It is situated on the Kathiawar peninsula. , the city's population was determined to be 73,327. Its chief...

 in Rajkot District

Rajkot district

Rajkot district is one of the 26 districts of the Indian state of Gujarat. Rajkot city is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is the third-most advanced district in Gujarat....

. They are one of the four sub-groups of the Ahir community found in Gujarat. The community still speak the Kutchi

Kutchi language

Kachhi Kachhi Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi, is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat as well as in Sindh.- Closely related languages :...

 language.

Present circumstances

The Boricha are divided into fifty two clans, the main ones being the Kumbhardia, Gogra, Davera, Vank, Gangar, Jilaria, Souseta, Natda, Khungla, Gajia and Baria. Each of these clans are exogamous, and the Boricha are strictly endogamous. The Boricha economy is mainly based on cultivation. A small number of Boricha are also landless agricultural labourers. They practice rain fed agriculture, but are also beginning to practice paddy cultivation using tube well irrigation.

The Boricha are Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

, and worship Hindu gods and goddesses such as Ram, Shankar, Ganesh and Lakhshmi.