Bhatia
Encyclopedia
Bhatia is a group of people and a caste
originating from Sindh Province and Rajasthan
. The Bhatias primarily live in Northwestern India
and Pakistan
. They are mainly found among the following ethnic groups or clans: Rajput
s, Khatris, Gujjar
s, Yaduvanshi/Yadav and Bhati
. A majority of the group follow Hinduism
.
, Kutchi
, Veha, Halai, Kanthi, Pavrai, Navgam, Pachisgaam, Thattai and Punjabi. Bhatias from Kutch are Kutchi Bhatias, those from around Jamnagar
district are known as Halai Bhatia, those from Sindh
in present day Pakistan
are known as Sindhi Bhatias and those from Punjab in present day India and Pakistan are known as Punjabi Bhatias. A large number of Punjabi Bhatias, whose main clan is Gujjar
, settled in Pakistani Punjab in 1947. They are landlords and reputed businessmen in Pakistan.
Among Sindhi Bhatias, many are further identified from their place of origin such as Hyderabadi, Shikarpuri, Thattai, Nasarpuri Bhatias. Most Sindhi Bhatias originally belonged to Rajput-Shatriya class. They were kings, landlords, and merchants with origins in Rajasthan and later they migrated to Sindh. In the 1947 parition they had to flee Sindh in present day Pakistan. In Punjab, Bhatias are considered to be Mair Rajput
s or Sikh
Rajputs. Some of the major groups derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice.
Thattai, Halai and Kutchi Bhatias are the followers of Vallabh Acharya. Many of old and middle aged Bhatias are strict vegetarians who do not eat onions and garlic and are devoted to Srinathji, the child form of Krishna
. Their main place of pilgrimage is Nathdwara
situated 48 kilometres north east of Udaipur in Rajasthan
, on the banks of the Banas River.
Punjabi Bhatias including Sikh Bhatias are prominent in India. They are dispersed in the Punjab region and Delhi region of India. Punjabi Bhatias exhibit much Punjabi pride as Bhatias trace back to the warrior caste and have taken part in the defense of the state of India.
Caste system in India
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
originating from Sindh Province and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. The Bhatias primarily live in Northwestern 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...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. They are mainly found among the following ethnic groups or clans: Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, Khatris, Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
s, Yaduvanshi/Yadav and Bhati
Bhati
Bhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
. A majority of the group follow Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
Types of Bhatias
Among the Bhatias, there are different sub-castes, such as JakharJakhar
Jakhar, also known as Jakhu is a gotra or clan of Jats found in the Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, and in Rajasthan, and in the Pakistani province of Punjab.-Etymology:...
, Kutchi
Kutchi people
The Kutchi people traditionally reside in the Kutch region of the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat and in the Sindh province of Pakistan...
, Veha, Halai, Kanthi, Pavrai, Navgam, Pachisgaam, Thattai and Punjabi. Bhatias from Kutch are Kutchi Bhatias, those from around Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
district are known as Halai Bhatia, those from Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
in present day Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
are known as Sindhi Bhatias and those from Punjab in present day India and Pakistan are known as Punjabi Bhatias. A large number of Punjabi Bhatias, whose main clan is Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
, settled in Pakistani Punjab in 1947. They are landlords and reputed businessmen in Pakistan.
Among Sindhi Bhatias, many are further identified from their place of origin such as Hyderabadi, Shikarpuri, Thattai, Nasarpuri Bhatias. Most Sindhi Bhatias originally belonged to Rajput-Shatriya class. They were kings, landlords, and merchants with origins in Rajasthan and later they migrated to Sindh. In the 1947 parition they had to flee Sindh in present day Pakistan. In Punjab, Bhatias are considered to be Mair Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s or Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Rajputs. Some of the major groups derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice.
Thattai, Halai and Kutchi Bhatias are the followers of Vallabh Acharya. Many of old and middle aged Bhatias are strict vegetarians who do not eat onions and garlic and are devoted to Srinathji, the child form of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. Their main place of pilgrimage is Nathdwara
Nathdwara
Nathdwara is a town in Rajasthan state of western India. It is located in the Aravalli hills, on the banks of the Banas River in Rajsamand District, 48 kilometers north-east of Udaipur. This town is famous for its temple of Krishna which houses the idol of Shrinathji, a 14th century, 7-year old...
situated 48 kilometres north east of Udaipur in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, on the banks of the Banas River.
Punjabi Bhatias including Sikh Bhatias are prominent in India. They are dispersed in the Punjab region and Delhi region of India. Punjabi Bhatias exhibit much Punjabi pride as Bhatias trace back to the warrior caste and have taken part in the defense of the state of India.
Bhatias gotra
The following is a partial list of gotras and nukh found in the Bhatia community of Vaishnav Hindus:| Gotra | Surnames |
|---|---|
| Bhardwaj | Asher, Bhuderia, Devchandra, Dhadhal, Haria, Jiwa, Kandal, Lajavanta, Malik, Media, Modia, Mota, Padamshi, Poda, Sampat, Sothia, Tambod, Thakar, Thula, Unegar |
| Devdas | Dhadher, Gurugulab, Karatari, Kukad, Parajia, Pawar, Raja, Ramaiya, Sahota |
| Madhavadysavas | Bibal, Farasgandhi, Gokulgandhi, Jujargandhi, Nayagandhi, Panchal, Paregandhi, Powar, Prema, Suraiya, Ved |
| Parasar | Dhadha, Dhewa, Dhiren, Gagla, Gajaria, Jaiyati, Jalala, Jia, Jigna, Kajaria, Koa, Kodhia, Malan, Mogia, Niya, Paleja, Panchlodia, Radia, Rika, Sijiwali, Sofla, Soni |
| Rushivansh | Chamuja, Daiya, Kajia, Karangota, Multani |
| Saranhs (Sandiliya) | Babla, Belai, Dhawan, Dhega, Dhutia, Dutia, Gaba, Jab, Kanthia, Porecha, Purecha, Sukhdi, Vadhhuch, Vanda, Udeshi |
| Sudrvansh | Babla, Chichia, Mathura, Poddhaga, Potha, Pramla |
Notable Bhatias
- Sabeer BhatiaSabeer BhatiaSabeer Bhatia is an Indian American entrepreneur who co-founded the Hotmail email service and Jaxtr.- Background :...
, co-founter of popular e-mail provider HotmailHotmailWindows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
. - Sangeeta Bhatia, Indian American Biomedical Engineer.
- Tamanna BhatiaTamanna BhatiaTamannaah Bhatia is an Indian film actress and model, who predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu-language films. In 2005, she made her acting debut in her only Hindi film so far, Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, before working in the major South Indian film industries.Also in 2005, Tamannaah made her...
, Indian Actress. - Rawal JaisalRawal JaisalRawal Jaisal was a Bhati rajput who lived during the 12th century and founded the city of Jaisalmer. Sixth in descent from Rawal Deoraj Bhati, he was the eldest son of Rawal Dusaj of Deoraj , which had its capital at Laudrava...
belonged to the YadavJadhavJadhav is the name of a Maratha clan located largely in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and other regions of north-western India.- Origin :...
Clan and was a BhatiBhatiBhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
RajputRajputA Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
. Rawal Jaisal founded the city of Jaisalmer in 1156 CE. The new fort that he built was on a hill called Trikuta. - Akshay KumarAkshay KumarAkshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...
, famous Bollywood actor from a Hindu/Sikh family from AmritsarAmritsarAmritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Punjab. Films starred in include Singh is KinngSingh Is KinngSingh is Kinng is a 2008 Bollywood comedy film. The film is directed by Anees Bazmee and stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, the film also featured a music video with Snoop Dogg. About 75% of the movie was shot in Australia, around the Gold Coast region and Brisbane using an Australian production...
and Blue. - Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan. His grandfather, Poonja Gokuldas Meghji, was a Hindu Bhatia Rajput converted to Islam.
- Chef Vineet Bhatia, Vineet Bhatia is the multi-award winning chef and owner of the Michelin starred restaurant RasoiRasoiRasoi is an Indian restaurant located in London, England. , the restaurant holds one star in the Michelin Guide....
, located in London. - Dhriti Bhatia. When only two years and 10 months of age Dhriti Bhatia appeared in the television series Jai Shri KrishnaJai Shri KrishnaJai Shri Krishna is an Indian television series produced by Sagar Pictures which airs on the newly launched Indian channel Colors.It is a Remake of Late Ramanand Sagar's successful show Sri Krishna and will be handled by the new generation of Sagars...
as child KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
.
See also
- Yadav
- Rawal JaisalRawal JaisalRawal Jaisal was a Bhati rajput who lived during the 12th century and founded the city of Jaisalmer. Sixth in descent from Rawal Deoraj Bhati, he was the eldest son of Rawal Dusaj of Deoraj , which had its capital at Laudrava...
- JaisalmerJaisalmerJaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
- BhatiBhatiBhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
- YaduYaduYadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
- KhatriKhatriKhatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
- KshatriyaKshatriya*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
- Chandravanshi
- Rajput ClansRajput clansThe Rajputs are a martial race and caste of the Indian subcontinent. They are a Hindu caste whose members generally consider themselves to belong to the Kshatriya varna ; however, Encyclopædia Britannica notes that their members have come from a variety of lineages, including from foreign...