Patharkat
Encyclopedia
The Patharkat are a Hindu
caste
found in North India
. They are also known as Sangtarash.
caste. Their name Patharkat in Hindi
literally means stone cutters. Having taken up the profession of stone cutting, this particular group of Kanjar
s broke all links with the parent community, and the two communities do not now intermarry. They are found mainly in Awadh
, and their concentrations are in the districts of Sitapur
, Unnao
, Raebareli
, Hardoi
and Lucknow
. In Lucknow, they are found mainly in the localities of Qaisar Bagh
, Saafatgang, Daligang, Bangla Bazar, Nishatgang, Lal Kuan and Chinhat. They speak Awadhi among themselves and Hindi with outsiders.
In Bihar
, the Patharkat are found in the districts of Champaran, Arrah
and Gaya
. They are divided into seven exogamous clans, the Sankat, Sanda, Bhains, Marriya, Uthwar, Lahia and Baid. The Patharkat claim to have comme from Rajasthan
some three hundred years ago.
idols. The Patharkat now buys stones from quarries in western Uttar Pradesh
, and then engrave and cut the stones. A few Patharkat have abandoned their traditional occupation and taken to wage labour. The Indian government has given them scheduled caste status, which allowed some to access affirmative action programmes. They are Hindu
, and their customs are similar to other Awadh
Hindu
s.
The Bihar
Patharkat are a nomadic community, and many are employed in quaries. They move from place to place, and live in ecampments at the edges of towns. The Patharkat are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy
. They are almost totally illiterate, and are one of the most deprived community in Bihar
.
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...
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 North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. They are also known as Sangtarash.
Origin
The Patharkat are a sub-group of the larger KanjarKanjar
Kanjar is a traditionally nomadic community resident in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and parts of Uttar Pradesh in India. The community is also known by the names of Nath, Banchra, Marwari Kumar, and Bhantu. They are reputed to have made a living by kidnapping, theft, prostitution,...
caste. Their name Patharkat in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
literally means stone cutters. Having taken up the profession of stone cutting, this particular group of Kanjar
Kanjar
Kanjar is a traditionally nomadic community resident in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and parts of Uttar Pradesh in India. The community is also known by the names of Nath, Banchra, Marwari Kumar, and Bhantu. They are reputed to have made a living by kidnapping, theft, prostitution,...
s broke all links with the parent community, and the two communities do not now intermarry. They are found mainly in Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, and their concentrations are in the districts of Sitapur
Sitapur
Sitapur formerly spelled as Citapore is a town and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is in the Lucknow Division of Uttar Pradesh...
, Unnao
Unnao
The town of Unnao is the headquarters of Unnao District in Uttar Pradesh, India between Kanpur and Lucknow. It is approximately 18 km from Kanpur & 60 km from Lucknow . It is connected to these two cities by roadway as well as by railway. The nearest airport is at Amausi about...
, Raebareli
Raebareli
Raebareli is a city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli District....
, Hardoi
Hardoi
Hardoi is a city and a municipal board in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Hardoi District.-Geography:Hardoi is located at...
and Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
. In Lucknow, they are found mainly in the localities of Qaisar Bagh
Qaisar Bagh
Qaisarbagh , also spelled Qaiserbagh, Kaisarbagh or Kaiserbagh, is a complex in the city of Lucknow, located in the Awadh region of India...
, Saafatgang, Daligang, Bangla Bazar, Nishatgang, Lal Kuan and Chinhat. They speak Awadhi among themselves and Hindi with outsiders.
In Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, the Patharkat are found in the districts of Champaran, Arrah
Arrah
Arrah is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district in the state of Bihar, India. The actual name of Arrah is Ara but it was misspelt by the British and now corrected to Ara but still known as Arrah in many records. It is the district headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the...
and Gaya
Gaya, India
Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River , it is a place sanctified by both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions...
. They are divided into seven exogamous clans, the Sankat, Sanda, Bhains, Marriya, Uthwar, Lahia and Baid. The Patharkat claim to have comme from 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...
some three hundred years ago.
Present circumstances
The Patharkat are endogamous, but avoid marrying among close, but they have no system of exogamous clans. They are largely a landless and urban community, and their traditional occupation remains the manufacturing of the HinduHindu
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...
idols. The Patharkat now buys stones from quarries in western Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, and then engrave and cut the stones. A few Patharkat have abandoned their traditional occupation and taken to wage labour. The Indian government has given them scheduled caste status, which allowed some to access affirmative action programmes. They 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 their customs are similar to other Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
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...
s.
The Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
Patharkat are a nomadic community, and many are employed in quaries. They move from place to place, and live in ecampments at the edges of towns. The Patharkat are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy
Exogamy
Exogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...
. They are almost totally illiterate, and are one of the most deprived community in Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.