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Gujarati people

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Gujaratis
ગુજરાતી લોકો
Total population
c. 40 to 60 million
Regions with significant populations
 India45.5 million[1]
 United Kingdom301,460[2]
 Tanzania298,763[2]
 Uganda269,975[2]
 South Africa158,421[2]
 Kenya143,275[2]
 Madagascar60,433[2]
 Malawi38,235[2]
 Malaysia24,629[2]
 Fiji23,600[2]
 Singapore2,832[2]
 Mauritius2,011[2]
Languages
Gujarati
Religion
Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism (see Parsis), Jainism, Christianity

Gujarati people (Gujarati: ગુજરાતી લોકો Gujǎrātī loko), or Gujaratis, is an umbrella term used to describe traditionally Gujarati-speaking peoples who can trace their ancestry to the Gujarat region in India. Most of the Gujarati sub-ethnicities are of Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic extraction.

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of India and Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin

The Gujarati people are primarily located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Gujarat province. A large number of Gujaratis also inhabit the Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh regions of India as well as the former Portuguese-ruled territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Additionally, the Gujarati language has been adopted by communities such as the Kacchis, who use it as their literary language[3], and the Parsis, who had made the Gujarat region of the Indian subcontinent their home. Ahmedabad is largely considered a major centre of Gujarati culture.

Significant migrant Gujarati communities are found around the world. The largest expatriate Gujarati population is the former migrant-worker community in the United Kingdom. Other major Gujarati communities are found mainly in South and East Africa (most notably Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa) and South-East Asia (Myanmar, Malaysia). A large amount of Gujarati's also live in the United States, more specifically in the northeastern part of the country, especially New Jersey. There is also a sizable community of Gujaratis in parts of Pakistan, who migrated after the Partition of India and subsequent creation of independent Pakistan in 1947. These Pakistani Gujaratis belong mainly to the Khoja and Bohra groups. Many second generation immigrants still have relatives in Indian Gujarat and consider Gujarati to be their native tongue, even though they were born and brought up elsewhere.

Food

Main article: Gujarati cuisine

The majority of Hindu and Jain Gujaratis are vegetarian while Muslims are non-veg. Gujarati cuisine follows the traditional Indian full meal structure of rice, cooked vegetables (curry-like in texture) and roti. The different types of rotli (breads) that a Gujarati cooks are rotli, bhakhri, thepla, puri, maal purah and puran-pohli. Ghari and Khakhra are also eaten as rotli, but they are usually eaten as a snack. Khaman, Dhokla, dhokli, dal-dhokli, undhiyu, fafda, chevdoh, papdi, bhusu and Sev mamra are Gujarati dishes savoured by many communities across the world. Use of Ghee in meals is very common. For example, rice or khichdi on rotli. The meal is usually accompanied with a sweet and a salty snack (farsaan) like Vada. Gujarati cookbook writers like Tarla Dalal are famous internationally.

The vegetable cooking involves preparing basic sauce first by frying masala with tomatoes and onions. Vegetables are usually added later. Gujaratis are more comfortable cooking with peanut oil (shing tel). However, while living abroad they adjust their cooking method with available canola or sunflower oil. The making of masala is traditionally done on grinding stones. Nowadays, people use a blender or grinder to make masala. Each person makes masala differently, hence cooking tastes differ depending on the household. People from north Gujarat use dry red chili powder, whereas people from south Gujarat prefer using green chili and coriander in their cooking. Gujarati Jains (and many Hindus) avoid using garlic and onions in their cooking. Traditionally Gujaratis eat Mukhwas or paan at the end of a meal. In many parts of Gujarat, having Chhass butter milk or soda after lunch or dinner is quite common. Gujarati families celebrate Sharad Purnima by having dinner with doodh-pauva under moonlight.


Dress

Sutra, necklace, earring, bangles and rings. With incidence of theft rising, cheaper costume jewelry is becoming more common. During weddings, Gujarati brides wear a lot of jewelry. It is common to see a Gujarati (Hindu) male wearing a gold chain and a ring. Married Gujarati (Hindu) women also traditionally wear a red 'bindi' (red powder worn in a round shape on the forehead also found in the form of stickers).

Most Hindu woman, married or not, wear 'bindi'. Married women, at times, wear red powder, called 'sindoor', on the forehead or near the hairline. In addition to this they may also wear the 'bindi' or 'tika'. Traditional married women still apply this red power to their forehead each morning. The red power, 'sindoor', is not round in shape but is rubbed in a short straight thickish line on the scalp, starting near the hairline and covers the area where the hair is generally parted(middle). During a traditional Hindu wedding, the groom applies 'sindoor' on the bride for the very first time. This act can be compared to a ring ceremony in western weddings. Modern Bindis are like stickers, and are available in various shapes, sizes, color and design. Most women, married or not, wear these as a fashion accessory and select their bindis to match their outfits in color and design.

Arts, literature, and entertainment

File:Garba-dandia02.jpg
Gujaratis playing raas, a traditional Gujarati dance

Fabric designs involve use of Batik. The embedding of mirrors (called abhla) in fabric is a favourite among art lovers. Wall hangings demonstrate use of knitting and embedding of mirrors. Gujarati pottery includes different kinds of deeva (lamps) and pots. During the festival of Navratri, youngsters wear traditional dress and go out to play dandia and sing garbas.Typically men wear Kedia and women wear Ghaghra Cholee to dance in Navratri

Gujarati theatre owes a lot to bhavai. Bhavai is a musical performance of stage plays. Ketan Mehta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored artistic use of bhavai in films such as Bhavni Bhavai, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation reflecting on human nature.

Gujarati literature has come a long way since being pioneered by Narmad. Saraswatichandra is a landmark novel by Govardhanram Tripathi. Writers like K. M. Munshi, Suresh Dalal, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta, Harkisan Mehta, Chandrakant Bakshi, Pannalal Patel, Prahlad Brahmabhatt, Vinod Bhatt, Kanti Bhatt, Makarand Dave, Kalapi, and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.

A huge contribution to Gujarati language literature came from the Swaminarayan paramhanso, like Bramhanand, Premanand, with prose like Vachanamrut and poetry in the form of bhajans.

A common cultural hallmark of Gujarats is to flatuate in public, which is no more as embarrassing as burping. In fact, this is encouraged, because holding it in is considered unhealthy.

Gujarati films have made artists like Upendra Trivedi, Snehlata, Raajeev, Mahesh Kumar Kanodia, Naresh Kanodia, Aruna Irani and Asrani popular in the entertainment industry. In the U.S., Bali Brahmbhatt came up with the hit song "Patel Rap", referring to changing values of Gujarati culture.

There are dedicated television channels airing Gujarati programs.

Prominent Gujarati people

Prominent personalities of Gujarati ancestry include Freddy Mercury and Ben Kingsley.

See also List of people from Gujarat for a more comprehensive list.

References

  1. ^ Languages of India, Ethnologue.com (retrieved 30 October 2007)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Statistics for Gujaratis in foreign countries, Joshua Project (retrieved 1 November 2007)
  3. ^ A. Dalby "Gujarati" in Dictionary of languages: the definitive reference to more than 400 languages. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. p. 237. ISBN 0231115687

Further reading

- Online information about the gujarati author - worldwide gujarati community

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