Gujjar Bakarwal Pastoral Migration of Jammu and Kashmir

The Gujjar and Bakarwal communities of Jammu and Kashmir are nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists who migrate with their goat and sheep herds between the high-altitude Himalayan meadows in summer and the foothills and plains in winter. The migration route (dand or dhar) is a knowledge system passed through generations, identifying pastures, water sources, and shelter at specific altitudes. Gujjars are predominantly buffalo herders who practice transhumance between the Jammu foothills in winter and the alpine meadows of Kashmir in summer. Bakarwals raise goats and sheep that produce the raw wool for pashmina and non-pashmina wool. The pastoral traditions include traditional tent making, cheesemaking (kradi cheese from buffalo milk), and the distinctive embroidered clothing of Gujjar women. Both communities are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Climate change is disrupting the traditional migration calendars as alpine pastures become unpredictable.