Garasia Culture

The Garasia are a tribal (Adivasi) community of the hilly northern reaches of Banaskantha and the adjoining Aravalli highlands of Gujarat and Rajasthan — a people with a distinctive and resilient culture rooted in their hill country. The Garasia live by farming the hill terraces and forests, and their culture is rich in folk traditions — energetic folk dances, distinctive dress and ornament, their own customs, deities and oral lore, and participation in the fairs and festivals of the region. They have their own social customs (including distinctive marriage traditions) and a strong communal identity. Like the Bhils with whom they share the highlands, the Garasia carry a deep, ancestral relationship with the land. This is a living culture, distinct from the mainstream, and best understood with respect and sensitivity. Encountering Garasia traditions — at a village or a regional fair — offers a glimpse into one of the indigenous cultures of northern Gujarat. For the visitor, an awareness of Garasia culture enriches an understanding of the human landscape of Banaskantha’s hills — best and most respectfully experienced through local guidance and at the region’s fairs. (The living Adivasi culture of the Banaskantha–Aravalli hills; experience respectfully at fairs and villages; a distinct tradition.)