Write about the lifestyle of Gujjar Bakarwals and Gaddi shepherds ?
- Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir region are talented herders of goat and sheep
- They migrated to this region in search of pastures for their grazing animals
- During winter season, these herders moved with their animals to the lower hill ranges like Shiwalik
- This movement was due to snow covered mountains during winter season
- In the Shiwalik range, dry scrub forests provided pasture for the animals
- During the summer, after snow melts, mountains were covered with fresh green fauna and pastoral lands
- Since they are fresh and green, they provided nutritious grass to the grazing animals
- Similarly, Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh too followed a seasonal cyclic movement like that of Gujjar Bakarwals
- They too spent winter period in the low hills of Shiwalik range, thereby grazing their herds in scrub forests
- By the month of April, they spent in Lahul and Spiti
- When the snow melts in mountains, they moved to fresh green meadows and stay there till the next season