Tucked into the foothills where the Shivaliks meet the upper Gangetic plains, the Van Gujjar community has moved buffalo herds between winter lowlands and…
Articles
Understanding Van Gujjar kinship and clan networks
What Land Titling Means for a Van Gujjar Settlement
For a Van Gujjar settlement, land titling is far more than a government formality. It can determine whether families are recognised as legitimate residents,…
From Milk to Ghee and Curd: Diversifying Pastoral Incomes
For Van Gujjar families across the forested slopes of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, the buffalo is more than a source of milk. It functions…
SOPHIA backs Van Gujjar grazing rights in Indian wildlife sanctuaries
In the mist-laden foothills of the Himalayas, the Van Gujjar community has practised transhumance for generations, moving their buffaloes between alpine…
Quiet Authority: How Van Gujjar Women Shape Household Decisions
In the sal forests and high meadows of Uttarakhand, the Van Gujjar community has practised transhumance for generations, walking buffalo herds between summer…
The Van Gujjar Calendar of Feasts: Seasonal Rituals and Offerings
The Van Gujjar community moves with the Himalayan seasons, their year shaped by buffalo herds, forest rhythms, and highland meadows. For centuries, their…
Organising a Community Health Camp for Buffalo Herders
The Van Gujjar and Himalayan pastoral communities who migrate with their buffalo herds face persistent barriers to veterinary and primary healthcare. Many…
How mobile phone networks shape communication during seasonal migration
Across the foothills of the Himalayas, Van Gujjar families still move with their buffalo herds between summer highlands and winter lowlands, following…
Van Gujjar men reshape household and herding traditions
For generations, the rhythm of a Van Gujjar family followed a clear rhythm: women tended the household, children, and the small dairy needs inside the forest…
SOPHIA's university collaborations advancing pastoral economics research
Deep in the lower Himalayas, the Van Gujjar and other pastoral communities of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have practised seasonal migration…