Nat caste

The Nat are a Hindu caste found in North India.

History and origin

The Nat are a nomadic community found in North India. They are one of number of communities that are said to be of Dom origin, and have traditions similar to the Bazigar caste. The word nata in Sanskrit means a dancer, and the Nat were traditionally entertainers and jugglers. They have fourteen sub-groups, the main ones being the Nituria, Rarhi, Chhabhayia, Tikulhara, Tirkuta, Pushtia, Rathore, Kazarhatia, Kathbangi, Banwaria, Kougarh, Lodhra, Korohia, and Gulgulia. The Nat maintain strict clan exogamy, and each clan of equal status. In Uttar Pradesh, the Nat community now consists of two groupings, the Brijbasi Nat, who are settled, and the Bajania, who are nomadic.

In Punjab, the Nat claim to be by origin Brahmin of Marwar, whose duty was supply funeral pyres. On a particular occasion, as the community was transporting the funeral pyre, a member of the party died. This was seen as a bad omen, and the community were outcastes. They therefore took the occupation of dancing. They are closely connected with the Bazigar community, who are the jugglers of Punjab. But the two communities remain distinct, and do not intermarry. The community have scheduled caste status, and are found mainly in the districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar.