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Today, this community is mostly found in the north-western province of the country. They are concentrated in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. Origin of Bhatia Community In the 6th century, Raja Bhoopat reigned in Lahore. He acquired fame for his valour, courage and administrative shrewdness. His dynasty came to be known as Bhatti or Bhati Dynasty from which the name Bhatia has been derived. They successively established Tannot, Deraval and Jaisalmer around 1156 AD. During the reign of Raja Mulraj, 1316 AD was a crucial year for the Bhatias as they were threatened with extinction. It was at this time that Ala-ud-din Khilji invaded Jaisalmerand besieged it for a year. Types of Bhatia Community Among the Bhatia community, there are different sub-castes, such as Jakhar, Kutchi, Veha, Halai, Kanthi, Pavrai, Navgam, Pachisgaam, Thattai and Punjabi. Bhatias from Kutch are ‘Kutchi Bhatias’, those from around Jamnagar district are known as ‘Halai Bhatia’, those from Punjab are known as ‘Punjabi Bhatias’. In Punjab, Bhatias are considered to be Mair Rajputs or Sikh Rajputs. Punjabi Bhatias are considered as most prominent in India. They are mostly settled in Punjab and Delhi regions. Society of Bhatia Community In the Bhatia community, the boys and girls whose blood relationship was beyond seven generations could marry. In their society, widow remarriage is not allowed. This decision marked the beginning of the formation of groups or clans. In different regions the Bhatias acquired different styles of dressing. Religion of Bhatia Community As far as religion of Bhatia community is concerned; a majority of the people follow Hinduism. Further, they accepted the Pushtimarga (a sect of Hindu religion). In Bhatia community, Upanayana is performed. Occupation of Bhatia Community The Bhatia community successfully made their mark in the field of trade and commerce. The Bhatias were and still are inherently enterprising people and successfully entered many spheres of commerce and industry such as the textiles, cotton, iron and steel, mining and shipping industries. |
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