Nomadic Gujjar Wedding in Jammu and Kashmir

SANGERWANI PULWAMA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA - 2024/07/04: A bride is welcomed with tea after reaching the groom's home during the marriage ceremony at Sangerwani village in Pulwama district. Despite the exponential development of automobiles, some nomadic tribes still use horses and palanquins for weddings. A new study by the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation reveals that 88 percent of Gujjars (nomads) in Jammu and Kashmir spend up to 600 U.S. dollars on a marriage ceremony. Additionally, 89 percent arrange the first marriage of their children between the ages of 14 and 18, with around 72 percent of girls getting engaged to relatives at birth or by age 6. The study also notes that 99.3 percent of Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir are Muslims. The Gujjars, a pastoral community with a unique culture and language (Gujjari), are the most populous scheduled tribe in Jammu and Kashmir, comprising 11.9 percent of the state's population, according to the 2011 Indian census. (Photo by Faisal Bashir/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)