Bhambi

The Bhambi are a Hindu caste found in the state of Maharashtra and Punjab in India. Bhambi's from the state of Maharashtra are also known as Chhambar and have scheduled caste status while Bhambi's from the state of Punjab are from Brahmin/Pundit families.

The traditional occupation of the Bhambi was tanning of hides. There are a number of traditions as to the origin of the word Bhambi. Either the name refers to an ancestral village or the bhambi were originally a sub-division of the Chhambars. The name Bhambi has now replaced the word Chhambar. They are further sub-divided into a number of sub-groups, the main ones being the Ahri or Dhor, Chevli or Chouli, Malvan ir Kokani, Daboli, Harali and Ghati. Each of these Bhambi groups are endogamous, and consist of exogamous clans. The Bhambi speak the various locak dialects of Marathi.

Additionally, the Bhambi family name derived from the state of Punjab is of Hindu families from the Brahmin caste within India. The traditional occupation of the caste was that of shopkeeping or business ownership within their local villages and community. Various families associated with the Bhambi last name belong to Hindu pundit families.

Present circumstances for the Bhambi last name lineage derived from the Punjab region of India are that they have primarily migrated outside of the Punjab region to various countries around the world. Today, a majority of the families with this name live in the United States of America, Australia, and Mumbai, India. Anil Bhambi, a young entrepreneur, has risen to prominence by holding a business conglomerate within the Seattle, Washington area comprising various small businesses as well as being involved in Real Estate.

The Bhambi are a landless community, and their traditional occupation was shoemaking, A greater number were employed as agricultural labourers. Like other castes in Maharashtra, a significant number of Bhambi have begun to immigrate to the towns and cities, especially Mumbai. The urbanized Bhambi are now mainly daily wage labourers. They are Hindus, and their customs are similar to other Hindus of Maharashtra.

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