Nai (caste)
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Almost all the states and union territories of India | |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi · Hindi · Telugu · Tamil · Kannada · Malayalam · Dravidian languages · Indo-Aryan languages | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism |
The Nai (or Valand in Gujarat) is a caste originating in India. The members were traditionally occupied as barbers, although many have adopted the name Sharma that was historically the preserve of Brahmins.
In the state of Gujarat the Nais are referred by the name Valand. The Valand have several territorial divisions, such as the Soratia, Halai, Gohil, and Jalawadi. They are further divided into clans, called ataks, the main ones being the Vaghela, Parmar and Hanani. The Valand are endogamous and practice clan exogamy. They speak Gujarati and concentrated in the urban areas.
The Nai community is listed as an Other Backward Class in various regions of India. These include:
The Valand have several territorial divisions, such as the Soratia, Halai, Gohil, and Jalawadi. They are further divided into clans, called ataks, the main ones being the Solanki, Rathore, Vaghela, Parmar and Hanani. The Valand are endogamous and practice clan exogamy. They speak Gujarati and concentrated in the urban areas. The community are still essentially involved in the barbering trade, with a few rural Valand have taken up agriculture. A few were practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine.
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