Raika People

Community Location Map

📍 Location: Thar Desert & Aravalli Range, Rajasthan, India

Overview & Cultural Background

The Raika (also known as Rabari) are a specialized pastoral caste of Rajasthan in western India. According to Raika belief, they were created by Lord Shiva specifically to care for camels. For centuries, the Raika have served as guardians of the Thar Desert ecosystem, breeding camels, sheep, and goats suited to arid conditions.

Traditionally, Raika culture strictly prohibited slaughtering camels or selling camel milk for commercial gain, treating camels as sacred family members. Facing severe pasture loss, Raika leaders are now developing innovative social enterprises—marketing camel milk for its therapeutic health benefits and producing camel wool textiles to save their herds from extinction.

Key facts

• Estimated Population: Approximately 1 million pastoralists
• Primary Livestock Herded: Dromedary camels (Marwari and Jaisalmeri breeds), Indigenous sheep, and goats
• ️ Contemporary Challenges: Closure of traditional forest grazing grounds due to wildlife sanctuary restrictions (e.g., Kumbhalgarh National Park), decline in camel demand from motorized transport, lack of camel milk collection infrastructure, and loss of migration corridors.

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