The Bakarwal Shepherds of Kashmir — A Nomadic Life in the Himalayas

Twice a year, the Bakarwal shepherds of Kashmir move their entire lives across the mountains. In spring, they leave the lowlands of Jammu and Punjab and climb toward the high pastures of Kashmir and the inner Himalayan valleys — journeys of hundreds of kilometres on foot, with their families, their black goat-hair tents, their horses and their flocks.

In autumn, they reverse course, descending before the snow closes the passes.

This is one of the oldest patterns of human life in the Himalayan region, and the Bakarwal have maintained it through centuries of changing political circumstances, modern infrastructure and the pressures of a world that increasingly finds their way of life inconvenient.

Who the Bakarwal Are

The Bakarwal are a semi-nomadic pastoral community found across the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Punjab. The name comes from the Gojri word for goat — they are, at their core, a goat and sheep herding people.

Their language is Gojri, related to Rajasthani, which linguistically connects them to pastoral communities of the plains who followed routes north along the rivers thousands of years ago.

The Bakarwal are Muslim, and their faith is woven into the rhythms of the migration — the routes follow paths that pass shrines, and departures and arrivals are marked with prayer.

Their traditional knowledge — of mountain routes, weather, medicinal plants, animal behaviour — accumulated over generations and passes from parent to child, is extraordinary. A Bakarwal shepherd can read the behaviour of a herd of goats on a high mountain slope and tell you what the weather will do in three hours.

Where to Encounter Bakarwal Communities

The summer pastures of the Bakarwal are typically above 3,000 metres — in the high meadows of Gulmarg, the upper Pahalgam valleys, and the inner Himalayan valleys like Marwah, Warwan and the meadows above Gurez.

The best places for a genuine encounter:

Marwah Valley (Kishtwar district): In July and August, the meadows above Marwah are occupied by large Bakarwal camps. Thousands of goats and sheep, the black tents scattered across the hillside, the smoke from cooking fires, and the sound of herding — it is one of the most striking visual landscapes available in Kashmir.

Upper Pahalgam (Aru Valley and above): Smaller Bakarwal camps are present in the summer months in the upper Aru Valley and the meadows above Chandanwari.

Gulmarg meadow: Some Bakarwal families graze flocks in the outer sections of the Gulmarg meadow in summer, though the tourist development has pushed them to the fringes.

What a Genuine Encounter Looks Like

Our guide Bilal has spent time with Bakarwal families in the Marwah area over several seasons and has built genuine relationships with a few families. When we take guests to meet Bakarwal communities, it is not as observers at a performance — it is as guests introduced by someone they know and trust.

A morning with a Bakarwal family in their summer camp typically involves: sitting in or near the tent, drinking tea or buttermilk, watching the routines of camp life — milking, churning, the morning departure of the flock with the younger men, the repair of equipment, the preparation of food.

The conversations, through translation, cover the migration routes, the changes the community has seen over decades, the challenges of maintaining a pastoral life in a world that increasingly sees high mountain meadows as conservation areas or tourist zones.

These encounters are not easy to arrange independently. They require trust and introduction. Our team handles this.

Why It Matters

The Bakarwal are on UNESCO's list of endangered pastoral communities. The combination of climate change (affecting high pasture quality and timing), restrictions on traditional routes, and the pull of settled life for younger generations is putting pressure on a way of life that has functioned for centuries.

Visiting, engaging with, and respecting the Bakarwal community — through the right channels, with the right intentions — contributes to visibility and, in a small way, to the recognition that this way of life has value and dignity.

We approach all our encounters with indigenous and pastoral communities in Kashmir with this understanding.

How to Include This in Your Kashmir Trip

A Bakarwal encounter can be built into a Marwah Valley visit, a Warwan Valley trek, or the upper Pahalgam area as part of a broader Kashmir itinerary. It requires timing — the communities are in the high summer pastures from late June through August.

Contact us at support@trivilio.com or +91 88991 33899 to discuss.