Kahar
The Kahars are an Indian community, originating from the Gangatic region.
Kahars are present in most parts of India, but are concentrated in North India. They are found mainly in West Uttar Pradesh, in Sarsawa, Saharanpur, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shahjahanpur, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Jaunpur and Ambedkar Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh and most parts of Bihar and West Bengal. Kahars are a landless community of palanquin bearers. They are also engaged to officiate at the various holy occasions which occur along the banks of the Ganges river.
In Rajasthan, the Kahars have three sub-divisions, the Budana, Turaha and Mahara. These sub-divisions consist of clans, the main ones being the Pindwal, Bamnawat, Katariya, Bilawat, Kashyap and Oatasaniya. The origins of most of these sub-divisions are rooted in Rajasthan. In the Bidar district of Karnataka, the Meengar community belongs to Other Backward Classes.
