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Gujaratis ગુજરાતી લોકો
Jamsetji Tata • Mahatma Gandhi • Muhammad Ali Jinnah • Morarji Desai Mukesh Ambani • Amisha Patel • Sharman Joshi • Ayesha Takia
Total population
c. 40 to 60 million
Regions with significant populations
India 45.5 million [1]  United Kingdom 301,460 [2]  Tanzania 298,763 [2]  Uganda 269,975 [2]  South Africa 158,421 [2]  Kenya 143,275 [2]  Madagascar 60,433 [2]  Malawi 38,235 [2]  Malaysia 24,629 [2]  Fiji 23,600 [2]  Singapore 2,832 [2]  Mauritius 2,011 [2]
Language(s)
Gujarati
Religion(s)
Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism (see Parsis), Jainism, Christianity

Gujarati people (Gujarati: ગુજરાતી લોકો Gujǎrātī loko), or Gujaratis, is an umbrella term used to describe traditionally Gujarati-speaking peoples who can trace their ancestry to the Gujarat region in India. Most of the Gujarati sub-ethnicities are of Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic extraction.

Contents 1 Demographics 2 Culture 2.1 Food 2.2 Dress 2.3 Arts & Entertainment 2.4 Literature 3 Prominent Gujarati people 4 References 5 Further reading

Main articles: Demographics of India and Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin

The Gujarati people are primarily located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Gujarat province. A large number of Gujaratis also inhabit the Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh regions of India as well as the former Portuguese-ruled territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Additionally, the Gujarati language has been adopted by communities such as the Kacchis, who use it as their literary language^[3], and the Parsis, who had made the Gujarat region of the Indian subcontinent their home. Ahmedabad is largely considered a major centre of Gujarati culture.

Significant migrant Gujarati communities are found around the world. The largest expatriate Gujarati population is the former migrant-worker community in the United Kingdom^[2]. Other major Gujarati communities are found mainly in South and East Africa (most notably Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa) and South-East Asia (Myanmar, Malaysia). There is also a sizable community of Gujaratis in parts of Pakistan, who migrated after the Partition of India and subsequent creation of independent Pakistan in 1947. These Pakistani Gujaratis belong mainly to the Khoja and Bohra groups. Many second generation immigrants still have relatives in Indian Gujarat and consider Gujarati to be their native tongue, even though they were born and brought up elsewhere.

Over the years, the Gujarati people have developed a unique culture. It is closely intertwined with, and generally considered a part of, the Indian culture as a whole. The earliest Gujarati traditions are heavily influenced by Hinduism, surviving to this day in the form of rituals and dances. Later influences include Jainism and modern Indian nationalism as well as the introduction of Islam, perhaps through the Parsi people, to Gujarat.

Main article: Gujarati cuisine

A major part of the Gujarati culture, and personal identification as a Gujarati, is centred around the food. Due to the majority of the community being Hindu, Gujarati cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, although some meaty variations of dishes have been developed by Muslim Gujaratis.

While many traditional Indian dishes are enjoyed by the Gujarati community, there are certain dishes which are considered to be typically Gujarati. Most notably the fast food dhokla and certain styles of daal preparation. Gujarati cuisine also offers a large variety of sweets, known collectively as mitthai.

Gujarati cuisine follows the traditional Indian meal structure. The main focus of the meal, which is usually a variety of vegetable curry, is always accompanied by either rice or chapati (traditional Indian flat bread), or in some cases both. An alternative meal structure makes rice the main focus of the meal. In these cases, the rice most likely contains several extra spices, vegetables or other ingredients, to enhance the flavour. Popular examples are khichari and biryani. Chutney, achar (Indian pickle) and salad are commonly eaten as side-dishes and many meals are accompanied with a salty or savoury snack (farsaan), such as vada. Papadums are also a common feature on Gujarati dining tables.

The vegetable cooking involves preparing basic sauce first by frying masala with tomatoes and onions. Vegetables are usually added later. Gujaratis are more comfortable cooking with peanut oil (shing tel). However, while living abroad they adjust their cooking method with available canola or sunflower oil. The making of masala is traditionally done on grinding stones. Nowadays, people use a blender or grinder to make masala. Each person makes masala differently, hence cooking tastes differ depending on the household. People from north Gujarat use dry red chili powder, whereas people from south Gujarat prefer using green chili and coriander in their cooking. Gujarati Jains (and many Hindus) avoid using garlic and onions in their cooking. Traditionally Gujaratis eat mukhwas or paan at the end of a meal. In many parts of Gujarat, having chhaas butter milk or lassi after lunch or dinner is quite common. Hindu Gujarati families traditionally celebrate Sharad Purnima by having dinner with doodh-pauva.

Gujarati cookbook writers like Tarla Dalal are famous internationally.

Sutra, necklace, earring, bangles and rings. With incidence of theft rising, cheaper costume jewelry is becoming more common. During weddings, Gujarati brides wear a lot of jewelry. It is common to see a Gujarati (Hindu) male wearing a gold chain and a ring. Married Gujarati (Hindu) women also traditionally wear a red 'bindi' (red powder worn in a round shape on the forehead also found in the form of stickers).

Most Hindu woman, married or not, wear 'bindi'. Married women, at times, wear red powder, called 'sindoor', on the forehead or near the hairline. In addition to this they may also wear the 'bindi' or 'tika'. Traditional married women still apply this red power to their forehead each morning. The red power, 'sindoor', is not round in shape but is rubbed in a short straight thickish line on the scalp, starting near the hairline and covers the area where the hair is generally parted(middle). During a traditional Hindu wedding, the groom applies 'sindoor' on the bride for the very first time. This act can be compared to a ring ceremony in western weddings. Modern Bindis are like stickers, and are available in various shapes, sizes, color and design. Most women, married or not, wear these as a fashion accessory and select their bindis to match their outfits in color and design.

Fabric designs involve use of Batik. The embedding of mirrors (called abhla) in fabric is a favourite among art lovers. Wall hangings demonstrate use of knitting and embedding of mirrors. Gujarati pottery includes different kinds of deeva (lamps) and pots. During the festival of Navratri, youngsters wear traditional dress and go out to play dandia and sing garbas.Typically men wear Kedia and women wear Ghaghra Cholee to dance in Navratri

Gujarati theatre owes a lot to bhavai. Bhavai is a musical performance of stage plays. Ketan Mehta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored artistic use of bhavai in films such as Bhavni Bhavai, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation reflecting on human nature.

Gujarati films have made artists like Upendra Trivedi, Snehlata, Raajeev, Mahesh Kumar Kanodia, Naresh Kanodia, Aruna Irani and Asrani popular in the entertainment industry. In the U.S., Bali Brahmbhatt came up with the hit song "Patel Rap", referring to changing values of Gujarati culture.

There are dedicated television channels airing Gujarati programs.

Gujarati literature has come a long way since being pioneered by Narmad. Saraswatichandra is a landmark novel by Govardhanram Tripathi. Writers like K. M. Munshi, Suresh Dalal, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta, Harkisan Mehta, Chandrakant Bakshi, Pannalal Patel, Prahlad Brahmabhatt, Vinod Bhatt, Kanti Bhatt, Makarand Dave, Kalapi, and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.

A huge contribution to Gujarati language literature came from the Swaminarayan paramhanso, like Bramhanand, Premanand, with prose like Vachanamrut and poetry in the form of bhajans.

• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), Father of the Nation, Leader of the Indian independence movement
• Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan
• Swami Dayananda, founder of Arya Samaj, a monotheistic Hindu sect
• Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as Sardar Patel, the founder of modern United India
• Morarji Desai, former Prime Minister of India
• Anil Ambani, industrialist
• Dhirubhai Ambani, industrialist
• Mukesh Ambani, industrialist and currently the world's richest man [1].
• Tulsi Tanti Billionare, energy giant.
• Jagdish Bhagwati, economist
• Manibhai Desai, Gandhian who helped to transform Indian agriculture and dairy industries
• Hemachandra, Jain scholar and author of the Gurjar (Solanki) kingdom of Gujarat
• Pramukh Swami Maharaj, religious Leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Organisation
• Ravishankar Maharaj, social reformer
• Karsanbhai Patel, industrialist
• Kal Penn, U.S. actor
• Sheetal Sheth, U.S. actor
• Asha Parekh, Bollywood Actress
• Azim Premji, founder of Wipro
• Vasant Rai, musician
• Mallika Sarabhai, actress
• Vikram Sarabhai, first head of the Indian Space Research Organization
• Harilal Upadhyay, writer
• Zubeida,one of the first Bollywood actresses
• Amisha Patel,Bollywood actress.
• Narendra Modi,gujarat Chief Minister

Prominent personalities of Gujarati ancestry include Freddy Mercury and Ben Kingsley.

See also List of people from Gujarat for a more comprehensive list.

• Jhaveri, Krishanlal Mohanlal (ed.) (2003), written at New Delhi, The Gujaratis: The People, Their History, and Culture, Cosmo Publications.