 Bauri bearer and grass cutter, from a 1799 collection of etchings | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 1.9 million (2011, census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India | |
| West Bengal | 1,228,635[1] |
| Odisha | 523,127[2] |
| Jharkhand | 186,356[3] |
| Bihar | 2,233[4] |
| Languages | |
| Regional languages (Bengali, Odia) | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
Bauri is a caste primarily residing in the state ofWest Bengal, India where it is considered as one of theScheduled Castes.[5][6] There are significant Bauri populations in the states ofOdisha,Jharkhand andBihar. They are usually involved in activities likefarming, mainly as agricultural labourers.[7]
Bauris numbered 1,091,022 in the 2001 census in the state of West Bengal. 37.5 per cent of the Bauris were literate - 51.8 per cent males and 22.7 per cent females were literate. Only 4.7 per cent of the Bauris were matriculates or completed schooling.[8]
They are primarily residing in Bengal found in large numbers inBankura,Birbhum, Purulia and other districts in Indianstate ofWest Bengal,Assam,Tripura and Orissa.[9] The village of Purbo Tila in Chatlapur Tea Garden,Kulaura and Dakchara Tea Garden,Srimangal,Moulvibazar District are also home to Bauri communities inBangladesh.[citation needed] They are also found in many villages likeChhatna andBeliatore.
Traces oftotemism still survive in their reverence for the red-backed heron. The heron is looked upon as the emblem of the community.[10]
The Bauri caste is categorised as aScheduled Caste inWest Bengal,[6]Odisha,Jharkhand, andBihar, while inAssam, they are recognised as anEx Tea garden community and the Bauri of Assam andTripura placed within theOther Backward Classes.[11][12][13]
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