Pathani

Pathani of the Attigoan and Kamsyar region of Gangolihat tehsil Pithoragarh district of the Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand belong to the Chandravanshi clan of Kshatriyas Kumaoni Rajputs. Pathani people are members of an old Chandrabanshi Rajput clan which migrated from the plains of India to Pyuthana and Himancha in Nepal in the 8th century A.D. and then migrated to their present location in Uttarakhand in the 11th century A.D.

Mentioned by Strabo as one of the four races to have participated in the overthrow of Greek power in Bactria.

Also closely aligned to Khas Rajput clans of Uttarakhand. May also have had a Kassite Assyrian or Khasa strain. Atkinson described them as the groups holding small principalities in Kumaon at the end Katyuri rule and the advent of the Chand dynasty in Kumaon.After a brief stint with the Chands they were pacified by the grant of the patti of Attigaon and Kamsyar i.e. the area from Ganaigangoli to Banspatan.

Language and Culture

They speak the Gangoli dialect of Kumaoni. Apart from worshipping the vast Hindu pantheon they also worship locl deities like Golu Devta,Kaisinn, Kalbisht, Nanda Devi like other Kumaonis.

The clan's principal deity is Sem devta who is always invoked along with his brother Haru dev i.e. the divine spirit of Raja Harish of the Chands. The Dhuri Pathanis one of the five raaths of the Pathani people also worship Ma Haatkalika of Gangolihaat as their family deities along with Haru-Sem.

Festivals

Their principal festivals are Harela - harvest festival, "Bijay dashmi" i.e. dusshera, rakhi here signifies the day for changing the saced thread "yagnopavit" and aanthoo. They participate in the annual "Baurani" fair commemorating the adventures of Sem devta with his brother Haru Dev and their nephew Golu dev all of whom are worshipped in the Kumaon region as gods.