Valmiki caste

This article is about the Indian caste community and is not to be confused with Balmiki sect.

The Valmikis are a variety of communities throughout India who all claim descent from the legendary author of the Ramayana, Valmiki. The Valmikis can be classified as a caste or sampradaya (tradition/sect).^[1]

In the north-west Punjab region, this caste had adopted Sikhism. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many Valmiki were prominent rebels. Notable examples include Matadin Bhangi, Gangu Mehtar and Bhura Singh Valmiki.

According to the 2001 Census of India, the Valmikis formed 11.2 per cent of the Scheduled Caste population in the Indian state of Punjab^[2] and were the second-most populous Scheduled Caste in Delhi National Capital Region.^{[3][4][page needed]} The 2011 Census of India for Uttar Pradesh showed the Valmiki population, which was classified as a Scheduled Caste, as 1,319,241.^[5]

Demographics

State, U.T	Population	Population %	Notes
Andhra Pradesh[6]	70,513	0.083%	In the Joint State of Andhara Pradesh during the 2011 census, the Valmiki caste had been counted as a Scheduled Tribe instead of a Scheduled Caste.
Bihar[7]	207,549	0.199%	Counted as Hari, Mehtar, Bhangi
Chandigarh[8]	82,624	7.82%	Counted as Mazhabi, Balmiki, Chura or Bhangi
Chhattisgarh[9]	19,016	0.074%	Counted as Bhangi, Mehtar, Balmiki, Lalbegi, Dharkar
NCT of Delhi[10]	577,281	3.43 %	Counted as Chuhra (Balmiki)
Goa[11]	309	0.0%	Counted as Bhangi (Hadi)
Gujarat[12]	439,444	0.72%	Counted as Bhangi, Mehtar, Olgana, Rukhi, Malkana, Halalkhor, Lalbegi, Balmiki, Korar, Zadmalli, Barwashia, Barwasia, Jamphoda, Zampada, Zampda, Rushi, Valmiki
Haryana[13]	1,079,682	4.25%	Counted as Balmiki, Chura, Bhangi, Mazhabi and Mazhabi Sikh
Himachal Pradesh[14]	35,150	0.51%	Counted as Balmiki, Bhangi, Chuhra, Chura, Chuhre and Mazhabi
Jammu & Kashmir[15]	6918	0.0%	Counted as Chura, Bhangi, Balmiki, Mehtar
Jharkhand[16]	58,242	0.17%	Counted as Hari, Mehtar, Bhangi
Karnataka[17]	5,281	0.0086%	Counted as Bhangi, Mehtar, Olgana, Rukhi, Malkana, Halalkhor, Lalbegi, Balmiki, Korar, Zadmalli
Madhya Pradesh[18]	365,769	0.5%	Counted as Bhangi, Mehtar, Balmik, Lalbegi, Dharkar
Maharashtra[19]	217,166	0.19%	Counted as Bhangi, Mehtar, Olgana, Rukhi, Malkana, Halalkhor, Lalbegi, Balmiki, Korar, Zadmalli, Hela
Mizoram[20]	21	0.0%	Counted as Mehtar, Bhangi
Odisha[21]	2,453	0.0%	Counted as Hari, Mehtar, Bhangi
Punjab[22]	3,500,874	12.61%	Counted as Mazhabi, Mazhabi Sikh, Balmiki, Chuhra, Bhangi
Rajasthan[23]	625,011	0.91%	Counted as Majhabi, Bhangi, Chura, Mehtar, Olgana, Rukhi, Malkana, Halalkhor, Lalbegi, Balmiki, Valmiki, Korar, Zadmalli
Tripura[24]	1,851	0.0%	Counted as Mehtor
Uttarakhand[25]	118,421	1.17%	Counted as Mazhabi and Balmiki
Uttar Pradesh[26]	1,319,241	0.66%	Counted as Balmiki
West Bengal[27]	431,257	0.47%	Counted as Hari, Mehtar, Mehtor, Bhangi, Balmiki

Notable people

• Om Prakash Valmiki
• Hans Raj Hans
• Navraj Hans
• Yuvraj Hans
• Sudeepa
• Devi Das Nahar
• Sabar Koti

Other countries

In the UK, the Council of Valmiki Sabhas UK claims to represent the Valmiki.^{[28][page needed][29]}

See also

• Mazhabi Sikh
• Matadin Bhangi
• Madakari Nayaka
• Bhai Jiwan Singh
• Bhura Singh Valmiki
• Gangu Baba
• Sikh Light Infantry
• Valmiki
• Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal
• Balmikism
• Valmiki Ashram