Introduction / History

The Ghanchi or Ghaanchi are a Gujarati Muslim people living in Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They speak the languages of Gujarati, Kutchi and Mewari.

The Ghanchi by tradition have manufactured cooking oil. They came with the Mongols when they invaded, to supply oil to the army for lights. They later came to live in Gujarat. Mostly they live in the regions of Banaskantha, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha and Northern Gujarat. They live in the towns of Godhra, Kadi, Kalol, Ranpur, Lunawada, Botad, Dhandhuka, Paliyad and Wadhwan.

In Rajasthan, the Ghanchi are supposed to have got their name from ghanch which is a traditional oil pressing machine. They live in the regions of Banswara, Dungarpur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Like the Mewari, they speak Urdu. Today they work in oil pressing and many are cultivators also. They have a caste association for the whole state. They are endogamous, marrying kin who are close.

The Ghanchi in Gujarat have manufactured cooking oil by tradition. They now do other work due to modern technology. Many have become businessmen and work in transporting. They have their own association called the Ghanchi Jamat.

Many live in Ghanchi and Ghanchi Jamatkhana in Gujarat and Mumbai.

The Ghanchi Muslim are a close community of people. They get the cooking oil from seeds. Many have moved to Mumbai with there being more job opportunities. In Mumbai the Kadiwal Muslim Ghanchi Community Hall helps the Ghanchi community to come together.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ghanchi are Sunni Muslims in the Deobandi sub sect.

References

kadiwalghanchimumbai.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghanchi_(Muslim)