Raut (caste)


Raut is an Indian caste, whose traditional occupation is herding.They are sub-divisions of Ahir caste.
The Rauts are mainly found in the Chhattisgarh state, and the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Traditionally, they were predominantly distributed in the districts of Durg, Raipur, Bastar, Nagpur and Bhandara.

Culture

Traditionally, the Rauts were involved in herding and milking cattle.
Raut Nacha is a traditional dance of the Raut community which is performed on Diwali. In this dance, the Rauts, wearing a special costume, sing and dance in a group with sticks in their hands in the pathways of the village. In the group, two or three persons wear the female costumes, which are called 'Pari'.
The Raut men traditionally performed the local folk epic Candaini in a combination of dance and song. The epic tells the story of princess Chanda, who leaves her impotent husband and falls in love with a common man Veer Lorik. Both the characters are from the Raut caste, and the epic seems to have originated in this caste. As late as 1980, the Candaini performers used to be primarily from the Raut caste, but now people from other communities also take part in the performances.