Chhimba (also spelled Chimba, Chhimbe, Chimba, or Chippa) are variously described as a Sikh caste, community or clan of India.3 They were traditionally associated with dyeing, tailoring, or block-printing work.14 Alternative terms in Punjab for the community are Chhipa Chhapegir or Chhipi.21 According to the National Commission for Backward Classes, Chhimba is a synonym of Chhipi, Chimpa, and Chiba. They are included in the Central List of Other Backward Classes for the Union Territory of Chandigarh.5
Their traditional occupation in the Samba district of India was dying and hand-printing calico fabric. It was probably some of these people who moved to areas of Himachal Pradesh, where they created a somewhat different style of printing cloth that was much favoured by the Gaddi people of the region.67
Notable Chhimba Sikhs
References
References
- "Portrayal of piety and splendour". The Tribune - Spectrum. 19 March 2000. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- Parihar, Subhash (26 November 2023). "Kalā itihāsakāra nū yāda karadi'āṁ" ਕਲਾ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਯਾਦ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ [Remembering the art historian]. Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi). Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- Singh, Joginder (2014). "Sikhs In Independent India". In Singh, Pashaura; Fenech, Louis E. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-19100-411-7.
- Kumar, Raj (2008). "7: Washermen, Dyers and Tailors". Encyclopaedia of Untouchables: Ancient, Medieval and Modern. Kalpaz Publications. pp. 347–354. ISBN 9788178356648.
- NCBC Advice No. 14/Chandigarh/2013 (PDF). National Commission for Backward Classes, Government of India. 2013.
- Hāṇḍā, Omacanda (1998). Textiles, Costumes, and Ornaments of the Western Himalaya. Indus Publishing. pp. 132–134. ISBN 978-8-17387-076-7.
- Fenech, Louis E.; McLeod, W. H. (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-44223-601-1.