Kinnauras or Kinners reside in the
Kinnaur District in
Himachal Pradesh. They are also called as Kinara, Kanawara and Kannaura or Kinnaurese. The word Kinner derives from two Sanskrit words Kim and Nara which means ‘what kind of men?' These tribes are referred to in the
Mahabharata and the works of
Kalidasa. They speak the Kinnauri dialect, a group of the Tibeto-Burman language. The languages of
Hindi and Bhoti are also spoken by them. Rearing sheep and goats and raising wool are their main occupations. Besides, they engage in agriculture and horticulture. Women of this tribal group are beautiful, modest, and homely. Men wear chubha and woolen pyjamas and women wear Dhoru (a kind of woolen saree). They follow the system of joint family.
