The Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir are great herders of sheep and goats. In the nineteenth century, many of them used to migrate in search of pastures for their animals. Gradually, over the decades, they established themselves in the area and moved annually between their summer and winter grounds. Several households came together for this journey, forming what is known as Kafila. When the mountains were covered with snow, the herds were grazed in the low hills and during summers, the Bakarwals move upwards as when the snow melted, mountains were lush green.

In Himachal Pradesh, the Gaddi shepherds had a similar cycle of seasonal movement. They too spent their winter in the low hills of Shiwalik range, grazing their flock in scrub forests. In several other areas, this cyclic movement of nomadic tribes was a culture and people form groups to travel during summer and winter seasons.

The pattern of this cyclic movement was typical of many communities of Himalayas, including the Bhotiyas, Sherpas and Kinnauris. All of them had to adjust to seasonal changes and make effective use of available pastures in different places. When the pasture was exhausted or unusable in one place they move their herds and flock to new areas. This continuous movement allowed the pastures to recover and prevented their overuse.