How the gotra rule works in a rishta
A gotra marks a patrilineal line, and the rule almost every Kamboj family follows is that the bride and groom must not share one. Most families extend the check to the mother’s gotra on both sides, and many go further and include both grandmothers. Families differ on how far back they apply it — that difference is the single most common reason a promising match stalls after the first meeting.
The practical advice is unglamorous: settle it first. Before photographs, before income, before the horoscope. It takes one phone call to an elder and it is the only detail in the whole process that cannot be negotiated afterwards.
These lists record the gotra names in current use in the community. SaathiSutra does not publish origin histories for individual gotras — that material is disputed between sources, and we would rather give you an accurate list than a confident story.
The 52 gotras
65 names recorded
- Abdal
- Ajpal
- Angiarey
- Asoi
- Bahujad
- Bajye
- Bage
- Ban
- Barar
- Batti
- Basra
- Chak
- Chandi
- Chandna
- Chatrath
- Daberah
- Dhanju
- Dhot
- Dote
- Dulai
- Handa
- Jaiya
- Jammu
- Jaspal
- Jatmal
- Josan
- Jaura
- Judge
- Kadi
- Khere
- Kosle
- Karanpal
- Kaura
- Kayar
- Khinda
- Kirgil
- Lori
- Mardak
- Mehrok
- Momi
- Mutti
- Nadha
- Nagpal
- Nagri
- Nandan
- Nibber
- Padhu
- Patanroy
- Pran
- Rattanpal
- Sama
- Sandha
- Sandher
- Sawan
- Soi
- Shahi
- Suner
- Tandne
- Tarikha
- Thind
- Tumme
- Turne
- Vinayak
- Pathan
- Unmal
The 84 gotras
84 names recorded
- Aglawe
- Ambri
- Angotre
- Bagwan
- Bahia
- Bangwaye
- Bangar
- Banjahal
- Banur
- Barham
- Barhgotey
- Bassi
- Bastorh
- Beeharh
- Bhujang
- Brahman
- Chamri
- Chaupal
- Cherta
- Chhanan
- Chhichhoti
- Chichare
- Chimne
- Chine
- Churiye
- Dange
- Datane
- Dehar
- Dehgal
- Dhare
- Dheel
- Dhehte
- Dode
- Doliyan
- Fukni
- Gadre
- Gagre
- Gande
- Gandheyor
- Gaure
- Geelawe
- Ghasitey
- Gogan
- Gosiley
- Gal
- Ghangra
- Harse
- Jade
- Jagman
- Jande
- Jangle
- Jhamb
- Jhand
- Kalra
- Kalar
- Kalsia
- Camari
- Khokhar
- Kokar
- Kukri
- Lahere
- Lakhi
- Lahndey
- Latte
- Lahange
- Lall
- Machhliye
- Magu
- Makore
- Mall
- Momsarang
- Sarang
- Mandey
- Melle
- Multani
- Nagambr
- Nehriye
- Nepal
- Nuri
- Pandey
- Padhasi
- Sainik
- Sandle
- Sathand
Gotra questions families ask
- How many gotras are there in the Kamboj community?
- The community recognises two traditional groupings: the 52 gotras and the 84 gotras. Both lists are set out in full on this page. Which grouping a family identifies with usually follows the region and the branch of the family rather than any ranking between them.
- Can two people with the same gotra marry?
- The rule almost all Kamboj families follow is that they cannot. A same-gotra match is treated as a match within the same lineage, and most families extend the rule to the mother’s gotra as well — and often to the grandmothers’ gotras. Families differ on how many generations back they apply it, which is exactly why it should be discussed before a meeting rather than after.
- What if a family does not know its gotra?
- It is more common than people admit, particularly among families resettled after 1947 in the Terai belt and among third-generation overseas families. The gotra is usually held in memory by the oldest surviving member on the father’s side. Ask before creating the profile — a gotra corrected after two families have spoken causes real embarrassment, and occasionally ends the rishta.
- Are Kamboj, Kamboh and Kamba the same community?
- They are variant names for the same community, used differently by region and by religious tradition — Kamboj is the more common form among Hindu and Sikh families in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, and Kamboh appears more often in some districts and among Muslim Kamboh families. SaathiSutra treats all three as one community for matching, and the profile lets you record which name your family uses.
- Does SaathiSutra check gotra automatically?
- The profile records gotra and the search filters let you exclude your own, so the obvious repeats are filtered out before you see them. It cannot verify that a gotra was entered correctly — that stays with the two families, and it is worth confirming directly rather than relying on a form field.