Meet the Maldhari Pugees
Amongst the Maldharis of Kachchh and Rajasthan you will find the Pugees who have a unique job ~ they read and interpret foot prints, both animal and human.
The Pugees are quick to identify and differentiate between the footprints.
Photo credits: Nipun Prabhakar
Sodha brothers demonstrate the variety of information they can get just by looking at those footprints.
To a Pugee, a footprint tells many stories; the weight, gait, disposition, style of walking, even the state of mind, by the depth of the imprint and how the earth scatters as the foot leaves the earth! Even family inherited features of a person! Foot impressions are shaped by genetic character, so they can reveal the community, the genealogy , even the family they belong to.
The little boy is the only one from the new generation who has shown interest in the skill of identifying footprints
Amidst the tarred roads and modern investigative methods, Pugees still find regular work for their skills.
A Stolen Can of Ghee













In a quandary, Haaroon, Jat Suleman and Meghji stopped by a tea stall to discuss the predicament. Both were sure that no one from the village itself would dare to rob.






Surprised, she said, "Oh then you knew that my nephew was here?.... he gave us a surprise by coming over a few days ago, but had to leave to go back home to Pakistan last night!"
Haroon beamed, while Suleman and Meghji turned to look at him with surprise and admiration!


admitted to the theft'
