1. Kols or Koltas or Doms:

They are the original inhabitants of Garhwal believed to be of pre-Dravidian origin. The Kols or Koltas are dark complexioned  people  and  in  the  bygone  ages lived in the forests of Garhwal by hunting and food gathering. Later on, they made small clearings and settled down. They worshipped demons and goblins and later on also Nag and Narsingha.

These people are included in the scheduled castes. They traditionally have been cobblers, carpenters, sweepers, weavers and blacksmiths by profession. However, in the decades since Independence, they have found substantial representation in all the professions, including government service and politics.

2. Rajputs: 

The Rajputs of Garhwal are believed to be of Aryan origin. They came as waves of settlers either from the south or from the adjoining tracts of Himachal Pradesh, where they had come from the Hindu Kush through Kashmir. Later Rajput settlers to Garhwal aIso came from Rajasthan to escape from the invasions of the Muslims/Mughals.

These people fought and subdued the Kols or Koltas or Doms, who were living in Garhwal at that time. Initially, the Rajputs took to settled agriculture as they had brought new skills with them. Later on,
they took to other professions. They also joined the armies of various
kings of Garhwal in large numbers.

At present, the Rajputs can be found in most professions-agriculture, business and government service. Many Garhwali Rajputs are in the Armed Forces of India, particularly in the Army.

3. Brahmins:

The Brahmins of Garhwal are primarily considered to be the descen- dants of the priests who migrated from the plains or the Brahmins who came to visit the religious places in Garhwal. As a matter of fact, those Brahmins, too, are settled in Garhwal, who came during the migration of the Rajputs or even later.

Both, the Rajputs and Brahmins penetrated into the valleys of Garhwal to escape the rule of the Muslim invaders in the plains of India. There they founded villages or colonies, most of which were named after the places from where they had migrated. Some examples are:

(a) Ajmer patti and Udaipur patti, and 
(b) Telangi after Telangana.

In other cases, the people still retained their surnames or named
themselves after the place from where they had came. Some examples are:

(a) Karnatak and Telang after Mysore (Karnataka), and 
(b) Rawat and Joshi of Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

4: Tribals:

The tribals of Garhwal live in the upper, e.g. northern tracts. Some are of mongoloid origin and have a nomadic or semi-nomadic way of life. However, now-a-days, most of these people have taken to a settled life and are engaged in animal husbandry, agriculture, trade and other occupations. Important tribes of Garhwal are listed below:

a)  Jaunsaris of Jaunsar-Bawar
b)  Jadhs of Uttarkashi
c)  Marchas of Chamoli (Mana and Niti valleys) 
d)  Van Gujars 

The Bhotias

The Bhotias are businessmen  and  born  mountaineers. The  Bhotias  of  Uttarakhand claim descent from the Rajputs, who  came  from  Kumaon  and Garhwal and settled in the higher valleys.The Bhotias are to be found all along the Tibetan border from Nepal  in the east to Uttarkashi in the west.
 

Those  living close to  the Mana pass  near Badrinath  and those by the Niti pass are known as Tolchas and Marchas, respectively. The people living by the Untadhura pass are Joharis and Saukas. To the south of Johar are the Bhotias or Jethora Bhotias, who are cultivators.
Bhotias are worshippers of the peaks of Nanda Devi, Pancha Chuli etc. and those who are inclined towards Hinduism worship Gabla ( the Weather God), Runiya and Suniya gods, protect their animals from disease, and Sidhuwa and Bidhuwa gods, who help them find lost animals. 
 

Jadhs

The Jadhs  are a  tribal community  inhabiting the cold dry tracts of Uttarkashi District.

There are two main  villages - Nelang and Jadhang -- both situated at an elevation of about  3,400 m. The entire community used to migrate from these high altitude villages in the winter, some families staying back at a  settlement called  Dunda, while the rest of them moved   onto the forests  around  Rishikesh.

This  community  has close  social and economic ties with the people  living in  the adjoining  tracts of Himachal Pradesh and other parts  of  Uttarkashi. Most Jadhs considered  themselves to belong to a superior caste and the task of weaving was left to the Kols, who were considered to be of a lower caste. 

The  Jadhs have typical Mongoloid features and  speak a Tibetan  dialect. They  also  speak Garhwali and Pahari.
 

Jaunsaries

Jaunsar - Bawar forms the northern half of Dehradun District  and  the people living there are called the Jaunsaries. They are probably of very pure Aryan stock. This area had links with the ancient cultural  waves, which swept over  the  northern  part  of India,  particularly  during  the Vedic,  Mahayan,  Kushan  and Gupta periods of ancient Indian history.
 

The  people  follow many of  the  old  customs even today, distinct from their  compatriots elsewhere  in  Garhwal, Kumaon  and  Himachal
Pradesh. Even  the art and architecture has its unique features, with profound use of woodwork. 

The most important festival of the Jaunsaries is the  Magh Mela. During festivals, they wear the Thalka or Lohiya, which is a long coat. 

Thangel folds like tight-fitting trousers. Digwa or the cap is  the traditional  Jaunsari  head dress made of woolen cloth. Women  wear the Ghagra, Kurti and Dhoti  and are  fond of  ornaments.

The Jaunsarie still practice polyandry, which are said to be the conse- quence of their having had a close association with the legendary Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata, who had a common wife, Draupadi.

The Van Gujars

This is a tribe of nomadic Muslims, who are believed to have come to Garhwal as the dowry of a princess of Sirmaur. This tribe extends along the Himalaya from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh to Garhwal. They retain many of the cultural practices of the time before they were converted to Islam. They are purely vegetarian, living basically on milk based products to supplement their consumption of cereals.

They practice transhumance, migrating in the summer to the high mountain meadows, with their herds of buffaloes and cows, and withdrawing to the forests of the low lying tracks in the winters. 

Much of the milk supply of the hills during the pilgrimage season is provided by them. They are well-known for their command over forest lore.

All tribal communities have tremendous knowledge of traditional medicine systems and herbs.
 

The proportional distribution of the religious/ethnic groups of Garhwal is given below: