Bhand
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 33,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| • India • Pakistan • Nepal • Bangladesh | |
| Languages | |
| • Urdu • Hindi • Kashmiri • Punjabi • Bengali • Nepali | |
| Religion | |
| Hindu, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Naqqal |
Bhānds (Devanagari: भांड; Urdu: بھانڈ, Gurmukhi: ਭੰਡ, Bengali: ভাঁড়) are the traditional folk entertainers of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India and Nepal, the Bahand are now an endogamous Hindu and Muslim community, which is no longer involved in their traditional occupation of folk entertainment. They include actors, dancers, minstrels, storytellers and impressionists.
Payment for performances is usually voluntary: often, one performer goes around the audience collecting money on a "pay-what-you-can" basis while the others continue to perform.