Loni Maratha Kunabi

Loni Maratha Kunabi (alternately Loni Patil) refers to a community of people living in northwest Maharashtra, India.

History
The Lonis originated in Lonargadh, Rajasthan, in the early history of India. They used to trade in butter and other milk products. Due to some unknown reason they had to migrate to Maharshtra. After the migration they turned to farming.

In Maharshtra farmers are known as "Kunabi", as seen in the term "Loni Kunabi". The Loni community is concentrated in Jalgao, Dhule, Nasik and other districts of north Maharshtra. Most of the educated people migrated to Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad for career opportunities and settled in cosmopolitan areas.

Distribution
Loni Patil may be found in a various locations in Maharashtra, including many villages in Dhule district: Lamkani, Shirdhane, Vardhane, Aichale, Saitale, Burzad, Nandane, Kundane and Aasane. Nasik and Jalgaon also have a Loni presence in villages like Pachora, Varkhedi, Ambason, Chandanpuri. Small populations of Loni also live in cities like Malegaon, Shirpur, Nandurbar, Nasik, Mumbai(Virar), Surat, and Pune, etc...

Now Loni people from villages are shifting to cities for job and better future. it is said that Lonis were migrated from Rajasthan to Maharashtra in Kolhapur specially. it might be period of Rana pratapsingh. althogh it is not cleared what was the reason for this. but it is also considerable that the society doesnt have any rites and rituals similar to Rajasthani culture e.g. saari, ghoonghat, language. Because whenever the community travel or migrates it doesnt abandon its culture. Also other communities migrated from Rajasthan have their costume and names similar to Rajasthani style. So it is very important to see why did they got shifted from Kolhapur where they found their ancestors 500 years back. It is also interesting to search who is the main person (Mul purush)?