No other district in Himachal Pradesh provides as good variety of people as Chamba does. The five Wazarats of erstwhile Chamba State namely Chamba, Bhattiyat, Churah, Pangi and Bharmour now form sub-divisions of Chamba district. The people are called Chambyals, Bhattiyals, Churahis, Pangwals and Bharmauris according to the area they live in. Religion wise population can be divided into Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians.

Chamba has the distinction of having two tribal areas, Pangi and Bharmour. These areas have been declared as scheduled areas under the Constitution of India and as such the population living in these areas has acquired the status of Scheduled Tribes. Besides there is a sizeable population of the Bhots of Tibetan origin known as Bhatoris living in upper reaches of Pangi. Two nomadic tribes i.e. Gujjars and Gaddis inhabit some parts of the district. While Gaddis inhabit Bharmour and upper parts of Bhattiyat, the Gujjars are mainly found in Chamba, Churah and Salooni tehsils.

The Gaddis
The Gaddis are semi-agricultural tribe. They own large flocks of sheep and goats which are their main source of wealth. With them they go far a field, the summer being spent in the higher mountains of Pangi and Lahul and the winters in the low hills bordering on the plains. Some members stay back at home to tend the cattle and cultivate the land. On the whole they are better shepherds than farmers. The Gaddis are identifiable from a distance due to their typical dress comprising topa, chola and dora. They sport a hukah (smoking pipe) in their hand and khalru containing cereals and other essential articles on their back. The Gaddis are simple and honest lot. They are more known for their simplicity. The following saying is prevalent about the Gaddis:

Gaddi Mitar Bhola
Dinda Top Tan Mangda Chola
(Gaddi is simpleton.
He ask for coat in exchange for cap)
The Gaddis are sturdy people. The women are good looking. They are god-fearing people. Lord Shiva is their chief deity.

The Gujjars
The Gujjars are also a pastoral tribe. They rear buffaloes and keep moving in search of grazing pastures throughout the year. In summer they go to the high hills/dhars while in winter they move out to the plains. Most of the Gujjars families have cultivated land with them but their chief wealth is still the buffaloes. They build there temporary structures at the grazing places called kothas. The Gujjars trace their origin to Gujarat . Certain unforeseen reasons forced them to emigrate from Gujarat-Kathiawar region to Jammu & Kashmir and later to Chamba. The Gujjars in Chamba are predominately Muslims. The Gujjars are simple, sturdy and hardworking people. They can be recognised by their typical beard and dress. They wear on their heads a special type of turban (safa) made of muslin cloth mostly in white colour. As upper garment they wear a loose shirt (kameez) of blue or black cotton fabric.