# Sidis  
The scholarship on Sidis (Afro-Indians) has expanded since the turn of the century (de Silva Jayasuriya and Pankhurst, 2003). In the western Indian state of Gujarat, the search for lions in the Gir Forest also revealed the presence of Sidis. In India alone there are an estimated 75,000 Sidis with the majority in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and a smaller number in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Sidis consider themselves an endogamous group, similar to what Hindus call jati and Muslims call jamat. The Portuguese called this grouping a casta and 'caste', borrowed by the English, is well known. In the South Indian state of Karnataka, Sidis are either Muslim, Christian or Hindu and this variation reflects their different histories. Not surprisingly, cross-religious marriages occur among the Sidis, indicating the importance of group identity primarily expressed through caste. But caste has also preserved the 'otherness' of Afro-Indians who would otherwise have assimilated and lost their African identity. In other states, religious identity overrides ethnic identity, resulting in inter-ethnic marriages which maintain religious homogeneity.  
Self-identification is a key force and a growing factor as the diaspora begins to learn of its shared histories. The homeland is no longer merely imagined, and a few have visited Africa to perform goma, their traditional music, at music festivals. Increased interaction between Afro-Asians and Africans has heightened awareness of their ancestral land. Affinities in physiognomical features still rekindle emotional ties with Africans.