Brahmin communities
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Brahmin communities in India are traditionally divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins according to the following shloka found in the Rajatarangini of Kalhana (12th century):
- कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः ।
- गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ॥
- सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः ।
- पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासिनः ॥
- "The Karnatakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Maharashtrakas and Gurjaras; these five (-types who- ) live south of Vindhya (- mountains) are (called-) "Dravida" (- brahmins); (whereas-) Saraswatas, Kanyakubjas, Gaudas, Utkalas, and Maithilas, who live north of Vindhya (- mountains) are known as "five Gauda" (- brahmins)."
The shloka only identifies the caste-system present on the basis of their regional presence. The classification of Brahmins, the highest varna, on the basis of Region is debatable (compare the Brahmin gotra system).[citation needed]
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[edit] Pancha-Gauda
Those from Uttarapatha (Aryavarta) (northern and eastern India.)
Approximately ordered according to geographical regions, from West to East
[edit] Saraswat
[edit] Kanyakubja
[edit] Gauda
Sanskrit gauḍa is a vrddhi derivation of guḍa, literally "sugar molass", but also the name of a tribe of the Madhyadesha. A school of thought believes that Gauda is sometimes taken to mean the Gaur region of Bengal. However the original meaning of the term coincides with region termed as Brahmakshetra:
- ब्रह्मक्षेत्रं गुडारण्यं मत्स्यपाञ्चालमाथुराः
- एष ब्रह्मर्षि देशो वै ब्रह्मावर्त समम्बरम् ॥
- ब्रह्मक्षेत्रं कुरुक्षेत्रं ब्रह्मदेशः प्रकथ्यते
- आदिगौदर्षिदेशान्तं हर्यारण्यमिहोच्यते ॥[citation needed]
[edit] Utkal(Orissa)
' '
[edit] Pancha-Dravida (Five Southern)
Those from Dakshinapatha (South India, including Gujarat and Maharashtra).
[edit] Gujarat
- Trivedi Mewada Brahman
- Bhatt Mewada Brahman Migrated from Mewad, Rajasthan during time of Great King Rana pratap to Gujarat some 250 years ago. i.e 1750 to 1760
- Saurashtra Trivedi Mewad Brahman
- Saurashtra Bhatt Mewada Brahman
- Pushkarna Brahman
- Nagar Brahman
- Audich Brahman
- Modh Brahman
- Bardai Brahman
- Girinarayan Brahman
- Khedaval Brahman
- Shrimali Brahman
- Anavil Brahman
- Sidhra-Rudhra Brahmins
- Sree gauda Brahman
- Prashnora Brahman
[edit] Maharashtra
[edit] Karnataka
- Kannada Brahmins
- Daivajna Brahmins
- Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins
- Badaganadu Brahmins
- Babbur Kamme Brahmins
- Shukla Yajurveda Brahmins
- Ulucha Kamme Brahmins
- Niyogi Brahmins
- Madhva Brahmins
- Mandyam Iyengars
- Hebbar Iyengars
- Mysore Iyengars
- Havyaka Brahmin
- Sankethi Brahmins
- Sthanika Brahmins
- Koota Brahmins
- Smartha Brahmins
- Karhade Brahmins
- Deshastha Brahmin
- Mysore Iyers
- Panchagrama Brahmin
- Ashtagrama iyers
- Mulukanadu Brahmins
- Saraswat Brahmins, totally different from Gowda Saraswat Brahmins and one of the smallest groups of Brahmins in terms of population.
- Gauda Saraswat Brahmins (Generally considered Pancha-Gauda)[1]
- Tuluva Brahmins[2]
[edit] Andhra Pradesh
[edit] Tamil Nadu
- Iyers (sub-divided further into Vadama, Vathima, Brahacharanam, Ashtasahasram, Gurukkal, Dikshitar, Kaniyalar, Prathamasaki)
- Iyengars (sub-divided into Vadakalai and Thenkalai)
[edit] Kerala
- Namboothiri Brahmins
- Kerala Iyers
- Embranthiris
- Pushpaka Brahmins (Ambalavasis)
- Sharada Brahmins
- Nagariks or the Brahmin migrants from north India
[edit] List of sub-castes
Some of the existing sub-castes from Panch-Gaur group of Brahmins are:
- Assamese Brahmins
- Bengali Brahmins
- Bhargav Brahmins
- Bhumihar Brahmins
- Dadhich Brahmins
- Dube Brahmins
- Gaur Brahmins
- Gautam Brahmins
- Kashmiri Pandits
- Khandelwal Brahmins
- Khedaval Brahmins
- Mohyal Brahmins
- Kanyakubja Brahmins
- Kota Brahmins
- Kulin Brahmins
- Maithili Brahmins
- Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
- Sanadhya Brahmins
- Saraswat Brahmins
- Saryupareen Brahmins
- Shakdwipi Brahmins
- Shrimali Brahmins
- Suryadhwaja Brahmins
- Tyagi Brahmins
Some of the existing sub-castes from Panch-Dravida group of Brahmins are:
- Bardai Brahmins
- Chitpavan Brahmins (Konkanasth)
- Daivajna Brahmin
- Dhima Brahmins
- Deshastha Brahmin
- Gouda Saraswat Brahmins
- Havyaka Brahmin
- Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins
- Iyers, Iyengar (Vadakalai Thenkalai )
- Kandavara Brahmins
- Kannada Brahmins
- Karhade Brahmins
- Koota Brahmins
- Koteshwara Brahmins
- Nagar Brahmins
- Namboothiri (Namboodiri, Namboodiripad, Bhatathiripad)
- Padia Brahmins
- Pushpaka Brahmins (Ambalavasi Brahmins)
- Saklapuri Brahmins
- Sankethi Brahmins
- Shivalli Brahmins
- Sthanika Brahmins
- Telugu Brahmins (Vaidiki, Niyogi)
- Tuluva Brahmins
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Brahmin
- Panch-Gauda
- Gauḍa brahmins
- Sanadhya brahmin
- Maithil Brāhamana
- Utkala Brahmin
- Bengali Brahmins
- Rajpurohit
- Shakadvipi
- Hinduism
- Forward Castes
