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7/28/2019 Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh16
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Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh16
Brahmins have been migrating from time immemorial. The Brahmin
families that migrated made an impact peacefully by example rather thanconverting people by any means.
The Brahmin migration to the South features in the legends of sageAgastya. The Vindhya mountain range in central India continued to grow
higher showing its might and obstructed cloud movement causing draught.
Sage Agastya decided to solve the problem and traveled south. TheVindhya mountain bowed to Agastya and the sage requested Vindhya to
stay prostrated until he returns. Vindhya complied with this request and
sage Agastya never returned to north.
The earliest Brahmins to arrive in Andhra were most probably sage
Viswamitra's students and progeny around 1200 BC. South Indian kings
showed respect and patronage for Brahmins and Brahminism since ancienttimes, e.g., Satavahana dynasty that ruled for five centuries and extended
over Andhra and central India, founded by Srimukha (221-198 BC),
supported Brahminism and Vedic tradition.16a One of the most importantfeatures of Satavahana dynasty was granting land to Brahmins.16b Sangam
era of Chera, Chola and Pandya kings in Deep South also used to grant
lands to Brahmins.16c Similarly there have been Brahmin migrations backand forth that continue even today. Due to these waves of Brahmin
migrations, perhaps, we see today various sub-castes and traditions among
Brahmins.
Most of the Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong tosmaarta Brahmingroup, i.e., the followers of smritis and followers of Adi Sankaracharya.
The smaarta Brahmins followApastambasmriti orApastambasutra (notManusmriti). Apasthamba (~600 BC) was one of the earliest lawmakers of
south India who lived on the banks of River Godavari. Boudhayana,
Parasara, Yajnvalkya sutras and other laws were also important in the past,e.g., in the courts of Srikrishnadevaraya.16d Pradhamasakha Niyogi
Brahmins (see below) follow Yajnavalkyasutras and Kanvasutras. The
smaarta Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh can be grouped into two major
divisions formed about a thousand to about 700 years ago (most probablyduring Kakatiya rule), Niyogi and Vaidiki. However, in addition to
smaarta Brahmins, there are other Brahmin groups such as Sri Vaishnavas,Madhavas and Aradhyas. I have grouped them in Vaidiki Brahmin groupbelow for convenience only. Today, many Brahmins don't know and don't
care about these distinctions. Intermarriages have been very common
among theses groups. As a matter of fact, Brahmins have been marryingnon-Brahmins also. The following is only of historical importance.
i) Niyogi Brahmins : Niyogi Brahmins are those Brahmins who took up
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various secular vocations including military activities and gave up religious
vocation, especially the priesthood. Niyogi Brahmins depend and
emphasize on modern education. They were ministers in the courts ofkings and feudatories. Many of them were village accountants/clerks,
karanams (Andhra) orpatwaris (Telangana), until recently. The Niyogis
are considered to be eligible for priestly service. But they will never eitheraccept a religious gift or partake ofSraaddha food (food given to Brahmins
duiring the death related rituals). According to Jogendranath
Bhattacharya16e, Niyogi name is derived from Yoga, which means religiouscontemplation or meditation, as opposed to Yaga, which means religious
sacrifice. Niyogin in Sanskrit also means "employed" or "appointed" and
accordingly, it is probable that they are so-called because they accept
secular employment.
They were very rich and influential. Legendary Rayamantri belongs to this
group. Niyogi Brahmins include eminent personalities like Veeresalingam
Kandukuri, Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli, Venkatgiri Varahagiri, KL Rao,Prakasam Tanguturi, Venkatanarasimharao Pamulaparti (PV), General K.
V. Krishnarao etc. PV was the only Brahmin Chief Minister (1971-72) ofAndhra Pradesh and also the only Telugu Brahmin Prime Minister (1991-
1996) from South India who ruled the modern Indian Union. Over the past
millennium the Niyogi Brahmins are divided further into various groups:
a) Pradhamasakha (First Branch) Niyogi Brahmins
b) Aruvela Niyogi
c) Nandavarika Niyogid) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogig) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu.j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi.
a) Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins: This caste belongs to Sukla
(white)Yajurveda School12 , while majority of Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh
belong to krishna (black) Yajurveda School. In Maharashtra also there is agroup of Brahmins called Pradhamasakha Brahmins. The Pradhamasakha
Niyogi Brahmins16f are further divided into branches such as
Vajasaneyulu, Saivulu, Yajnavalkyulu and Kanvulu.
b) Aruvela Niyogi: Aruvela Niyogi group is the largest Niyogi group.
They belong to Krishna Yajurveda School. According to some, the word
"Aruvela" is derived from 6000 (Aruvelu) villages in velanadu area of
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Andhra Pradesh. Some believe that Arvelanadu is an alternate name for
Velandu and hence the Niyogi Brahmins of that region are Arvela Niyogis.
Aruvela Nioyogi Brahmins are political, worldly-wise, and businessminded. They were ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories, and
clerks and accountants (Karanalu). Pamulaparti family belongs to Aruvela
Niyogi Brahmins.
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu: These are teachers,
officials, village accountants (karanam). They are mostly located in
Ganjam and Visakha districts. Famous poet Krishnamurthy Sistu belongs
to this group of Brahmins.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi
ii) Vaidikulu (Vaidiki Brahmins): Vaidiki Brahmins are those Brahminswho practice mainly religious vocation performing various religious
activities, in addition to other mainstream secular vocations like
agriculture, cooking, teaching, clerical, management, administration,
architecture, science etc. They perform various religious activitiesincluding performing rituals and prayers to please Gods, planets and stars
as priests for both Brahmins and non-Brahmins, at homes and in temples.
However, they are not the priests for many Hindu temples in which animalsacrifices are common. The priests in such Hindu temples are non-
Brahmins. Vaidikis also perform rituals for every occasion in life such as
birth, giving solid food to the infant for the first time (annapraasanamu),initiation into education (upanyanamu), female puberty, marriage,
consummation of marriage, several stages of pregnancy, death, carrying the
dead bodies, cremating the dead, etc. Many of these rituals are very
important and limited to Brahmins, except a few ceremonies like marriage.They also take up even begging as ascetics. This ascetic life of Brahmins
was the inspiration for the Buddhist ascetics.
The majority of Vaidikulu belongs to krishna Yajurveda School. However,
there are Rigvedis, Samavedis etc. also. Some Brahmins had proficiency
in several Vedas, e.g., Dvivedi is one who has proficiency in 2 Vedas,Trivedi in 3 vedas and Chaturvedi in 4 vedas and are known by those titles
as such. However, these titles became family names, even though the
family members may not know any Veda at all today. While Niyogis
embraced western education, Vaidikulu had shunned Western education
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and as a consequence many Vaidikulu are poor and not well educated in
Western education, contrary to the notion that Brahmins are rich and well
educated.
According to Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji, the
Brahmins who perform priestly duties and other religious activities shouldfollow certain rules:
The Brahmin has to wake up at four in the morning and bathe in coldwater, rain or shine, warm or cold. Then, without a break, he has to
perform one rite after another: sandhyavandana, Brahmayajna, aupasana,
puja, vaisvadeva and one of the 21 sacrifices. If you sit before sacrificial
fire for four days you will realise how difficult it is with all the heat andsmoke. How many are the vows and the fasts the Brahmin has to keep and
how many are the ritual baths....
.... Other castes do not have to go through such hardships. A Brahmincannot eat "cold rice"in the morning like a peasant - he has no "right" to
it. The dharmasastras are not created for his convenience or benefit, nor toensure that he has a comfortable life. He would not have otherwise
imposed on himself the performance of so many rites and a life of such
rigorous discipline. When he has his daytime meal it will be 1 or 2. (On the
day of a sraddha it will be three or four). This is the time the peasant willhave his rest after his meal under a tree out in the field where he works.
And the Brahmin's meal, mind you, is as simple as the peasant's. There is
no difference between the humble dwelling of the peasant and that of theBrahmin. Both alike wear cotton. The peasant may save money for the
future but not the Brahmin. He has no right either to borrow money or to
live in style. ...
In the "Yaksa-prasna" of the Mahabharata the simple life of Brahmin is
referred to:
pancame' hani saste va sakam pacati svegrhe
Anrni ca' pravasi ca sa varicara modate
If daytime is divided into eight parts, the Brahmin may have his food only
in the fifth or sixth part after performing all his rites. Before that he hasneither any breakfast nor any snacks. And what does he eat? Not any rich
food, no sweets like almonds crushed in sweetened milk. "Sakam pacati" -
the Brahmin eats leafy vegetables growing on the banks of rivers, suchareas being no one's property. Why is he asked to live by the river side? It
is for his frequent baths and for the leafy vegetables growing free there
and for which he does not have to beg. He should not borrow money: that
is the meaning of the word "anrni", because if he developed the habit ofborrowing he would be tempted to lead a life of luxury. Poverty and non-
acquisitiveness (aparigraha) are his ideals. A Brahmin ought not to keep
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even a blade of grass in excess of his needs. ...
The Brahmin must be conversant with the fourteen branches of the Vediclore. He must be proficient even in Gandharva-veda or music and must be
acquainted with agricultural science, construction of houses, etc. At the
same time he must give instructions in these subjects to pupils from theappropriate castes. His own vocation is the study of the Vedas and he must
have no other source of income. ...
If the Brahmin is asked, "Do you know to wield a knife? " he must be able
to answer, "Yes, I know". If he is asked, "Do you know to draw and paint"
again he must (be able to) say, "Yes". But he cannot wield a knife or
become an artist to earn his livelihood. All he can do is to learn these artsand teach others the same according to their caste. He is permitted to
receive a daksina to maintain himself and he must be contented with it
however small the sum may be. The Brahmin's specialty is his true
vocation is Vedic learning.
... The goal of Vedic works is the happiness of all mankind, indeed thehappiness of all the worlds ("Lokah samastah sukino bhavanthu"). The
sound of the Vedas creates universal well-being, so too Vedic sacrifices.
Brahmins would be committing a sin if they gave up Vedic rituals and
earned money by doing other types of work.
However, it is important to realize that the successive secular governments
in the Indian Union are determined to destroy the Hindu religions, in favorof non-Hindu religions. The modern Indian democracy tends to support
Abrahamic religions to appease the rich and powerful global proselytizing
religions. The ancient tradition of rulers protecting Brahmins is an obsoletetradition. Accordingly, it is upon the individual citizens to step up to help
and protect Brahmins, temples and their traditions. As the times have
changed, even Vaidika Brahmins should earn money to protect theDharma, despite the traditional ban on earning money. That was one of the
main reasons for the existence of Niyogi Brahmins. However, many
Brahmins in India are Naxalites, communists and atheists. Thus, it is
incumbent on all Brahmins, who believe in their culture, to rise to thechallenge of protecting the Vedik culture. Otherwise, the extinction of
Hindu culture and Brahmin tradition is not far away. See a review of
Brahmin Poverty in Andhra Pradesh:http://www.vepachedu.org/brahmana-tribe.html.
There are many subcastes in Vaidiki Brahmins as well:
l) Vaishnava
m) Draavidulu
n) Madhvulu
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o) Velanati Vaidikulu
p) Telaganyulu or Telaganadu Vaidikis
q) Venginati Vaidikulur) Kasalnati Vaidikulu
s) Muraknati Vaidikulu
u) Adisaivuluv) Saivulu
l) Vaishnava: Pancharatra and Vaikhanasa Brahmanulu: Amongthe Vaishnavities, the strict vegetarians and highly educated people also are
given the approximate status of brahmins in Andhra Pradesh. They adhere
to either the medieval Tenkalai or Vadakalai and Agaama scriptures. One
section follows Vaikhanasa scriptures and other the Pancharaatra,dealing mainly with temple ritual. They run large temple establishments
very efficiently. They rose to prominence during Vijayanagar times. They
are followers ofpanchasanskara, ekayanayajussakha and katyayanasutra.
These Vaishnavite Brahmins are spread mainly in Karnataka and Andhra,and to some extent in Tamilnadu also. Vaikhanasa subcaste belongs to this
group. The great Vaishnavite reformers like Ramanujacharya, Ramananda(north India), Madhva (all over south India), Vallabhacharya (found among
velanadu, gujarat, rajasthan and UP), Nimbaarka, etc. Not all the followers
of these Vaishnavite reformers are Brahmins. Some of these Vaishnavitesinclude Acharis, Iyengars and velanadu vaideekulu. These Vaishnavas are
also known as Andhra Vaishnava.
They rely on the doctrines laid down in the medieval scriptures
(agamas). Many of the famous temple establishments like Tirupati and
Ahobilam are run per vaishnavite agamic canons. The big heartedRaamanuja fought against caste distinctions and gathered under his
doctrine, people from all walks of life and caste and religion and
occupation and said henceforth they shall be known as one community.Thus he created the Iyengar community, and told them to always work for
reform of society. Some of the earlier vaishnava and bhagaavata adherents
also merged into the iyengars. Later there was a large immigration ofRamaanandi vaishnavas from north India and another large migration
from Gujarat. While they too merged, slight differences arose.
The great Raamanuja specifically included among his followers sc's,
tribals, immigrant foreign soldiers, arabs and turks, destitutes women,jains, etc. Raamanuja's efforts are glossed over by modern pseudo-secular
writers.Ramanuja and his later disciples running the movement, certainly
saw to it that there was no more exclusivism of caste groups inside thecommunity. All the same it appears they made sure that the brightest were
selected as iyengars, evangelizers of vaishnavism, without any regard to
their former caste or other origins. It is however true, after some centuriesthis reformist movement became just another caste, not quite sure about its
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place in the hierarchy.
The immense and lasting influence of Raamanuja is probably not realised
by many Indians. Here are some direct and indirect descendants of histhought: ---the entire actual live vaishnava tradition of today, and
including offshoots and modifications and the movements heavilyinfluenced like those of Raamananda Kabir Ravidas Nanak Tulsidas
Vallabhacharya Nimbaarka Madhvacharya Raghavendra ChaitanyaRamdas. ...even recent reformers like Phule and isckon and others
One characteristic method used by the gurus was community dinners,
where everybody sat together without distinction. This went a long way
towards reduction of old discriminations. As a consequence there areexpert cooks who easily handle very large scale cooking among them. Old
tribal cult spots and medieval pilgrimage centers like the Varaaha shrine
at Tirupati were modernised, along with the new scriptures and new
rituals invented by Ramanujacharya to foster a cooperative spirit. He alsokept in mind the weaning away of simple tribal people from blood
sacrifices. It seems many jains also merged with vaishnavites, just like inan earlier era buddhists shifted to various sects of saivism. His followers
also took up the spread of education, whose effect which lasts to this day.
The vaishnavite communities in Andhra Pradesh have a marked benttowards education, literature and performing arts like music and dance.
TheMadhvaas date from the recent reform activities ofMadhvacharya(somewhere in the 12th century) also of the vaishnava sampradaya , and
they were prominent in the last days of Vijayanagar (1500's) . A famous
guru of the line wasRaghavendraswami. (They are found all overkarnataka, south Maharashtra, Tamilnadu as well as Andhra). Their roots
include a strong marathi one, and a north Indian connection as well.
(http://netinfo.hypermart.net/reformist.htm)
m) Draavidulu: Draavids, who seem to be north Indian Brahmins who
arrived in coastal Andhra. Dravidas are further divided into subcastes like
Aaraamadravidulu, Perurudravidulu, Ryalidravidulu, Divili Brahmins,Pudurudravidulu, Tummagunta Brahmins etc based on the locations they
settled. Some of these Dravida Brahmins belong to Rigveda school and
some belong to Krishnayajurveda school. The Telangana Vaidiki Brahmin
caste to which Goutamiputra Satakarni beloged to is a Dravida Brahmincaste (?). This group belongs to Rigveda school. For more onDravida
Brahmins click here.
n) Madhvulu: Madhvas are the followers of Sri Madhvacharya, (a k. a.
srimad Anandateertha), the 13th century saint-philosopher of Karnataka,
India (see also http://www.madhva.org and http://www.madhva.net). Theywere prominent in the last days of Vijayanagar (1500's).
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Raghavendraswami was a famous guru of this caste. They are found all
over Karnataka, south Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Andhra and have very
strong roots in Maharashtra and the north.
o) Velanati Vaidikulu16e : The Velnadus are most numerous class of
Vaidiki Brahmins. Vallabhachari, who in the 15th century attained greatsuccess as prophet, and whose descendants are worshipped almost as gods
still Rajputana, Gujarat and Maharashtra was a member of this caste. The
Velnadus are most numerous in the Godavari and Krishna districts.Colonies of this caste are found in the erstwhile Mysore State (Karnataka),
except Kadur.
p) Telaganyulu or Telaganadu Vaidikis: The Telaganya Vaidikis are
as numerous as the Velnadus and found mostly in Telangana, chiefly inthe Northeaster part of erstwhile Hyderabad Kingdom.
q) Venginati Vaidikulu: The Venginadus are chiefly found in the
districts of Godavari and Vizianagaram, formerly known as the Vengi
Country. r) Kaasalnati Vaidikulu: The Kasalanadu derive their name from
Kosala, the ancient name of Oude, from where they migrated to KalingaCountry, where they are found now.
s) Muraknati Vaidikulu: Murakanati Vaidikis are found mostly in the
country sounth of the River Krishna. They are numerous in Karnataka. t) Gouda Brahmins are teachers and priests. They belong to Sukla
Yajurveda and Kanva madhyandina sakha and have the family names such
as Joshi, Ojjhulu etc.
u) Adisaivulu: They belong to Krishna Yajurveda school. These SaivaBrahmins are further devided into several castes such as Kanchisaivulu,
Antarvedisaivulu, Balajipetasaivulu, Tiruvalngadusivulu, Sakteya
Brahmins etc. v) Saivulu: The Saivite Brahmins follow the Saiva aagamas. However,
they study Vedas also and belong to Krishna Yajurveda school. One of the
sects of these saivite Brahmins is called Aradhyas, related toPanditaradhyas ofSivakaviyugamu (Era of Saiva poets) of 12th century.
They generally run Saiva and Shakti shrines, often very large, and famous
ones like Kalesvaram, Vemulavada, Srisailam, Kalahasti, etc. They have a
link to Kashmir Saivism, Varanasi and Jyotirlinga shrines all over Indialike Kedarnath. The rituals they follow are different from thesmaartas.
Aradhyas are in fact semiconverted Lingayats. They following Basava
and attach great importance to Linga worship. However, they adhere toBrahminism, recite Gayatri prayers and marry Smaarta Brahmins.
Although Lingayat Saiva religion attempted to dismatle the tribal
differences, the Lingayats adhere to their original castes naturally. ThusAradhyas remain designated to be Brahmins, just like other castes in
Lingayat religion (followers of Basava) today, e.g., various Jangamas.
2) Chitpavana Brahmins: Konkanastha Brahmins17
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Chitpavan brahmins are basically from Konkan, the coastal belt of western
Maharashtra. Since they are from Konkan they are known as Konkanastha.
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj appointed Balaji Vishwanath Bhatt as hisPeshwa or Prime Minister. It was the first time a person from Konkan
appointed to an important post in Deccan. Eventually, many people from
Konkan migrated to join the service of Marattha kingdom. ChitpavanBrahmin folks are easily recognised by the certain characteristics suc as
fair skin, light coloured eyes (blue, green or grey), sharp nose, distinct
jawline, and some have light or blonde hair.
3) Daivajna Brahmins
4) Deshastha Brahmins
5) Dhima Brahmins
The Brahmins of Haryana14 are divided into four main groups: Gaurs,
Saraswats, Khandelwals and Dhima. The Khandelwals and Dhima came
into this region after Saraswats and Gaurs, most probably from neighboringRajasthan. The Brahmins themselves had a ranking system between them
with the Gaurs being on the top followed by the Saraswats, theKhandelwals and the Dhima. The Gaurs used to consider themselves to be
superior to the other Brahmins and neither ate, drank nor intermarried with
them.
6) Gaur Brahmins
The Gaurs of Haryana claim that they come to Haryana originally from
Bengal. It is believed they came as Purohitas along with various immigrantfarming tribes. The Brahmins themselves had a ranking system between
them with the Gaurs being on the top followed by the Saraswats, the
Khandelwals and the Dhima. The Gaurs used to consider themselves to besuperior to the other Brahmins and neither ate, drank nor intermarried with
them.
7) Gouda Saraswat Brahmins
8) The Havyakas18
It is believed that the Kadamba kingdom had many Kshatriyas andHavyakas were brought in to perform the royal rituals and the related
functions of the empirical government. Thus the first few families were
settled in Banavasi, the beautiful capital of the Kadambas and the place soadored by Pampa. Since the very purpose of bringing these Brahmin
families was to perform Havana (Havya) and Homa (Gavya), they were
aptly named as Havyaga or Haveega, which has transcended to the presentday "Havika" or "Havyaka." This functionality of naming even extended to
the specific role played by families in the whole gamut of rituals. Thus
originated the seven family names given by Raja Mayooravarma. The
Havyakas are the only Brahmins who derive their surnames from the job
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they perform rather than by their origin (e.g., Kota, Shivalli) or by the
preacher (e.g., Madhva) or by God worship (e.g., Shivite, Vaishnavite).
Thus came the names "Hegade (Hegde)" for the head of the village whosponsors the ritualistic activities, "Dixit" for one who is the head of the
Yajna, "Bhat", who actually performs the rituals and so on.
9) Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins
10) Iyer19 : The earliest group of Brahmins to come to Tamil Nadu islargely known as Gurukuls. They have been here from very ancient times
and were primarily invited to be temple priests in the early Chola period.
Many of them were great Vedic scholars. They conducted the coronation of
the kings and acted as their spiritual advisors and Gurus. They also acted asthe Gurus to the villages and the towns where the temples were located.
They advised people on various matters including fixing of auspicious time
for commencing important ventures. Many of them were the great
exponents of Vedic Astrology and Ayurvedic Medicine. They are supposedto be followers of Baudhyanasutra and are divided as 'Kanchipuram',
'Tiruvalangadu' and 'Thirukazhakundram' Gurukuls. It is interesting that allthe three are the names of ancient towns and temples around Kanchipuram.
This clearly indicates that the earliest migration was to Kanchipuram.
Kanchipuram is one of the two most ancient cities of India, the other beingVaranasi (Kashi). The linkage between the Varanasi (Kashi) and Kanchi
has existed from earliest times and has been facilitating the migration of
priests between the North and the South. It is possible that Kanchipuram,
Tiruvangadu and Tirukalikundram were the first destinations for theGurukuls who arrived. They stayed and worked there till they were
redeployed to other interior temples and towns.
11) Kandavara Brahmins
12) Karade Brahmins
13) Karhada Brahmins
14) Kashmiri Saraswat Brahmins
15) Kayastha Brahmins
16) Khandelwal Brahmins
The Brahmins of Haryana14 are divided into four main groups: Gaurs,Saraswats, Khandelwals and Dhima. The Khandelwals came into this
region after Saraswats and Gaurs, most probably from neighboring
Rajasthan.
17) Konkanastha Brahmins
18) Kota Brahmins
19) Koteshwara Brahmins
20) Nagar Brahmins
21) Namboothiri Brahmins
22) Padia Brahmins
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23) Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
24) Saklapuri Brahmins
25) Sanketi Brahmins
26) Saraswat Brahmins
a) The Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins20
The Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins represent a relatively small group ofBrahmins who firmly established their identity as a unified group in the
year 1708. The history of migration of their ancestors from Kashmir to a
variety of places all over the country of India serves to demonstrate howtheir strong religious and cultural beliefs developed into the present
century. Today, members of this group are in Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka, and Tamilnadu.
b) Kashmiri Saraswat Brahmins or Kashmiri Pandits21
According to accepted traditions in the rest of the country, Kashmiri
Brahmins are believed to be a branch of the Saraswat Brahmins who were
so called because they were believed to have settled along the course of anancient river in the North-West Indian Continet (Indo-Pak region) called
Saraswati. When this river dried up, these Brahmins migrated. A largesection of this uprooted community was settled in the Western Konkan
coast of the present state of Maharashtra. Others moved further North into
the Valley of Kashmir. The first Prime Minister of the Indian Union, PanditJawaharlal Nehru, belongs to the Pandit community. The Nehru dynasty
ruled the Union for almost half a century. Yet, Kashmiri Pandits are
subjected to a genocide, which under UN resolution, means any of the
following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, anational, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bringabout its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. (Article 2ofConvention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted
by Resolution 260 (III) A of the U.N. General Assembly on 9 December 1948. Entry into
force: 12 January 1951. U.N.T.S. No. 1021, vol. 78 (1951), p. 277)
Genocide in Kashmir22
400,000 Kashmiri Pandits, constituting 99% of the total population
of Hindus living in the Kashmir Valley, were forcibly pushed out of
the Valley by Muslim terrorists, trained in Pakistan, since the end of
1989. They have been forced to live the life of exiles in their owncountry, outside their homeland, by unleashing a systematic
campaign of terror, murder, loot and arson.
Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits has reached its climax with Muslim
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terrorism succeeding in 'CLEANSING' the valley of this ancient
ethno-religious community.
With the completion of 11th year of their forced exile, this peace
loving, culturally rich community with a history of more than 5000
years, is fighting a grim battle to save itself from becoming extinct
as a distinct race and culture.
Main Refugee Camp Sites in Jammu: Muthi Camp,TransportNagar, Purkhoo Camp, Stadium Camp, Jhiri Camp, Nagrota Camp,
Mishriwala Camp, and Battalbalian Camp, Udhampur
Main Camp Sites in Delhi: Nandnagri,Sultanpuri, Kailash Colony,Maviya Nagar,South Extension,Palika Dham,Lajpat Nagar,Aliganj,
Bapu Dham,Amar Colony,Mangol Puri,Patel Nagar,Sultanpuri,MotiNagar and Begampura.
(See also:http://www.kashmir-
information.com/Atrocities/index.html)
c) Rajapur/Balawalikar Saraswat Brahmanas22Rajapur/Balawalikar Saraswat Brahmanas,as they are known, belong to the
"Pancha (five) Gauda Brahmana" groups or "Gaudadi Panchakas". The
Saraswats of all subsects of today are said to have originated from theSaraswath region, from the banks of river Saraswati. In Rigveda, references
to river Saraswati has been frequently made in the shlokas praising the
river as the most mighty river and describe her as "limitless, undeviating,shining and swift moving". But the Saraswati vanished from the region.
d) Haryana Saraswat Brahmins
The Saraswats of Haryana are original settlers of this region, taking theirname from the Saraswati river.
27) Shivalli Brahmins
28) Smarta Brahmins
29) Sthanika Brahmins
30) Tuluva Brahmins23 : The ancient Tulu nadu extended from Gokarna in
the north, all along coastal Karnataka up to Kasargod in the south. This
included both coastal Uttara Kannada district as well as all of DakshinaKannada district. Over many centuries the principal language of Tulu nadu
was Tulu. Today Tulu is spoken only south of River Kalyanpur in Udupi
and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. This is the heartland of Tulu
nadu today. While Udupi is the religious center of Tulu nadu, Mangalore isthe commercial hub. Innumerable smaller towns and villages comprise of a
green landscape within the mountainous range of the Western Ghats as
well as along the coastal Karnataka with access to Arabian Sea. Here Tulu
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language, one of the five main Dravidian languages of the South, with its
extinct script is spoken. For historical purposes the regions settled by
Brahmins are three in number. Haige or Haive (Uttara Kannada), Taulava(Dakshina Kannada) and Kerala.
31)Vaishnava Brahmins
(This page is under development and will be updated as and when more
information is available. If you have any suggestions or information pleaseemail it to the editor)
Notes and References
1Tribe (Lat., tribus: the tripartite division of Romans into Latins, Sabines,and Etruscans), a social group bound by common ancestry and ties of
consanguinity and affinity; a common language and territory; and
characterized by a political and economic organization intermediatebetween small, family-based bands, and larger chiefdoms. Someanthropologists believe that tribes developed when more stable and
increased economic productivity, brought on by the domestication of plants
and animals, allowed more people to live together in a smaller area. A tribemay consist of several villages, which may be crosscut by clans, age grade
associations, and secret societies; each of these crosscutting institutions
may, at different times and in different ways, perform economic, political,legal, and religious functions. Tribes are popularly believed to be close-knit
and parochial, but some anthropologists now argue that they are flexibly
defined communities of convenience.
1bJapan: Our Japanese friend tells that there are 4 castes (sections) in
Japanese society. It is called Shi - Nou - Kou - Chou system.
1. Byshi (Samurai) = Kings and Soldiers2. Noumin = Farmers etc. (large section)
3. Kou = Artisans and Workers
4. Choumin = Merchants
A Japanese Male can never change his caste. But, a woman can climb up
by marrying a man of upper caste. But, she can be only a 2nd wife of uppercaste. May be her children are considered as upper caste, but some
difference in minds will be there.
Those who work in Temples are not included in any of these. They arecalled Bouzu. The bouzus can not marry. They adopt people from other
castes (not Samurai in general) and train as Bouzus.
There are UNTOUCHABLES, called Era Hina. This community is called
BARAKU. These people are not considered as HUMAN BEINGS. They
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live far from the society. It seems about, nearly, 150-200 years back,
American army captain- Pierre went to Japan. At that time, Japan was
closed to outside world by the Emperor for the fear that others spoil theirsociety. But, when American captain went there, the Emperor was not
given any choice. He had to obey or fight. So, American army entered and
they forced the Emperor to make some system like in UK. King, hisfamily, some Lords as higher section, rest of the society as Lower section.
This existed till 2nd world war after which due to American pressure again,
the present system came into existence. Source: A friend from Japan..
2According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a tribe is a
social group consisting of people of the same race who have the samebeliefs, customs, language etc. and usually live in one particular area ruled
by a chief. Illustrated Oxford Dictionary defines a tribe as a group of
(especially primitive) families or communities, linked by social, economic,
religious, or blood ties, and usually having a common culture and dialect,and a recognized leader. Websters dictionary defines a tribe as a system
of social organization comprising several local village bands, districts,lineages, or other groups and sharing a common ancestry, culture,
language, and name. It is also a group of persons sharing a common
occupation, interest, or habit. However, a tribe means, in general, a grouphaving marital social relationship within the group and wont allow any
matrimonial relationship outside the tribe, e.g. Marriage between a Yeruka
and a Lambada or other tribe is not common.
Caste (Fr, Pg, Sp, race, breed, lineage, chaste, stock etc.) is a closed
group whose members preferred a particular occupation and a degree of
social participation. Marriage outside the caste is prohibited. A specializedlabor group may operate as a caste within a society otherwise free of such
distinctions (e.g., the ironsmiths in parts of Africa).
According to Webster's unabridged dictionary a caste is a race, stock, or
breed of men or animals; one of the heriditary classes; a system of social
stratification more rigid than class and characterized by hereditary status,
endogamy, and social barriers rigidly sanctioned by custom, law orreligion; a form of polymorphic social insects that carries out a particular
function in the colony.
The Longman Dictionary defines a caste as one of the fixed and
unchangeable social classes into which people are born in India. Oxford
dictionary defines caste as any of the Hindu hereditary classes,distinguished by relative degree of purity and pollution (of blood), whose
members are socially equal with one another and often follow the same
occupation. A caste, according to Websters New Riverside University
Dictionary, is one of the four major hereditary classes of Hindu society,
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each caste is distinctly separated from others by restrictions placed on
occupation and marriage. Apparently, the editors of these dictionaries have
no idea of how many thousands of castes are in the Indian continent.Further, one has to wonder why the same kind of group elsewhere in the
world is a tribe and in India is a caste. Whatever may be the reason, caste
and tribe are distinguished in India. The Sanskrit words like varna, kul, jatietc. are very much confused and as a result words like class, caste and tribe
are misinterpreted by the world.
There is another important aspect to this caste. Even though, castes or
tribes are not unique to India, caste was invented by Western indologists
and Western influenced Indian leftist intellectuals to define the bewildering
diversity of the ancient culture. During the colonial and Muslim period itserved the interests of foreign rulers to diminish Indian society by instilling
a sense of shame and inferiority. In fact, castes are found in the history of
every nation in this world. Even today, we find such divisions in the most
advanced countries like the United States of America. However, theWestern and leftist Indian intellectuals interpret Sanskrit scriptures to fit
their agendas and continue to cling on to those interpretations even whenthey don't make any sense.
The so-called caste system, a complex network of interdependent yetseparated, heriditary, endogamous, occupationally specialized, and
hierarchically ordered social groups is incomprehensible to leftists and
Westerners. Caste as an institution transcends the religion, just like various
tribes in Islam, e.g. Kurds, Arabs, Pashtoons, Mohajirs etc. Brahmins,Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Sikhs, Vaishnavites, Shaivites, Veera
Shaivites, Shaktites, Christians, Secular humanists, and others in India are
all subject to the overarching dictates of caste. Attempts to break the castesystem were made time and again from the days of Lord Buddha. Religions
like Buddhism, Veera Shaivism, Vaishnavism etc., succeeded
momentarily, but the caste always resurrected itself with vengeance,because it is a natural phnomenon. It happens in Christianity and Islam
also. Islam not only has tribes like Kurds, Arabs, Pashtoons, Mohajirs, but
also many so-called Hindu castes. Christinaity is no different either, e.g.,
Reddi Chrisitans, Kamma Christians, Mala Christians, Madiga Christians,Kuruma Christians etc.
There is no universal system of caste throughout India. The belief that the
Vedic varnashrama dharma was the caste system in embryo, is flawed. Ifnot, the tribes of Afghanistan should also be considered originated from
this class system, because Afghanistan was Hindu/Buddhist and didn't
know Islam until 700 AD. For that matter, the Hutus and Tutsis of Burundi
should also be a result of Vedic hypothetical class system. The castesystem is different from the ideal vedik varna class system. Varna is
hypothetical and is a class, whereas caste is real and plays a major role.
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Varna (the class) allows movement of people from one class to the other,
while tribe or caste does not. Thus, it is preposterous to say the vedic
hypothesis of class is same as caste.
According to Vedas, in any society in general, there are four underlyingvarnas (colors or divisions or groups), the four groups being, intellectuals
and priests (Brahmin varna), rulers and warriors (Kshatriya varna),
agriculturists and business persons (Vaishya varna), and other workers(Shudra varna). Without these four classes there is no society in this
world. Thus, if the society is the God, his/her head is the intellectuals and
priests, shoulders are the warriors and military, the trunk is the businessand agricultural community and finally the legs are the workers who fulfil
the basic needs of the society starting from the work in agricultural fields to
the temple construction, without which society cannot go forward.
"Giving a human form to the society, we may say priests and teachers areits expressive face, rulers and warriors its protective arms, traders and
farmers its supporting thighs and servants and labourers its transportingfeet. To conceive of the world in the image of man, we may say the sun and
moo are its eyes and mind, water and fire its mouth, air its breath, sky its
head, earth its feet, and the ethereal space its body. This world is itself acontinuing sacrifice, in which we see all matter and energy evolving into
new forms by consuming whatever existed before."Purusha Sukta: (The
Hymn of God); Rigveda.
Anybody can become aBrahmin varna (intellectual group), but one has to
be born intoBrahmin caste to be aBrahmin caste. If there is a confusion, itis because the wordBrahmin has several meanings including the ultimate
God, earthly God, intellectual, teacher, priest,Brahmin tribe/caste.
The castes in Andhra Pradesh can be divided into two distinct categories.Brahmin, Komati, Reddy, Kamma, Velama, Kapu, Nayudu, Relli, Mala,
Madiga, Yeraka, Yanadi etc., castes are based on their tribal, cultural and
religious differences, while the castes like Chakali (washerman),Kummari(potter),Kammari (smith),Kamsali (goldsmith),Mangali (barber) etc are
based on their duties in addition to the above differences. With a few
exceptions like theBrahmin caste, all these castes are uniquely localized in
Andhra Pradesh. Each caste has a deity and distinct social formalities. Theinteraction between various castes is difficult because of these religious,
cultural and tribal considerations. (Visit for more on caste:
http://www.vepachedu.org/caste.htm).
3Conversions and adoption are such mechanisms by which a tribal
identity of the offspring may be changed. However, one has to remember
that changing the labels cannot change genes. Only inter-caste marriage
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combined with conversion would result in genetic change as well. In the
past, inter-caste marriage had resulted in new castes, as conversion was not
an option. Indian castes, just like any other tribes, do not appreciateconversion to another tribe or caste, as most of them are non-proselytizing
and consider their customs superior to any other customs and caste
practices.
Brahmins are also non-proselytizing and do not appreciate tribal-caste
conversion in general. However, it may be inevitable when faced withproselytizing forces such as Christianity and Islam, and when there is a
need for increasing the numbers in a particular community. Also, in a
cosmopolitan civilized world, where there cannot be restrictions on ones
choice of the spouse, conversion is the best compromise. Muslims andChristians follow this method very strictly as a method of increasing their
fold. Usually, anyone who marries a Muslim must convert to Islam.
In the past, however, through rigorous courses and tests some non-Brahmins became Rishis, e.g., Kings like Viswamitra, Vishnuvardhana,
Radheerga, Veerahavya etc. became Rishis and established their ownVedik schools and new Brahmin branches. (Reference: "Andhra Viprula
Gotramulu, Indla Perlu, Sakhalu," by Emmesroy Sastri, Gollapudi
Veeraswami Son, Sri Seetarama Book Depot, Rajamandri).
4 "The Risilient Brahmin," The Week, November 10, 2002,
http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000760.html.
5 The Sanskrit is an ancient language that became irrelvant to Indians in
general, and Brahmins in particular. It is the language of Brahmins.
However, whenever, Brahmins migrated to lands, they adopted to the locallanguage and customs and adopted local Gods, yet maintained their
Sanskrit language, the Vedas, traditions and culture. Unfortunately, today's
Brahmin lost this ability to keep the Sanskrit language and the Vedas dueto various reasons.
6Many words in Sanskrit have many meanings, e.g., Hari means God,
Vishnu, Indra, Yama, the sun, the moon, a monkey, a lion, an eagle, ahorse, a frog, a parrot, air, wind, a ray of light, yellow color, the best, etc.
7With hidden agendas and/or without proper knowledge of Sanskrit, manyinterpreters distort the Sanskrit texts.
8Brahmanism is an ancient non-proselytizing religion and forms the basisfor many Indian religions such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism,
Buddhism, Jainism etc., to a large extent.
9A religion is a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power accepted as
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the creator and governor of the universe and having a certain organization
and tradition in worshipping such Supreme Being. Brahmins believe in
such Supreme Being and have a unique way of worshipping with certainrituals, which are different from that of the rest of the world. However,
Brahmins have embraced the local religions wherever they migrated and
yet maintained their identity and basic Vedic culture.
10 Hinduism is not a religion, but a way of life. It includes traditions,
culture, religions and othe practices of various peoples localised in theIndian Continent. Hinduism includes communists, atheists, capitalists and
numerous Indian religions. However, the so-called experts also tell us that
there is a religion called Hinduism. For example, the Longman Dictionary
says, Hinduism is the main religion of India, which includes belief indestiny and reincarnation, while the Oxford Dictionary says Hinduism is
the main religious and social system of India, including the belief in
reincarnation and the worship of several gods. However, there are many
non-Inidan religions in this world that believe in destiny and reincarnation.Some say that rather than a single doctrine or a single system of worship,
Hinduism is a broad confluence of ideas and attitudes. Well, of course,then one has to wonder why the ideas and attitudes from Middles East,
such as, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, are not included in it!
However, historically, there was never such a thing as Hinduism in the
Indian Continent. It is a recent creation by the outsiders to define the
myriad religions and cultures that exist in the Indian Continent. Whatever
may be the history, the fact is that now there is so-called Hinduism in theminds of people, who cannot comprehend the diversity of the Indian
Continent and have no intention of even attempting to understand it. So,
even the Brahmin Gurus and Pandits and other so-called Hindus have cometo accept the name-the Hinduism, given to them by the outsiders, while
denouncing and redefining it again and again.
In an attempt to define Hinduism that exists in India today, the Constitution
Bench inSastri Yajnapurushadasji and Others Vs. Muldas Bhudardas
Vaishya and Another, 1996 (3) SCR 242 held: "Then we think of the
Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible to define Hindureligion or even adequately describe it. Unlike other religions in the world,
the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any
one God: it does not subscribe to any one dogma: it does not believe in anyone philosophic concept: it does not follow any one set of religious rites or
performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional
features of any religion or creed. It may broadly be described as a way of
life and nothing more." The Supreme Court further opined "Hinduism
had originally a territorial and not a cradle significance. It implied
residence in a well-defined geographical area. Aboriginal tribes, savage
and half-civilized people, the cultured Dravidians and the Vedic Aryans
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were all Hindus as they were the sons of the same mother. The Hindu
thinkers reckoned with the striking fact that the men and women dwelling
in India belonged to different communities, worshipped different gods, andpractised different rites." Thus Hinduism is a group of religions.
A story from Panchatantra illustrates the present confusion perfectly. Oncethere was a Brahmin who used to live on alms provided by generous
villagers. One day he was offered a calf by a neighboring villager. The
Brahmin was happy and was carrying the calf home. Three cheats saw theBrahmin carrying the calf and thought that it would make a nice meal for
them, while it would be useless to the vegetarian Brahmin. They came up
with a plan to cheat the poor Brahmin. One after the other all three pass by
the Brahmin and tell him that he was carrying a goat, donkey and a deadpig, respectively. Although the Brahmin didnt believe initially, he came
to a conclusion that whatever he was carrying was certainly not a calf and
it must be demon because it was appearing to various people as various
things. So, he became scared and abandoned the calf. The three cheatshappily had a nice meal of the calf. This story tells us that persistent
misinterpretation gets credibility over a period of time. And so, now wehave Hinduism and everything in India is Hinduism and the tribes and
castes in India are due to the Hindu philosophy, contrary to the reality and
the interpretation of the Supreme Court. Life is simple that way, otherwisethe diversity in India is bewildering.
This Western and leftist definition of Hinduism resulted in attribution of
Brahmin customs, traditions, and culture to non-Brahmins. As a result,non-Brahmins like Iliah Kanche, a Kuruma Christian, who had developed a
bitter hatred against Brahmins declared themselves as non-Hindus. Many
other Hindu religions also declared themselves as separate from Hinduism,e.g., Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc.
This Western definition of Hinduism as a single religion, contrary to theabove Supreme Court definition, by the Western and leftist Indian
intellectuals has resulted, unfortunately, in another SC judgment of far-
reaching consequences for Brahmin religion. The Supreme Court has ruled
that Brahmins do not have monopoly over performing puja in a templewhere Brahmins have been priests for centuries and said a non-Brahmin,
properly trained and well-versed in the rituals, could be appointed as a
priest. In this decision, the SC has trampled on the freedom of religionenshrined in the constituion as applied to Brahmins. The Brahmins and
non-Brahmins are considered part of a single religion called Hinduism and,
thereby, a non-Brahmin can take over the temples of Brahmins. Thisdecision was delivered by a Bench comprising Justice S. Rajendra Babu
and Justice Doraiswamy Raju, while upholding the appointment of a non-
Brahmin as a priest in Kongoopilly Neerikode Siva Temple at Alangad
village in Ernakulam, Kerala. The government of India and the Judiciary
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not only interfere in the religions of Hindus and Hindu institutions, but also
actively attempt to destroy the Hindu religions such as Brahminism, while
supporting and allowing the growth of Western religions such as Islam andChristianity and those religons that declared to be separate from Hinduism,
by all means. This kind of interference by the government would not be
tolerated anywhere in the world, including India. It is impossible to have aKurdish priest in a Turkish mosque or a Catholic priest in a Serbian church
or a Muslim in Christian Church; and even the most secular/communist
government in the world would not impose such an absurd decision, exceptin India and that too with regard to Brahmins only.
11Maynes Treatise on Hindu Law and Usage, 14th Edition, 14th edition,
pp. 1-45.
Pandurang Vaman Kane, History of Dharmasastra (ancient and
medival religious and civil law in India) -- 2d ed. -- Poona : Bhandarkar
Oriental Research Institute. -- (Government oriental series. Class B ; no.6.). -- Vol II, Part I. -- 1974. -- S. 483 -486.
12Once upon a time, an assembly of Brahmins was arranged in presence of
Lord Brahma. All the Brahmin teachers and professors were invited. It was
declared that who ever among the invited fails to attend the Brahminassembly would be considered to have committed the sin of murder of a
Brahmin (Brahmahatya). For some unavoidable circumstances, Professor
Vaisampayana could not attend this meeting and acquired the sin of
Brahmahatya. He assembled all his disciples and requested them to sharethe burden of the sin of murder. One of his disciples was Yajnavalkya. He
was a great intellectual and was very powerful due to his knowledge. He
came forward and suggested that he would take all the sin and manage itwith his powers and requested Vaisampayana to let go other disciples.
Vaisampayana was enraged at this request. He considered this request as
arrogance of Yagnavalkya and completely out of line. Consequently, heordered Yajnavalkya to give up all the learning that he learned from
Vaisampayana and leave his school immediately. Yajnavalkya followed the
orders of the professor and discarded all the learning, which immediately
evaporated into the solar dimension. And he became poorer in hisknowledge and hence in powers and luster.
Yajnavalkya went to the Sun God and requested the Sun to teach himYajurveda. The Sun God agreed to teach and asked him to follow him in
the form a horse during his continuous travel across the skies and learn.
Thus Yajnavlakya became a Vajasaneya, one who learned as a horse and abranch formed called Vajasaneya sakha. This Yajurveda learned by
Yajnavlkya as a horse from the Sun God is called SuklaYajurveda and the
earlier one that was learned from Vaismpayana was Krishna Yajurveda.
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According to Vedas, when Yajnavalkya discarded the knowledge of
Vedas, other disciples absorbed it like Tittiri birds and hence the branch
that came from those disciples is called Tittiriya sakha.
Source: Vayaupuranamu in Ashtadasapuranamulu, by
Venkataramasastri Kompella, Rohini Publications, Rajamandri, pp. 308-309.
13In Sanskrit,gotram means family, race, lineage, a mountain, a cow-penand so on!
14http://www.haryana-online.com/People/brahmins.htm
15http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/brahmins/list.htm
16 "Andhra Viprula Gotramulu, Indla Perlu, Sakhalu," by Emmesroy Sastri,
Gollapudi Veeraswami Son, Sri Seetarama Book Depot, Rajamandri.16a History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh, Rao PR, pp.viii and 8-22
16b History of India, Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, p. 102
16c History of India, Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, p. 104
16d History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh, Rao PR, pp.viii and 8-22
16e "Hindu Castes and Sects," Jogendranath Bhattacharya, 1896.
16f The Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins: Some family names that belongto Pradhamasakha Niyogi are: Adaalatu, Adukuri, Ainaparti, Ainamprolu,
Akhandam, Alapattu, Aleti, Alladi, Ambadasu , Ambarukhana,
Anantavarapu, Andukuru, Anipeddi, Annavarpu, Anumarlapudi, Attota,Ayinambrolu, Ayinpurapu, Challa, Chittem, Edlapalli, Eedupalli,
Errapatruni, , Gangaravula, Gampa, Gatraju, Gaddapalli, Ganapatiraju,
Gajulapalli, Gadicharla, Gorijavolu, Kanchikacharala,
Kanchugantala,Kathari, Kanakabhattula, Kavulu, Kavuluri, Kakarlapudi,Kakarlamudi, Kamaraju, Karinapati, Kuppila, Khandaladinne, Regadamilli,
Srikaram, Sridhara, Sandepudi, Sampatam, Sambaraju, Sattenapalli,
Satram, Sannikandlapadu, Samudram, Saripalli, Savidi, Somaasi,Sthaanam, Tammera, Udayagiri, Ullaganti, Uppala, Urakaranam, Uta,
Uttaralingamakuntla, Vaddiraju, Vadduri, Vadlamudi, Vaduri, Vahi,
Vallambhatla, Valluri, Vanam, Vangipurapu, Vankeswarapu, Varagani,Varahagiri, Vareswaram, Varkhola, Vasa, Velagapudi, Vepachedu,
Vissamraju, Vonkamamidi etc. Most of these families belong to "Kanva"
or "Kanveeya" branch of Pradhamasakha. Many of these family names are
unique to Pradhamasakha, and you may not find the same names in any
http://www.haryana-online.com/People/brahmins.htmhttp://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/brahmins/list.htmhttp://www.haryana-online.com/People/brahmins.htmhttp://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/brahmins/list.htm7/28/2019 Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh16
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other Brahmin caste, but some family names are found in various other
Brahmin groups as well. Also, some of these family names may be found
in non-Brahmin castes due to the fact that many of the family names arederived from the village names and/or due to inter-caste-mixing.
17
http://www.kokanastha.com/index.htm
18http://www.chembio.niu.edu/hosmane/roots.html
19http://www.chennaionline.com/columns/DownMemoryLane/diary169.asp
20http://culture.konkani.com/Historical/15_Chitrapur_Saraswa.htm
21http://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1996_9/msg00393.html
22http://www.rsbnet.com/new/history.html
23http://www.boloji.com/places/0019.htm
Other sources on the web:Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh by V. Ramachandrarao
http://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htm
http://www.gosai.com/dvaita/madhvacarya/Brahmana-Vaisnava.html
http://www.kokanastha.com/index.htmhttp://www.chembio.niu.edu/hosmane/roots.htmlhttp://www.chennaionline.com/columns/DownMemoryLane/diary169.asphttp://culture.konkani.com/Historical/15_Chitrapur_Saraswa.htmhttp://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1996_9/msg00393.htmlhttp://www.rsbnet.com/new/history.htmlhttp://www.boloji.com/places/0019.htmhttp://netinfo.hypermart.net/brahmins.htmhttp://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htmhttp://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htmhttp://www.kokanastha.com/index.htmhttp://www.chembio.niu.edu/hosmane/roots.htmlhttp://www.chennaionline.com/columns/DownMemoryLane/diary169.asphttp://culture.konkani.com/Historical/15_Chitrapur_Saraswa.htmhttp://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1996_9/msg00393.htmlhttp://www.rsbnet.com/new/history.htmlhttp://www.boloji.com/places/0019.htmhttp://netinfo.hypermart.net/brahmins.htmhttp://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htmhttp://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htmhttp://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htmhttp://www.brahminworld.com/bw1.htm