Castes of India
Chitpavan / Kokanastha Brahmins
Classification	Caste/Brahmin
Subdivisions	-
Significant populations in	Maharashtra
Languages	Marathi, Chitpavani Konkani
Religions	Hinduism

The Chitpavan, Chitpawan, or Konkanastha Brahmins (कोकणस्थ ब्राम्हण) are a brahmin community of Konkan, the coastal belt of western Maharashtra. Sometimes they are affectionately referred to as Kobra (short for KO-nkanastha BRA-hmin). (Since Konkanastha is actually a general geographic label, meaning "Native of Konkan" in Sanskrit, the name Chitpavan is preferable. In this text, however, the names Chitpavan, Konkanastha, and Kobra are used interchangeably. Chitpavan Brahmins' origins are unknown, since they are distinctly physically different from other Hindu castes. They are easily recognised by the certain characteristics such as fair skin, light-coloured eyes (blue, green or grey), sharp nose, distinct jawline, and sometimes have light brown hair. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... A Brahmin (anglicised from the Sanskrit word IAST ; Devanagari ), also known as Vipra, Dvija, Dvijottama (best of the Dvijas), (god on Earth) is a member of an upper caste within Hindu society. ... Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र mahārāṣṭra, literally: Great Nation; IPA: )( ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit: , , also known as , ) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... The Chitpavan, Chitpawan, or Konkanastha Brahmins (कोकणस्थ ब्राम्हण) are a brahmin community of Konkan, the coastal belt of western Maharashtra. ... A Brahmin (anglicised from the Sanskrit word IAST ; Devanagari ), also known as Vipra, Dvija, Dvijottama (best of the Dvijas), (god on Earth) is a member of an upper caste within Hindu society. ... A typical view of the Konkan, consisting of white-sand beaches and palm trees (mostly coconut and betel nut). ... Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र mahārāṣṭra, literally: Great Nation; IPA: )( ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... The Sanskrit language (Skt. ...

The Kobras gained prominence during the reign of Shahu in the 18th century and since have established themselves firmly in the Indian social hierarchy. In 1713, the fourth Chattrapati Shahu appointed a Chitpanvan Brahmin from Kokan, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat, as Peshwa or prime minister. After the death of Shahu from 1749 to 1761, the Peshwas enjoyed de facto status till battle of Panipat. Afterwards, with exception of Madhavrao, all other peshwas remained ceremonial head of Maratha confederacy like their master Chattrapati. The Bhumihar Brahmins of Eastern U.P. and in the state of Bihar, Mohyal Brahmins in the state of Punjab, Namboothiri Brahmins in Kerela, Havyak Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh, Anavil Brahmins of Gujarat also have the same lineage and are similar to Chitpawans in custom, tradition, practices, temperament and hold Bhagvan Parshuram in high esteem. Bhumihar Brahmins (भूमिहर ब्राह्मण), also known as Bhumihars (भूमिहार) are an influential Brahmin subcaste who have traditionally resided in fertile regions of Indo-Gangetic plains of North India, in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: , Urdu: , translation: Northern Province, IPA: ,  ), also popularly known by its abbreviation U.P. It is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India. ... For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ... Mohyal (sometimes Muhiyal or Mahjal) is the name of an endogamous group of seven lineages arising from the Gandhara region, once a great center of Indian learning. ... The Namboothiris (Malayalam :നമ്പൂതിരി) are the Brahmins of Kerala, thought to be the most orthodox brahmins in India. ... Kerala (IPA: ; Malayalam: കേരളം — Keralam) is a state on the southwestern tropical Malabar Coast of India. ... Andhra Pradesh  : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, IPA: ), is a state in South India. ... Anavil Brahmin is one of the sub-castes of Brahmin caste. ... Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... Gujarāt (GujarātÄ«: , IPA: ,  ) is the most industrialized state in the Republic of India with 19. ... Chitpawan chitpavan are a group of people which hail from the Konkan area, west coast of Maharashtra state in India, hence also known as Kokanastha Brahmins (Kobras). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Parashurama and Bhargava Rama (Discuss) Parshuram was the brahmin who destroyed many Kshatriyas. ...

In fact there are several internal inconsistencies in the hyperbolic claims made by this community. They apparently claim to have (crash) landed on Konkan coast (See, History & Theology) long after the Vedic age was over and yet claim to be Brahmins. Only the direct descendants of Vedic Rishis are considered Brahmins. So at best they are 'naturalized brahmins.' Maratha kingdom was founded on the blood and sweat of Marathas (who claim descent from Rajputs, displaced by Mogul incursions in Rajasthan). The first individual from this community, Balaji Vishvanath, who was appointed Peshwa by Maratha king, Shahu Maharaj ( a weak drug-addict, however a descendant of The Great Shivaji) , was cleark in a salt factory and later, a cleark who supplied provisions to armies marching through Pune - both Maratha and Mogul - before he joined services of Shahu Maharaj (see, 'Kanhoji Angre' by P.L.Deshpande). Shahu maharaj was virtually blackmailed into presenting Balaji Vishvanath the investiture clothes of the office -traditionally held by the Pingale family (Deshastha Brahmin). In fact the office of Pant Pradhan (Peshwa) was open to Brahmins only. So it can be argued that, being only 'naturalized brahmin', Balaji Vishvanatha was an imposter and illegitimate for the post of Peshwa. They enjoyed brief glory as Peshwas - on the blood and sweat of Marathas - before signing it off to British for a paltry pension. Even this pension was refused to them after Dalhousie's policy of 'lapse', as Nana sahib -the last of the line - was adopted. Nana sahib joined the mutineers of 1857, out of legal frustrations and was trying to negotiate a pension deal all the way to the end. A new propoganda book, 'Shitpawanism' ( 'Shitpawan' is the other name they like to go by, for reasons that are at best, obscure)is being touted lately to air more opinions. They are now trying to connect their lineage with different successful brahmin castes of India like Bhumihar, Mohyal, Namboothiri etc without a trace of evidence (See above).

History & Theology

Origins

There is no mention of them in Indian history prior to the reign of the Peshwas because they did not hold any powerful position in the political structure and were content more or less in performing clerical jobs unlike their counterpart of desh who were performing religious duties. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The earliest reference to the Chitpavans in Indian literature can be found in the Sahyadri Khand, a section of the Skanda Purana. It may have been composed sometime during 8-12th century by a scholar from a rival group. Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text believed to be written and compiled over a long period, from 6th century to 15th century, is the largest Purana, and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya (also called Skanda), a son of Shiva...

The following is the summary of the legend from Sahyadri Khand. Parashurama, the sixth avatara of Vishnu was so defiled by the slaughter of the Kshatriyas that Brahmins refused to perform any ceremonies for him. At that time the bodies of fourteen persons happened to be cast ashore by the sea which then washed the foot of the Sahyadri hills. These "corpses" Parashurama purified, by burning them on a funeral pyre or chita, and restored them to life. He taught them the Brahmin rituals, and made them perform ceremonies to free them from guilt. Parashurama wished to give these new Brahmins some land; and since the Deccan had already been given to other Brahmins, he prayed to the God of the sea to spare him some of his domain. Initially the sea god did not agree to retire. Hence, Parshurama decided to throw a Bramhastra (missile) on the sea to render it dry. Then the scared sea god agreed to retire as far west as the Bramhastra would hit the waters from the crest of the Sahyadris. The arrow was shot and reclaimed a belt of land about thirty miles broad. The banks of the Vashishthi, about forty miles north of Ratnagiri, were set apart for the new Brahmins, and in memory of the process by which they had been purified they were called Chitpavans ('chita - pavan', meaning 'pyre purified' in Sanskrit (it could also mean a 'pious mind' 'chit - mind,pavan - pious) and their settlement Chitpolan. After establishing this settlement, Parashurama retired to Gokarna in North Kanara. Much to speculation, many scientists from Europe conducted Y DNA tests from various communities connected to these set of Brahmins and found that, the Y Chromosome was rare, found only in Konkanastha Brahmins and it directly matched DNA prominent among Southern Europeans. Particularly, the French, Greeks, Italians, Iberian people and the Irish. To a lesser extent in Southern England. Many still carry the original Y DNA Haplogroup type in Ireland and France. Not to forget the Konkanastha Brahmins. It is noted that, the first to arrive on the Coast of this region, must have been Fair to medium height, well built with light brown to red hair and possessed Greyish to Green eyes, which is still found in many descendants of the first visitors. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Bhargava Rama and Parshuram (Discuss) Parashurama Bhargava or Parasurama (Axe-wielding Rama), according to Hindu mythology is the Sixth avatar of Vishnu, belongs to the Treta yuga, and is the son of Jamadagni & Renuka. ... See Avatar (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari , with honorific Shri Vishnu; , ), (also frequently referred to as Narayana) is the most popularly worshipped form of God in Hinduism [1]. Within the Vaishnava tradition he is viewed as the Ultimate Reality or Supreme God (similarly to Shiva within Shaivism). ... A Kshatriya is a member of the military or reigning order, according to the law-code of Manu the second ranking caste of the Indian varna system of four castes, the first being the Brahmin or priestly caste, the third the Vaishya or mercantile caste and the lowest the Shudra. ... The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains run along the western edge of Indias Deccan Plateau, and separate the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. ... The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Ratnagiri is a city in India, located in the southwestern part of Maharashtra State on the Arabian Sea coast, in the Ratnagiri district. ... The Sanskrit language ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. ... Gokarna meaning Cows Ear is a small town situated in North Kannada district coastal Karnataka, India. ... The Kanara or Canara (called Kannada in Karnataka) districts comprise three districts of Karnataka - North Kanara (Uttara Kannada) whose administrative headquarters is Karwar, Udupi, and South Kanara (Dakshina Kannada), whose administrative headquarters is Mangalore. ...

Rise to power

Until the rise of Balaji Vishvanath Peshwa, who belonged to Chitpavan Brahmin sub-caste, they held a low position and were known chiefly as clerks in the Deccan. Even after several generations of living in the Deccan, with strict attention to Brahmin rituals and austere life, other classes of Brahmins refused to eat with them. One story is that when Bajirao II, the last of the Chitpavan Brahmin Peshwas (1796-1818), was in Nasik he was not allowed to go down to the Godavari river using the same flight of steps as the priests from the local Trimbakeshwar temple. The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ... Baji Rao II was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. ... Trimbakeshwar is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. ...

They were relatively unknown outside Konkan until the 16th century. Later the ruler of Maratha kingdom Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj appointed a Chitpavan Brahmin, Balaji Vishwanath Bhatt as his Peshwa or Prime Minister in , aroung 18th century. It was the first time a Brahmin of Konkan origin held an important position in Deccani politics in Maharashtra. Eventually, many Chitpavan Brahmins joined the service of Marattha kingdom and in due course called the plateau of Deccan their home. Balaji Vishwanath - (1712 to 1721) In 1712, Shahuji died and his minister or Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath a Brahmin took over the throne. ...

Before the Peshwas, the community was predominantly found in the Konkan coastal belt of Maharashtra state of India but afterwards migrated to various parts of India. Today the community is found mainly in the state of Maharashtra particularly the Konkan coastal belt and the Deccan Plateau. They are also scattered in small pockets in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in a tiny percentage. Many of these DNAs' are also found among the Coorgis (a warrior caste in south India). Many of this community members have migrated to the Middle East Gulf States -particularly U.A.E. and also to U.K, Australia and U.S.A. Together, they form less than 1% of Total Indian population. It is known that the Konkanastha Brahmins are a homogeneous community. It was only after the late 18th century, that they began to form sub DNA groups. Originally the Menfolk may have taken to the natives' women as their wives and neglected their culture.

Article on Chitpavans by Linda Cox

Diaclaimer: This article was originally published in the February 22, 1970 issue of the Illustrated Weekly of India, which is now defunct. The original article does not carry any copyright notice, so it is being presented here.

Unheard of before 1700, the Chitpavan Brahmins of Maharashtra had come to dominate the fields of social reform, law, scholarship, government service and the arts by the nineteenth century. Their two names, Konkanasth and Chitpavan, suggest their origins. The first indicates the rocky, unyielding land in the Ratnagiri district of the Konkan, which they have traditionally farmed. All Konkanasths can trace their history as far as the Konkan. The name, Chitpavan, would seem to have come from the Konkan town of Chitpol.

When you spot a Maharashtrian with blue or green eyes, ten to one he is a Chitpavan. And his fair colouring suggests a foreign origin. A history of the Bene Israel, who settled in the Kolaba district of the Konkan, claims the Chitpavans as fellow Jews who became separated from their shipmates. Other accounts have guessed at a homeland anywhere from Iran to just north of Sholapur. The Bene Israel (Sons of Israel) are a group of Jews who, in the mid-twentieth century, lived primarily in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmadabad and Karachi. ...

As long as they remained in the Konkan, the Chitpavans were simply an obscure Brahmin community of farmers and priests. The land that they tilled afforded only a poor living to the Chitpavans. But money has rarely been their primary goal. Even today few are known for their wealth. They were neither the largest nor the purest in the Brahmin hierarchy - the Deshasth Brahmins claimed to be that - but their hard-headed outlook and intelligence readied them for a climb over the Ghats to power.

The change in fortune came when Balaji Vishwanath Bhat took a job with the Maratha Government in the early 1700s. Balaji Viswanath had a talent for making himself useful - so useful that within seven years, Shivaji's grandson Shahu had appointed him Peshwa! When Balaji died in 1720, his son Bajirao succeeded him and thus began a century of rule by the Chitpavan Peshwas. Lured by the good fortune of their caste fellows, the Chitpavans migrated in large numbers to the Deccan, especially to Poona, the seat of the Peshwas. There they quickly rose in stature and influence, getting jobs as clerks, military men and diplomats and claiming economic privileges as well.

The end of power and glory seems to have come in 1818, when the British swallowed up the Maratha kingdom. But the Chitpavans have a remarkable ability to rise to the top in any situation. They were helped by the British decision initially to support traditional Indian society. Thus Brahmin privileges and leadership were left undisturbed for a time. The Chitpavans hastened to fill the same kind of clerical government jobs they had held before, this time for the Bombay Presidency instead of the Maratha Kingdom.

But, if they were willing to serve the British Raj, not all were happy with the state of things. They remained loyal servants of the Crown, until the moment came to strike. Vasudeo Balwant Phadke was one man who dreamed of restoring the Peshwa to his prime. In 1879 he left his job as an insignificant Government clerk to lead a motley group of Ramoshis in the countryside.. He was captured but not before inspiring a few fellow Chitpavans and giving the British a good scare.

Even before Phadke's attempt, the British distrusted the Chitpavans. Montstuart Elphinston, first Governor of the Bombay Presidency after the land of the Marathas was acquired, described them venomously as an "intriguing, lying, corrupt, licentious race of people". Perhaps his bitterness stemmed from learning of a plot reported by a British officer: allegedly some Chitpavans were planning to murder all the Europeans in Poona and Satara. While the British sputtered over this, the Chitpavans quietly acquired the western education which had become the key to success in changed Maharashtra. Soon they were flocking into the new fields of law, journalism and western scholarship.

The effects varied. Some were dazzled and attracted by the new ideas. Students of Deccan College in Poona chose, in 1892, as a motto for their literary quarterly:

Stepping westward seems to be, A kind of heavenly destiny.

This was later changed.

Among social reformers was D. K. Karve, who established a home and school for young widows. Encouraging widow marriage, he practised as he preached by marrying a widow himself. Many, like M.G. Ranade, debated and wrote in favour of widow marriage and raising the age of consent. Whether it was by devoting their lives to service in G. K. Gokhale's Servants of India Society or sacrificing their lives by murdering British officers, the Chitpavans have rarely been slow to act. They have used their pens to stir the fires of social reform and nationalist feeling. Lokamanya Tilak and Shivram Mahadeo Paranjpe both landed in jail for their pains. Vishnushashtri Chiplunkar wrote Our Country's Condition -to attack British rule on the one hand and Mahatma Phule's non-Brahmin movement on the other.

Yet some of the strongest resistance to change has come from the very same community. Jealously guarding their Brahmin stature, the orthodox among the Chitpavans were not eager to see the Shastras challenged, nor the conduct of the Brahmins become indistinguishable from that of the Sudras. In any case resistance to change is not surprising from a group that benefited so much from the status quo. The Chitpavans were on top, so why move? The vanguard and the old guard clashed many times. Ranade and other reformers were forced to offer penance for breaking purity rules. D. K. Karve was ostracised. Even Tilak made a visit to Varanasi so that he would not be excommunicated.

Diverse as the community was, it shared one thing : the memory of the Peshwas. Ever since Balaji showed up in the Maratha Court , the Chitpavan have had a hand in government. This tradition was carried on by men like Justice Ranade and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Both urged peaceful reforms in British policy. Ranade and another young Chitpavan intellectual - G. V. Joshi - formed the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha in 1870 as a representative body to recommend changes to the Government. And moderates like Gokhale and Ranade led the Congress in its early ventures in political reform.

But there was another side to the Chitpavan's political activity: terrorism. The Chapekar Brothers formed the Society for the Removal of Obstacles to the Hindu Religion. One of the obstacles, apparently, was Plague Commissioner Rand, and on a June night in 1897 he was "removed".

Other conspiracies brewed, sometimes among students of Fergusson College, which had been established by such eminent Chitpavans as Tilak, V. S. Apte and Gokhale. Another pair of young brothers Vinayak and Ganesh Savarkar, planned with their friends ways of overthrowing the British. When Ganesh was convicted of writing inflammatory verse, in 1909, the District Magistrate of Nasik was murdered in revenge. Twenty-seven men were convicted as members of the conspiracy. Most of them were Chitpavans. Main Building of Fergusson College Kimaya, the cultural center Fergusson College is one of the elite colleges in western India, in the city of Pune. ...

If any man reconciled the opposing elements in this diverse community, it was Bal Gangadhar Tilak. A revered public figure, he was at one and the same time orthodox and revolution. Though not against all social change, he opposed British social legislation, insisting that it must come from the people. Tilak was a master in drawing the masses into political movements. He revived the Ganapati celebration and renewed people's interest n Shivaji, making both vehicles of political action.

For two centuries, the Chitpavans stayed a step ahead, always moving fast enough to retain positions of power. But, with Tilak's death in 1920, history passed them by. The Congress Party, which Tilak had so greatly influenced, became the party of Gandhiji. Discontented Maharashtrian Brahmins now began to leave the Congress and non-Brahmins quietly took their places in the 1930s and 1940s. When Independence came, the Chitpavans found the Congress dominated by non-Brahmins. Though they were among the leaders in other parties, democracy was bound to belittle minorities. The Brahmins -one or two per cent of the population - could not hope to carry much weight politically.

Nathuram Vinayak Godse was probably the last of the Chitpavan terrorists and certainly the most infamous. When the news of his assassination of Gandhiji reached Maharashta, violence was directed against the communalist Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, but, to many observers, the riots were essentially anti-Brahmin. Once and for all, the idea of a unified society content with Brahmin paternalism was exposed as a myth.

When the mobs had gone home, the problem of anti-Brahmin feeling remained. The Chitpavans were forced to seek new life-patterns for a world that was suddenly less friendly. Politically, the trend has been to stay away from the Congress. One scholar notes that Brahmin votes go to both 'Left' and 'Right' candidates but not to the Congress. Indeed, the Chitpavans have continued to supply political leadership on both sides of the fence - to the Communist and Socialist Parties as well as to the Hindu Mahasabha and Jana Sangh. Their national leaders include N. G. Goray of the Praja Socialist Party and S. M. Joshi of the Samyukta Socialist Party. V. D. Savarkar was for years leader of the revivalist Hindu Mahasabha.

How to tell a Chitpavan

A typical Chitpavan is usually fair of complexion, has a sharp nose and steel-grey eyes. He can be called handsome. Nanasaheb Peshwa (18th century), from a portrait that is available may be called best specimen of Chitpavan manhood. Nanasaheb's son Vishwasrao, when 18, was killed in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761). Kashiraj has described him as the most handsome among the Marathas; even in death he looked so handsome that Ahmedshah Abdali ordered his dead body to be brought before him - in order to have a look at his handsome person. The Chitpavans cannot be classed among the well-built communities of Maharashtra. Chitpavan girls possess good physical features but tend to look pale. A few historians and anthropologists are of the view that the Chitpavans came to India from Egypt, while others say they came from Greece. The Chitpavans are generally extremists, hence their behaviour is full of contradiction. A Chitpavan may sacrifice his life for his country but he will not easily part with his purse. That is why perhaps the Chitpavan community has produced a number of fiery patriots but not a single saint. Chitpavan's are generally assumed to be tidy, clean and industrious. Typical Chitpavan surnames are Abhyankar, Apte, Bapat, Bhide, Marathe, Phadke, Ranade, Tilak, Gokhale, Joshi, Ketkar,Paranjpe, Karve, Sathe, Bhate Chitale and At last Puranik's Nanasaheb Peshwa (also called Balaji Bajirao )(born 1720 or 1721 - Died 1761) was one of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire. ...

Some traditional chitpavans are also know to tend to promulgating debatable issues of caste bias.

See Also

• Brahmins
• Forward Castes

Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. ... now. ...

Eminent/Famous Konkanastha Brahmins

Literature/Scholars

• Vasant Sathe (Ex. Union Cabinet Minister of India )
• G. N. Dandekar (Go Ni Dandekar)
• Prin. V.K. Joag (Modern Education Society)
• Irawati Karve
• Hari Narayan Apte
• Gangadhar Gadgil
• Shivram Ganesh Barve(satode valpoi Goa ..eminent freedom fighter
• Shri. Ja. Joshi
• Raghunath D. Joshi, Writer and Critic of Indian Philosophy
• Na. Si. Phadke
• Malti Bedekar, feminist and Marathi novel writer
• Pandurang Vaman Kane (Bharat Ratna awardee)
• S N Pendse (Shri Nā)
• Vi Ka Rajwade (Itihasacharya Rajwade)
• Vasant Kanetkar
• Vinda Karandikar (Jnanapeeth Awardee 2003)
• Madhav Vaze
• Vishram Bedekar
• Krishnaji Keshav Damle(Keshavsoot)
• Wrangler Paranjpe
• Durga Bhagwat, Writer, Scholar and Critic of Indological studies
• Vivekanand Godbole, Historian (author of ``Subhey Kalyan", ``Hindu Sanskruti Anee Kalyan")
• Ashok Gadgil, Scientist with LBL.
• Kedar Joshi, Superultramodern Science / Philosophy
• Narendra Karmarkar, renowned computer scientist at Bell labs who invented his own algorithm for linear programming for which he won ACM's Paris Kanellakis Award
• Navakanta Bhat, Swarnajayanti Fellowship, 2004-2005, IISc
• Dr.Prabhakara Joshi, Yakshagana Talamaddale performer, Critic, Scholar, Educator
• Daji Nagesh Apte, Sanskrit/Jyotish scholar
• Prakash M. Apte, Eisenhower Exchange Fellow USA 1988, Town Planner of new capital of Gujarat.

G. N. Dandekar is an eminent Marathi author and a Sahitya Kala Akademi award winner. ... Irawati Karve (1905 - 1970) was an Indian anthropologist. ... Hari Narayan Apte (1864-1919) is acknowledged to be the founder of the modern Marathi novel and of the modern Marathi short story as well. ... Gangadhar Gadgil (born August 25, 1923 in Mumbai) was a Marathi fiction writer. ... S. J. Joshi (1915-1989) was an award-winning Marathi novelist. ... Malti Bedekar (nee Vibhavare Shirurkar) was the first feminist Marathi author. ... Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane (1880-1972) was a famous Indologist and Sanskrit scholar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vasant Shankar Kanetkar Vasant Shankar Kanetkar or Vasant Kanetkar (March 20, 1922 - December 29, 2000) was an Indian playwright who wrote in the Marathi language. ... Govind Vinayak Karandikar (born August 23, 1918), better known as Vinda Karandikar is a famous Marathi poet. ... Ashok Gadgil is a Berkeley, California based scientist who invented the now widely-used UV-disinfection method for ridding drinking water of cholera and other harmful infectious agents for pennies per ton, thus making safer drinking water available cheaply for millions, especially in third-world countries. ... Narendra K. Karmarkar (b. ... The Paris Kanellakis Theory and Practice Award is granted yearly by the Association for Computing Machinery to honor specific theoretical accomplishments that have had a significant and demonstrable effect on the practice of computing. ...

Politics/Social Reform =

• Achyutrao Patwardhan
• Anant Kanhere
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Balukaka Kanitkar
• Bhai Vaidya
• Bhausaheb Patankar
• Chandrashekhar Hari Joshi
• Chintamanrao Appasaheb Patwardhan(Padmabhushan, ruler of Sangli)
• Dhondo Keshav Karve
• Raghunath Keshav Khadilkar (Union Minister of Labour and Rehabilitation, Member of Parliament)
• Veer Savarkar
• R. N. Mandlik{Ramabhau Mandlik} (IS THIS PERSON A KONKANASTHA BRAHMIN ??)
• Ganu Vaidya
• Gopal Ganesh Agarkar
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale
• Gurudeo Ranade
• Kakasaheb Gadgil
• Krantiveer Chapekar
• Krushnaji Gopal Karve
• Laxmibai Tilak
• Mahadev Govind Ranade
• N. V. Tilak (Reverend Tilak)
• N.G.Gore
• Narubhau Limaye
• Sane Guruji

• Nathuram Godse (Hutatma Pandit Nathuram Godse)
• Pandita Ramabai
• Peshawas
• Raghunath Dhondo Karve
• Ramray Kelkar Maharaj
• S.M. Joshi
• Senapati Bapat
• Shankarrao Soman
• Shivram Paranjape (Kaal Karte Paranjape)
• Shivajirao Patwardhan{Padmashri}
• Sudhir Joshi
• Swami Swaroopananda
• Vasant Bapat
• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Swatantryaveer Savarkar)
• Vinoba Bhave
• Vitthalrao Gadgil
• Wamanrao Joshi
• Babarao Bhide

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 - 1920), was an Indian nationalist, social reformer and freedom fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. ... Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve fought throughout his life for the upliftment of women. ... Veer Savarkar SEE Vinayak Damodar Savarkar External links Was Veer Savarkar a Nazi? - Dr Koenraad Elst Categories: Indian people stubs ... Gopal Krishna Gokhale (गोपाल कृष्‍ण गोखले) born May 9, 1866, in Kolhat, Maharashtra, India was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. ... Mahadev Govind Ranade (16 January 1842 - 16 January 1901) was an Indian lawyer, reformer and author. ... Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, known as Sane Guruji to his followers, was a famous Marathi author and social activist. ... Nathuram Vinayak Godse (May 19, 1910 – November 15, 1949) born at Baramati, Poona District, is best known as the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, the principal leader of the Indian Independence Movement. ... Pandita Ramabai (23rd April 1858, Maharashtra- 5th April 1922) was an eminent social reformer and activist. ... Raghunath Karve (1882-1953) was a reformer and a visionary. ... Senapati Bapat (November 12, 1880 - November 28, 1967) was a major figure in the Indian independence movement. ... Sudhir Joshi(1948- Died 14 December 2005) was Indian Marathi actor and comedian. ... Vinayak Damodar Sarvakar Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar (Marathi: विनायक दामोदर सावरकर) (May 28, 1883 – February 27, 1966) was an Indian revolutionary and Hindu nationalist political leader, who is credited with developing a Hindu nationalist political ideology he termed as Hindutva (Hinduness). ... Vinoba Bhave, born Vinayak Narahari Bhave (September 11, 1895 - November 15, 1982) often called Acharya (In Sanskrit and Hindi means teacher), is considered as a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. ...

Industry

• C.V. Joag (Bank of Maharashtra)
• Chitale Bandhu (makers of fine sweets)
• Dandekars (CAMLIN)
• P. N. Gadgil (Bullionaires since 1832)
• Waman Hari Pethe (Bullionaires since last 100 years)
• Dadasaheb Velankar (coaching class owner)
• Vikram Pandit
• Mohan Vijay Vaze (Vaze Consultancy)
• Mangesh Vijay Vaze (Vaze Consultancy)
• Jayant Joshi (publishers of Pravasi Diary)
• Sathe (Sathe biscuits and chocolates co.)
• Mr. Mukund Bhogale MD, Nirlep Industries

Bank of Maharashtra (BOM) is a medium sized regional bank, with very strong concentration in the western state of Maharashtra in India. ...

Sport

• Ajit Agarkar (Indian National Cricket team)
• D. B. Deodhar (Cricket Maharshi Deodhar)
• Hemant Kanitkar(Indian National Cricket team)
• Hrishikesh Kanitkar(Indian National Cricket team)
• Harsha Bhogle(International Cricket Analyst, Commentator, Television Host)

Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar (born December 4, 1977 in Bombay - now Mumbai) is an Indian cricketer. ... Dinkar Balwant Deodhar (14 January 1892 - 1993) is a former Indian first class cricketer. ... Hemant Shamsunder Kanitkar (born December 8, 1942, Amravati, Maharashtra) is a former Indian cricketer who played in 2 Tests in 1974. ... Hrishikesh Kanitkar (born November 14, 1974 in Maharashtra) is an Indian cricketer. ... Harsha Bhogle is an Indian cricket commentator and journalist. ...

Medicine

• Anandibai Joshi, first woman doctor of India
• Ajit Phadke, urologist and surgeon of Bombay
• RV Sathe, physician and Vice-Chancellor, University of Bombay
• Ravi Bapat, surgeon at the K.E.M. Hospital
• Sudhakar Sane, noted Surgeon and Forensic Pathologist
• Santosh Karmarkar Pediatric surgeon, at Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Govind Datar Pediatric Surgeon, at Pune, Maharashtra

Urology is the field of medicine that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and of the male reproductive system. ... The Doctor by Samuel Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, a type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor (disambiguation). ...

Information Technology

Cinema/Theatre

• Kashinath Ghanekar
• Aditi Govitrikar
• Archana Joglekar
• Asawari Joshi
• Ashvini Bhave
• Atul Parchure
• Bhakti Barve
• Chittaranjan Kolhatkar
• Dadasaheb Phalke
• Madhuri Dixit
• Mohan Agashe
• Mohan Gokhale
• Mohan Joshi
• Mrunal Dev
• Dr.Girish Oak
• Nishigandha Wad
• Pradeep Bhide
• Prashant Damle
• Sai Paranjape
• Sanjay Mone
• Rima Lagoo
• Vidyadhar Gokhale
• Vikram Gokhale
• Shriram Lagoo
• Sudhir Joshi
• Vikram Phadnis
• Govind Ballal Deval (Natyacharya)
• Vishnudas Bhave
• Nachiket and Jayoo Patwardhan
• Kiran Karmarkar
• Rakesh Bapat (Hindi Movie: Tum Bin)
• Milind Soman

Aditi Gowitrikar is an Indian model and actress. ... Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (Marathi: दादासाहेब फाळके) (April 30, 1870 - February 16, 1944) is known as the father of Indian cinema. ... Madhuri Dixit (Marathi: माधुरी दीक्षित) pronunciation: or ) (born as Madhuri Shankar Dixitin a maharashtrian koknastha bramhin family on May 15, 1967) is an Indian Bollywood actress. ... Mohan Agashe is an accalimed Indian actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... (Sometimes credited as Vikram Gokhle) A well known theatre and Marathi and Hindi film actor. ... Dr. Shriram Lagoo is an Indian film and theatre actor. ... Sudhir Joshi(1948- Died 14 December 2005) was Indian Marathi actor and comedian. ...

Music

• Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar
• Pandit Vishnu Narain Bhatkhande
• Ramkrishnabua Vaze(Vazebua)
• Sadhana Sargam (Ghanekar)
• Sudhir Phadke
• Meena Joshi
• Shreedhar Phadke
• Vasant Sathe
• Gajanan Watve
• Yashawant Dev
• Veena Sahasrabudhe
• Arun Date
• Shaila Datar
• Sanjeev Abhyankar
• Ashwini Bhide

Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (August 18, 1872 – August 21, 1931) was an Indian classical musician. ... Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (August 10, 1860 - September 19, 1936) was a Hindustani classical musician widely acclaimed to have brought in a renaissance in Hindustani music. ... Sadhana Sargam is one of the well-known singers from India. ... Singer-composer Sudhir Phadke, 83, popularly known as ‘Babuji’ to millions of his fans, died in Mumbai on 29 July 2002 after a brain hemorrhage. ...

Typical Last Names

The List of Chitpavan last names enumerates all the last names found in the Chitpavan community. "Achari", "Acharya","Dixit","Patwardhan","Katke","Kapse","Kaketkar","Vyas","Puranik", "Sahastrabudhe","Bakshi",are some of the surname which were given as per the profession or as a "UPADHI", "REWARD", "BAKSHISI". This happened in between seventeen and eighteen's ,when Chitpavan community was at rising stage , they joined in the "ARMY" and won various territories, won "Debate" and become "Sahastrabudhe" ,learn Vedanta and become "Pandit", "Acharya","Dixit", took too many rewards and become "Patwardhan","Thorat","Bakshi" . Similar to this according to the occupation , "Achari","Devdhar", "Swayampaki","Wagh", "Heer", "Pandive", "Reshmekhar", "Pathekar" , "Sukhadkar","Harbude","Khangle","Khule","Rajwade","Mahabal","Rajmachikar","Nagarkar", and lot many Surname's were given as per the profession or as a "UPADHI" to Chitpavan community. This may or may not be in use today. The following is a list of last names of the Konkanstha Brahmins of the state of Maharashtra in India listed in alphabetical order. ...

Typical First Names

Male names

Amod Amrith Amol

• Aditya
• Amay/Amey/Ameya
• Anand
• Anant
• Ashok
• Chandrashekhar
• Chintamani
• Gajanan
• Gopal
• Hrishikesh
• Kedar
• Mandar
• Manish
• Omkar
• Parshuram
• Prashant
• Ranjan
• Rohan
• Shreyash
• Shrikant
• Shrirang
• Sourabh
• Swapnil
• Tushar
• Shridhar
• Shantanu
• Saurabh
• Deepak
• Vinayak
• Ballal
• Prasad

Female names

• Aditi
• Ashwini
• Ketaki
• Manjiri
• Namrata
• Prajakta
• Purnima
• Shruti
• Vidya
• Janhavi
• Medha
• Vanita
• Nirmala
• Amey
• Varsha

Trivia

• Sir Raghunathrao P. Paranjpe, grandfather of noted Hindi and Marathi film director Sai Paranjpe, was the first Indian Wrangler (Wrangler-Mathematics topper at Cambridge University, England). Sai, daughter of Sir R.P.P.'s daughter and a Russian father is a noted Hindi and Marathi movie and drama director, having given major hits like Chashme Baddoor, Katha, Sparsh, etc.

References

• Chitpavanism - by Jagannath Dixit
• Chitpawan - by Na. Go. Chapekar (1940, reprinted 1968)
• Amhi sare chitpawan - by M.C. Dixit (2002)

External links

• Kokanastha
• Yahoo! Group - Chitpavan
• Yahoo! Group - Kobraweb