The Saraswat Brahmins claim descent from a Brahmin caste mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures as inhabiting the Saraswati River valley, the geographic location of which is unknown. The actual origins of this community and the circumstances of its relocation to the areas that they now inhabit are shrouded in mystery. It is said that one of the offshoot of this community merged into the Brahmkshatriyas. Mostly after Sri Parshu Ram carved the community out of the 5 sons of Raja Ratten Sen. A few Brahmkshtriyas i.e. Kapoors, Malhotras/Mehras and Chopra, retain the Brahmin Gotras, such as Bharadwaj, Angiras, Bhargav, Atri and Kashyap. They fell under the Kshatriya Varn, but were considered the Highest among them. Panini To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social stratification. ... A Hindu (archaic Hindoo), as per modern definition is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of the Indian subcontinent and the island of Bali. ... The Sarasvati River is an ancient river that is mentioned in Hindu texts. ...

Saraswat brahmins are found in north and south-west India. The majority of the Brahmins of Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana are Saraswat Brahmins (pronounced as Sarsut Brahmin in north India). Other saraswat brahmins such as those found along the western coast of India also claim to be originally from Kashmir and through migration have settled in various parts of India

Communities

Several distinct groups of Saraswat Brahmins exist; Goud Saraswats, Chitrapur Saraswats and Shenvis are all sub-groups of the Saraswat Brahmin community. The traditional religion of the Saraswats was evidently a strict Shaivism, i.e., Unique devotion to Shiva, with each sub-group being led by a different spiritual guru. In more recent centuries, the religious tradition has become more eclectic, with some Saraswats having even adopted the Vaishnavite dvaita philosophy preached by Madhvacharya. Most saraswats however, including those of the Chitrapur and the Gaud Saraswat communities, follow the liberal and non-partisan Smartha tradition. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the Hindu God Åšiva. ... Dvaita, a school of Vedanta (the most widespread Hindu philosophy) founded by Shri Madhvacharya, stresses a strict distinction between God and souls. ... Madhvacharya (1238-1317) was the chief propounder of the Dvaita or dualistic school of Hindu philosophy, one of the three influential Vedanta philosophies. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

There are four key "Mathas" or religious sects in the Saraswat tradition - the Kashi, Gokarna, Kavle & Chitrapur Mathas. Of these, the Kashi Matha is dominated exclusively by the Gowd Saraswats of Kerala & of the Dakshina Kannada / Udupi districts of Karnataka. The Gowd Saraswats of Uttara Kannada, Goa, and Southern coastal Maharashtra follow the Gokarn Matha as well as the Kavle Matha. The Chitrapur Matha is the preserve of the Chitrapur Saraswats. Each different saraswat group are usually endogamous. Kerala (IPA: ; Malayalam: കേരളം — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Dakshina Kannada, also called South Kannada, South Kanara, or South Canara, is a district of Indias Karnataka state. ... This article is in need of attention. ... It has been suggested that Divisions of Karnataka be merged into this article or section. ... Uttara Kannada is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. ... For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ... Maharashtra (Devanagari: महाराष्ट्र, literally: Great Nation) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ...

A number of Konkani Christians claim to be of Saraswat descent. While a small percentage of all Indian Christians, they dominate the Catholic Church hierarchy in the country. This perhaps reflects the importance of caste even outside Hinduism in India. Another factor could be the ancient tradition among Saraswats of children being encouraged to embrace religious vows or sanyasa. Catholic Church redirects here. ...

A distinct characteristic of this class of Brahmins is the inclusion of fish in their cuisine.

Chitrapur Saraswats of Shri Chitrapur Math

The Chitrapur Math, Shirali with its brilliant line of Gurus, is a vital link that holds together the widely scattered units of the Community. It is the oldest religious institution of the community. The Chitrapur Saraswat community believes this Math to be the blessed seat of Lord Bhavanishankar, the patron deity of the Math. SHIRALI Shirali is located in the southern part of North Kanara (Uttar Kannada) district of Karnataka state. ...

The Math had its beginnings at Gokarn in 1708 when the Community was blessed by its first Guru. Chitrapur became the religious headquarters in 1757 when the second Guru took his samadhi at that place.

Earlier records make it clear that the then representative of the Community desired the Guru not only to be the head of the Math but also to regulate the achar (behaviour) and vichar (beliefs) of the Community and further, that the community itself, obey his orders and provide the finance required from time to time.

However, this distinction between the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa and the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins required sufficient time to solidify. During the reign of Basavappa Nayaka I (1696 -1714), some people of Kanara accused the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Shenvis of not being pure brahmins. This accusation is said to have evolved in consequence to two factors: 1) the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Shenvis had no guru, or spiritual leader, to represent their community and 2) since many of the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Shenvis were holding impressive administration positions during this time period, the natives of Kanara were aroused with jealousy which stimulated them to form this accusation. 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. ... 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. ...

Since the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Shenvis did not have a spiritual guide to represent their sub-group, the ruler of the region most probably would not recognize their brahminical caste status. Therefore, the Shenvis felt that it was necessary to seek a spiritual preceptor for their community. Soon after, the Shenvis prayed to two of their deities, Shri Bhavanishankar and to Shri Mahabaleshvara, in hope of finding a guru. Some time after their prayers had been addressed, a sanyassin (one who is in the final stage of life and completely renounces all worldly possessions) of north Indian Saraswat Brahmin descent came to Gokarn. At the request of the Shenvis, the sanyassin accepted the role to guide and represent their community in 1708. This commenced the development of a new sub-group known as the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins, who had now firmly differentiated themselves from the rest of the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa. For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ...

Shrimadh Anantheshwar Temple located in Vittal(Karnataka) is the Main temple for all Chitrapur Saraswath Brahmins.

Main function: Six days Shrashti is held every year. And also Karthik Poornima.

In Summary

The history of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins serves to demonstrate how their religious and cultural views developed into the present century. Starting from the valleys of Kashmir, the ancestors of the Bhanaps migrated to all parts of India. As they migrated to new kashmir.

Also included in the Saraswat Brahmins are a great proportion of the Hindus in Kashmir, called the Kashmiri Pundits. These Kashmiri Brahmins are thought to be the descendants of the Aryans who migrated into India from Central Asia or Eastern Europe. However, these people differentiate themselves from the rest of the Saraswat Brahmins in that they identify their Deity with the Goddess Saraswati, who has been mentioned in the Vedas as the Goddess of Learning. However, the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins residing on the western coast of India (primarily in Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka) are thought to have descended from these Kashmiri Brahmins. Substantial evidence has been set forth by several historians relating that the Kashmiri Brahmins migrated to Goa by the eleventh century AD. Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ...

To trace the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins ancestry from Kashmir to Goa, one must begin with the story of the famous seer, Saraswata. When there was a famine in northern India, he continued to recite the vedic texts by consuming the fish that the goddess Saraswati had given to him. The brahmins of later generations who accepted fish as a part of their diet were often known to have referred to this story to justify their full-fledged status as brahmins despite their acceptance of fish. Since the acceptance of fish was also prevalent in the culture of many Bengali brahmins and because of the apparent similarities between the languages of the two groups, many Gaud Saraswat Brahmin scholars suggested that their ancesplaces, they maintained some of their religious views while modifying others. In the year 1708, a small group of these migrants had established their own unique sect and initiated a guruparampara. The teachings of the gurus and their dedication to the devotees strengthened the unity of the sect members which has survived till the present day.

Gaud Saraswat Brahmins' fish eating habit finds mention even in Ramanyana. Before performing Rajasuya yagna, Shri Rama asked Lakshmana to invite all the Brahmins for the yagna. Lakshmana invited everybody, except Gaud Saraswat Brahmins.

When asked, Lakshmana explained that he observed them eating fish, which was considered non-vegetarian and therefore, they could not be Brahmins. Shri Rama was puzzled and asked Lakshmana to elaborate what he saw. Lakshmana explained how the Brahmins would catch the fish, separate the head and tail from the fish, then using vedic mantras rejoined the head and tail. They would then release the fish in water. The fish would live again! The Brahmins ate the middle portion of the fish.

Shri Rama was impressed! Since the Brahmins were not killing the fish, he felt that no Sin was committed. Shri Rama instructed Lakshmana to invite Gaud Saraswat Brahmins to the Rajasuya Yagna.

Footprints of a community

Faced with dwindling numbers the Chitrapur Saraswat community, which boasts of talent ranging from Guru Dutt to Nandan Nilekani, gets together to record its illustrious history-Harsh Kabra

"Although the number of Chitrapur Saraswats stands at 22,498 according to KSA's 2001 census, up 7 per cent from 20,932 in 1971, the disconcerting reality is that the 0-19 age group, its veritable future, has shrunk from 33 per cent to an alarming low of 18 per cent and the 20-44 age group has also gone down from 38 per cent to 34 per cent."

Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal, Bhaskar Chandawarkar, Kalpana Lajmi, Girish Karnad, Geeta Hattangdi, Raghuveer Nadkarni, Nandan Nilekani and Prakash Padukone, Air Chief Marshal L M Katre, to name a few. Other glowing names -B.N. Rao, who chaired the committee that drafted the country's Constitution in 1950, and B. Rama Rao, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India.What connects all these people is the fact that they hail from the community of Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmans. Guru Dutt (1925 - 1964) was a famous Indian film director, producer and actor. ... Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director, born 14 December 1934 in Alwal, Hyderabad, British India Andhra Pradesh. ... Girish Karnad (born: May 19, 1938), is a contemporary Indian playwright in the Kannada language, in addition to being a movie actor and director. ... Born as the second and last son to Mohan R Nilekani, a manager in Minerva Mills, Nandan Nilekani spent his first 12 years in Bangalore, India. ... Prakash Padukone (born June 10, 1955) is a famous badminton player from India. ... The RBI headquarters in Mumbai The RBI office tower opposite the headquarters in Mumbai Entrance to the tower The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of India, and was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. ...

Hindu Businessline Article

Lt.Gen R.K. Jaitley retd. DGAFMS pujabi saraswat Arun Jaitli leading lawer and ex law minister

Prominent Saraswats

Prominent Saraswat Brahmins of the south-western coast of India (sorted by last name):

• Shyam Benegal
• B. H. Borkar (Legendary Marathi Poet)
• Bhaskar Chandawarkar
• Leena Chandavarkar, actress
• Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya [1]
• Jayvant Dalvi, author
• Shobha Dé
• P.L.Deshpande
• Sunil Gavaskar
• Lt.Gen. Prakash Gokarn
• U Srinivas Mallya
• Vijay Mallya
• Rambhau Moze
• Suman Mulgaonkar - Ex CMD TELCO
• Admiral Jayant Nadkarni[2]
• Raghuveer Nadkarni
• Jawahar Lal Nehru - Kashmiri Pandit Saraswat
• Ajit Kadkade
• M V Kamath - editor, Times of India & Chairman, Prasar Bharathi.
• K V Kamath - CEO, ICICI bank.
• Girish Karnad- Jnanapeetha award reciepient and eminent actor.
• Ajit Baburao Kerkar - Ex CMD Taj Group of Hotels
• Anupam Kher -Kashmiri Pandit Saraswat
• Isha Koppikar
• V S Kudva
• Bhau Daji Laud
• Kalpana Lajmi, director
• Nandan Nilekani
• R V Pandit Jnanapeetha award reciepient
• Gurudutt (Padukone)
• Prakash Padukone
• T A Pai of the Manipal institutions
• Sachin Tendulkar
• GuruDutt Redkar
• Amrita Rao
• Dilip Vengsarkar
• Raghunandan S Kamath,Mumbai
• Dr Sharu Rangnekar
• Shamrao Samant - Illustrious Criminal Lawyer
• Prabhakar Sanzgiri
• Rajdeep Sardesai
• D M Sukhthankar - ex Chief Sec Govt of Maharashtra
• Dr Ramesh N Usgaonkar - Eminent Medicinal Chemist
• M S Usgaonkar - former solicitor General of India
• Varsha Usgaonkar (Actor)
• Vaikunta Baliga Speaker of earstwhile Mysore Legislative Asssembly
• R.K.Baliga Father of the Electronic City in Bangalore (Ex.CMD Keonics)
• Dr.B.S.Baliga The Architect of Madras Archives (Late Curator)
• Bantval Jayant Baliga Internationally renowned inventor and scientist in the field of Semiconductors.
• Upendra Bhat( Hindustani classical singer)
• Dr. T.M.A.Pai - Educationist and founder of Manipal
• Col.N.A.Mudakkate
• Vice Admiral V.A.Kamath PVSM, also the first Commandant of the Coast Guard.
• Sanmesh Mahesh Kalyanpur, National Bravery Award Winner 2005