The Daivadnyas, (also known as Daivadnya Brahmins or Daivadnya Sonars
or Konkanastha Rathakara), are a
Konkani Gold-smith community, who claim to have descended from
Vishwakarma
Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman ( sa, विश्वकर्मा, Viśvakarmā, all maker) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the ...
, Hindu architect god and part of larger
Vishwakarma community. They are native to the
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
and are mainly found in the states of
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
and
Damaon
Daman is one of the three districts of the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on the western coast of India, surrounded by Valsad district of Gujarat state on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the ...
,
Canara
Kanara, also known as Karavali is the historically significant stretch of land situated by the southwestern coast of India, alongside the Arabian Sea in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka.
The region comprises three civil districts, ...
(coastal
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
), coastal
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, and
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
.
Daivadnyas are a subgroup of
Sonars
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
(Gold Smiths) and hence they are called as Daivadnya Sonars or ''Suvarṇakara'' or simply
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
. Daivadnya Sonars in Maharashtra claim to be
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
s and call themselves as Daivadnya Brahmins however this is not accepted by the Brahmins there. The Poona government did not accept the claim either but the Bombay Sonars continued with the claim.However, Oliver Godsmark, a researcher on late colonial and early postcolonial South Asia, considers them a subcaste of the Brahmins that were originally from the coastal regions of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.
They are popularly known in
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
as ''
Shets''. This word is derived from the word ''Shrestha'' or ''Shresthin''
["Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti", Part-1, p. 224, B. D. Satoskar, Shubhada Publication] Daivadnyas are part of
Other Backward Castes
The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General castes, S ...
(OBC) in the states of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
. In
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
, they come under Open Category (OC) or
Forward caste.
Names
Their name has many alternative spellings, including ''Daivajna'', ''Daivajnya'', ''Daiwadnya'', and ''Daivadnea''.
It is pronounced in Karnataka and in Goa and Maharashtra.
Daivadnyas are commonly known as ''Shet''. This appellation comes from their guild organisations, during the medieval ages. European documents mentions them as "Chatim" or "Xette", which is corruption of Konkani Shett, or Shetty. The guild or members of the guilds of traders, merchants, and their employees who were mainly artisans, craftsmen, and husband-men in ancient Goa like elsewhere in ancient India, were called
Shreni
In Ancient India, a shreni ( sa, श्रेणि, śreṇi or , Prakrit: ) was an association of traders, merchants, and artisans. Generally, a separate shreni existed for a particular group of persons engaged in the same vocation or activity. ...
, and the head of the guilds were called Shrestha or Shresthi, which meant ''His Excellency''.
Of all the trade guilds, the Daivadnya guild, was highly esteemed in Goa.These guilds enjoyed such a reputation for trustworthiness that people deposited money with these guilds, which served as local banks and also made huge donations to the temples.'' Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti'', a comprehensive work on Goan culture also suggests that they called themselves ''Sreshtha'' to distinguish themselves from other groups who were assigned status of ''Sankra jati'' or ''mixed origin'' in the ''Shastras''.
["Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti", Part-1, p. 221 by B. D. Satoskar, published by Shubhada Publication.]
Old Portuguese documents also mention them as ''Arie Brahmavranda Daivadnea'' or ''Aria Daivadnea Orgon Somudai'', transliterated as ''Arya Daivadnya Varga Samudaya'', as well as ''Daivadneagotri''.
["Goa: Hindu Temples and Deities", pp. 121–122. By Rui Pereira Gomes] Most of documents from Mumbai from early 19th century mention them as ''Konkanastha Daivajna Rathakara'' and ''Konkanastha Daivadnya''. Though the term ''Rathakara'' is not accepted by them and is used by others to degrade them.
Traditional history
Though their history is obscure, Daivadnyas claim to have descended from Davidnya or Vishvadnya the younger son of
Vishwakarma
Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman ( sa, विश्वकर्मा, Viśvakarmā, all maker) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the ...
, the Hindu architect god.
Shets or Daivadnyas also claim Brahmin varna status, however, this is accepted by local Brahmins and other communities of the region. There is also a claim that Daivdnyas are descent from the Vedic
Rathakara Rathakāra or the ''Chariot maker'' is mentioned in several Hindu scriptures such as Rigveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, Saṃhitas etc. There are various types of Rathakāras mentioned in the texts, whose social status was not uniform, some enjoyed ...
as mentioned in
Taittiriya Brahmana
The ''Taittirīya Shakha'' (Sanskrit, loosely meaning 'Branch or School of the sage Tittiri'), is a ''shakha'' (i.e. 'branch', 'school', or rescension) of the Krishna (black) Yajurveda. Most prevalent in South India, it consists of the ''Taitti ...
of
Yajurveda
The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
, and
Smriti
''Smriti'' ( sa, स्मृति, IAST: '), literally "that which is remembered" are a body of Hindu texts usually attributed to an author, traditionally written down, in contrast to Śrutis (the Vedic literature) considered authorless, that ...
s , however Daivadnya community deny this. Hindu doctrines ''Hiraṇyakeśisutra'', ''Bṛhajjātiviveka'', ''Jātiviveka'', ''Saṅkha smṛti'', and ''Añjabila'' mention different types of Rathakaras. Most of them can be called Saṅkara Jāti or mixed caste, and their social status varies from those with high social status, who are ritually pure and have the right to perform "strata-smarta" rituals and to those considered fallen or degraded.
Daivadnyas (during the conflicts that arose in the 19th century) refuted this claim, which called them Rathakaras of impure descent, on the basis of ''Shastra'', and they were supported by ''Shringeri Shankaracharya'', and Brahmin councils of
Kashi
Kashi or Kaashi may refer to:
Places
* Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India
**Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas
**Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
* Kashgar, a cit ...
and
Paithan
Paithan pəɪ.ʈʰaɳ(), historically Pratiṣṭhāna ɾə'tɪʂʈʰana is a town with municipal council in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India. Paithan is located south of present-day Aurangabad on the Godavari River.
It was the cap ...
.
Medieval and modern history
Migrations
Author Vithal Raghavendra Mitragotri says, The
Bhojas are well-known sculptures and have migrated to various regions of India. Therefore, the Sthapatis who themselves claim to be Brahmins may have been descendants of Bhojas. The gold-smiths claim themselves to be Daivadnya Brahmins.
According to Viṭhṭhala Mitragotrī, the migration to Goa dates back to the early 4th to 6th century CE, with the Bhoja dynasty.
Bā. Da. Sātoskār in his encyclopedic work on Goan culture, suggests that they are a part of the tribe and reached Goa around 700 BC. From 1352 to 1366 AD Goa was ruled by ''Khiljī''.In 1472, the ''Bahāmanī'' Muslims attacked, demolished many temples, and forced the Hindus to convert to Islam. To avoid this religious persecution, several Śeṭ families fled to the neighbourhood kingdom of Sondā.
Several families from western India had settled down in
Kashi
Kashi or Kaashi may refer to:
Places
* Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India
**Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas
**Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
* Kashgar, a cit ...
since the late 13th century.
In 1510 the Portuguese invaded Goa. King
John III of Portugal
John III ( pt, João III ; 7 June 1502 – 11 June 1557), nicknamed The Pious (Portuguese: ''o Piedoso''), was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1521 until his death in 1557. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the thi ...
issued a decree threatening expulsion or execution of non-believers in Christianity in 1559 AD; the Daivadnyas refused conversion and had to decamp. Thousands of Daivadnya families fled to the interior of Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka.
["Karnataka State Gazetteer" By Karnataka (India), K. Abhishankar, Sūryanātha Kāmat, Published by Printed by the Director of Print, Stationery and Publications at the Govt. Press, 1990, p. 254] About 12,000 families from the Sāsaṣṭī region of Goa (from
Raia
(United we advance architecture)
, predecessor =
, merged =
, successor =
, formation =
, extinction =
, status = Professional body; members association
, headquarters = L1/41 Exhibition St, Melbourne
, leader_title = CEO
, leader_ ...
,
Cuncolim
Cuncolim is a town in South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.
Etymology
The name 'Cuncolim' is derived from the fact that the village was known as 'Kumkumahalli', the place where ''kumkuma '' (vermilion) is produced.
Geography
Cuncol ...
,
Loutolim
Loutolim or Loutulim ''Lottli'' pronounced:, Portuguese: ''Loutulim)'' is a large village of South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.
It is an important settlement in the Salcete sub-district.
Etymology
Loutolim derives its name f ...
,
Verṇa and other places), mostly of the Śeṇavīs and the Shetṭs, including
Vaishya Vani
Vaishya Vani is a sub- caste of Vaishyas, one of the varnas of Hinduism. Because of their hereditary occupation as traders and merchants, they are found in many regions in India, including Konkan, Bihar, some parts of the Canara subregion of K ...
,
Kudumbi
The Kudumbi, also referred to as the Kunubis, the Kurumbi, or Kurmi, or the Kunbi, are traditionally a Konkani-speaking farming community residing in Kerala, India. The majority of the group are farmers, laborers, and petty workers, settled ac ...
, and others, departed by ship to the southern ports of Honnāvara to Kozhikode.
A considerable number of the Sheṭts from Goa settled in
Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri (IAST:Ratnāgirī ; ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri District in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan division of Maharashtra. The city is known for ...
and the
Thane
Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven talukas ...
district of Maharashtra, especially the
Tansa River
The Tansa River is a small river near Mumbai, India and is one of Mumbai's water sources
Mumbai controls several dams in Shahpur taluk (Thane district) that deliver water to the city. The Western Ghats trap most of the moisture laden monso ...
valley, after the Portuguese conquest of Goa.
Portuguese period
= Daivajnas and Christianity
=
The Portuguese imposed heavy restrictions on all Goan Hindus, but the Shetṭs were granted exemption from certain obligations or liabilities. It is rare to find a Christian Goan Shetṭ, while all the other castes find some representation in the convert society;
this is because the economic power the Śeṭs wielded in the sixteenth century enabled them to live and work in Goa on their own terms or emigrate with their religion intact.
Their commercial knowledge and skills were held in high esteem by the Portuguese;
because of the protection the Portuguese gave them, they had a little religious freedom.
For example, they were permitted to wear the horizontal
Vibhutī caste-mark on the forehead, and were even exempted from punishment when they committed crimes.
[''Hidden Hands: Master Builders of Goa'' By Heta Pandit, Farah Vakil, Homi Bhabha Fellowships Council Published by Heritage Network, 2003, p. 19] The very few who converted were assigned the caste of ''
Bamonn
Roman Catholic Brahmin ( IAST ''Bamonns'' in Romi Konkani, ''ಬಾಮಣು'' in Canara Konkani& ''Kupari'' in Bombay East Indian dialects) is a caste among the Goan, Bombay East Indian and Mangalorean Catholics who are patrilineal descendan ...
'' among the
Goan Catholics
Goan Catholics ( gom, Goenchem Katholik) are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians following the Roman Rite of worship from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konkani pe ...
. According to the gazetteer of Goa state they are called Catholic Śeṭs, but no such distinction is found amongst
Goan Catholics
Goan Catholics ( gom, Goenchem Katholik) are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians following the Roman Rite of worship from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konkani pe ...
. A detailed study of ''
Comunidade
The Comunidades of Goa were a form of land association developed in Goa, India, where land-ownership was collectively held, but controlled by the male descendants of those who claimed to be the founders of the village, who in turn mostly belonged ...
s'' shows that baptised Śeṭs were categorised as ''Bamonns''. Whether Hindu or Catholic, the community always enjoyed their social status, and were permitted to remain in Christianised parts of Goa, provided they kept a low profile, observed certain disciplines, and paid a tax of three ''xeraphims'' of (gold
mohor
The mohar was the currency of the Kingdom of Nepal from the second half of the 17th century until 1932. Silver and gold mohars were issued, each subdivided into 128 ''dams''. Copper dams were also issued, together with copper ''paisa'' worth 4 c ...
) annually to the Portuguese.
A few Daivadnya families who converted to Catholicism migrated to
Mangalore
Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...
due to attacks by the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
s in Goa during the late 17th and early 18th century.
=Relationships with other communities
=
The trade in Goa was mainly in the hands of three communities classes, being the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, the Vanis and the Sets.
Conflict between Daivadnyas and Vaishyas, in 1348 in ''Khaṇḍepar'' or ''Khaṭegrama'', is mentioned in Khaṇḍepar copperplate.This issue was solved in ''Gaṇanātha '' temple in Khāṇḍepār, its antecedents are not known.
Another conflict in the 17th century, between Shenvi Brahmins and Shets of Goa, these over social status was evidenced in arguments about use of traditional emblems like ''Suryapan'', parasol etc. during religious rituals, functions and festivals. The hatred was so severe until the 19th century that only fear of the police kept the peace. Later, the Portuguese banned the use of Hindu symbols and wedding festival processions.
["Gomantakatil sūryapan Chatri vād" written by Dr. P. P. Shirodkar, in "Gomant Kalika"(monthly), published by Kalika Prakashan Vishwast Mandal]["Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti", Part-1, p. 225 by B. D. Satoskar]
Diaspora
Documents mention a ''
Gramanya Gramanya (Devanagari:ग्रामण्य,) refers to a dispute or discussion related to castes in Maharashtra in the past few centuries that related to supposed violation of the Brahmanical ritual code of behavior.
Overview
Gramanya is a cryst ...
'' that lasted from 1822 to 1825, between the Daivadnyas and the Brahmins of Pune or the ''Puna Joshis''.This dispute started because the Puna Joshis were against Daivadnyas employing their own priests and not employing the ''Vyavahare Joshis'' for their religious functions.
These Daivadnya families had migrated from
Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri (IAST:Ratnāgirī ; ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri District in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan division of Maharashtra. The city is known for ...
, to Pune during the reign of
Baji Rao I
Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul-M ...
, who always upheld their claims against the ''Vyavahare Brahmans'' or the ''Puna Joshis''. The opponent Brahmins were against the Daivadnyas administering ''Vedokta Karmas'' or Vedic rituals, studying and teaching Vedas, wearing dhoti, folding hands in
Namaskar
''Namaste'' (, Devanagari: नमस्ते), sometimes called ''namaskar'' and ''namaskaram'', is a customary Hindu non-contact manner of respectfully greeting and honouring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is found on the In ...
. They urged the Peshwas, and later, the British to impose legal sanctions, such as heavy fines to implement non-observance of Vedokta Karmas, though the later had been always observing the Vedic rites.
The Joshis denied their Brahmin claim, allegedly argued that they are not even entitled to Upabrāhmaṇa status which are mentioned in the ''Śaivāgama''.
Thus they claimed that latter were not entitled to Vedokta Karmas and should follow only ''Puraṇokta'' rites
and they were also against the Brahmins who performed Vedic rituals for the Daivadnyas,
they incriminated that Daivadnyas have an impurity of descent and have a mixed-caste status or Saṅkara Jāti.
The British also issued orders to the Daivadnyas by which the Vedas not be applied for an improper purpose, the purity of the ''Brahmin'' caste be preserved
and did not impose any restrictions on the Daivadnyas.
This dispute almost took a pro-Daivadnya stance in ''Bombay'' in 1834, and were ordered to appoint the priests of only their own ''
Jāti
''Jāti'' is the term traditionally used to describe a cohesive group of people in the Indian subcontinent, like a tribe, community, clan, sub-clan, or a religious sect. Each Jāti typically has an association with an occupation, geography or t ...
'' and not priests of any other caste as per the tradition.
It is during these disputes Daivadnya Pundits came up with extensive literature like versions of
Sahyadrikhanda
Sahyādrikhaṇḍa or Sahyadri Khand, written in Sanskrit, and is considered as part of Skandapurāṇa.Shastri, P. (1995) ''Introduction to the Puranas'', New Delhi: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, pp.118-20 One of its interpolated versions from 17 ...
of Skandapurana, to clear their maligned image by the Pune Brahmins.
In 1849, the king of
Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is kn ...
,
Shahu Maharaj
Shahu (also known as Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu, Shahu IV, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, Kolhapur's Shahu) (26 June 1874 – 6 May 1922) of the Bhonsle dynasty of Marathas was a Raja (reign. 1894 – 1900) and the first Maharaja (1900–1922) o ...
, provided land grants to the Daivadnyas who had migrated to
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
s of Kolhapur and
Satara and helped them build their hostels for the students pursuing education.
Many families like the Murkuṭes, the Paṭaṇkars, the Seṭs of Karvara and Bhaṭkala kept their tradition alive and excelled in trade, playing a major role in socio-cultural development of the major metropolis of India such as
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
.
The Daivadnya priests who officiated at the Gokarṇa Mahabaleswara temple were prosecuted in 1927 by the
Havyaka
Havyaka Brahmins are the Hindu Pancha Dravida Vedic Brahmins from the Indian state of Karnataka. Havyakas profess the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankaracharya. Most Havyakas can trace their immediate ancestry to either Sirsi, Utta ...
s of Gokarṇa, who thought they would take over the
puja authority at the temple. The case reached the Bombay High Court, which ruled in favour of the Seṭs.
Modern period
Some Goan Daivadnya families migrated to
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
and overseas. The Akhīla Bharatiya Daivajña Samajonnati Pariṣat has existed since 1908 for their betterment.
Similarly, about 3500 Sheṭts migrated to
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
city after 1905 from
South Canara
South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...
. Many families have migrated to Mumbai and have founded organisations such as the Kanara Daivajna Association,
and Daivajna Shikṣṇa Maṇḍala. The
Shimoga
Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of ...
,
Chikkamagaluru
Chikmagalur, known officially as Chikkamagaluru, is a city and the headquarters of Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the foothills of the Mullayanagiri peak of the Western Ghats, the city attracts tourists from ...
,
Koḍagu,
Davangere
Davanagere is a city in the centre of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the seventh largest city in the state, and the administrative headquarters of eponymous Davangere district. Hitherto being a cotton hub and hence popularly known ...
, and
Hubli
Hubli, officially known as Hubballi, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad distr ...
-
Dharwad
Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the north western part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merge ...
districts of Karnataka now have a considerable Daivadnya population.
Shetṭs have also migrated abroad. They are found in the Arab countries
and have been migrating overseas in pursuit of higher education and employment for number of years, notably to the US and UK.
A small number have Portuguese
or Kenyan citizenship, and a few live in Karachi, Lahore Pakistan, but most of them have settled as refugees in
Ulhasnagar
Ulhasnagar is a city in Thane district, Maharashtra, India. This city is a part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region managed by MMRDA. It had an estimated population of 506,098 at the 2011 Census. Ulhasnagar is a municipal city and the headquarters of ...
after partition.
Religion
Their earliest religious beliefs could have been based on a mixture of
Brahmanism
The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...
,
Bhagavata religion, sun worship and
Shaivism
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
, though it cannot be ascertained to a particular period of time or geographical region. Different schools of Shaivism have existed in Goa and Konkan since ancient times. Similarly, Shaivism was very popular amongst Goans of all walks of life, and was very widely practiced. Their religious and cultural beliefs were constantly influenced by other religions such as
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
,
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
and later the
Nath
Nath, also called Natha, are a Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism and Yoga traditions in India.[Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...]
in Goa, but later under influence of
Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' ...
many of them embraced
Madhwa philosophy.
Deities
Daivadnyas are followers of
Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' ...
and
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
. The followers of Adi Shankara worship deities as prescribed by him as ''
Panchayatana puja
''Panchayatana puja'' (IAST ') also known as Pancha Devi Deva Puja is a system of ''puja'' (worship) in the Smarta sampradaya, which is one of four major ''sampradaya'' of Hinduism. It consists of the worship of five deities set in a quincun ...
'' – a concept of worshipping God in any of the five forms, namely
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, Devi,
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
,
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
and
Surya
Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...
, that was propagated by
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
(8th century) is observed by Daivadnyas today. Daivadnyas worship the Pancayatana deities with Devi or Shiva as the principle deity. A possible Pancayatana set may be:
Shantadurga
Shantadurga (Devanagari:शांतादुर्गा, ) is the most popular form of the Hindu goddess Durga revered in Goa, India, as well some parts of Karnataka. She is a form of the ancient Mother goddess known as Santeri. She is worsh ...
, Shiva,
Lakshminarayan
Lakshmi Narayana or Lakshmi-Narayan ( sa, लक्ष्मी-नारायण, IAST: ) is the dual representation of the Hindu deities Vishnu, also known as Narayana, and his consort, Lakshmi, traditionally featured in their abode, Vaikunth ...
(Vishnu with his consort
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
), Ganesha and Surya. Pancayatana may also include guardian deities like
Vetala
A vetala ( sa, वेताल ') or Betal is a Bhairava form of Shiva in Hindu mythology, usually defined as a knowledgeable (fortune telling) paranormal entity said to be dwelling at charnel grounds. The vetala is comparable to the vampires of ...
,
Ravalnath
Ravalnath ( knn, रवळनाथ, ), also widely known as Roulu, (रवळू, ) is a popular Hindu deity in Goa and the Sindhudurg district of coastal Maharashtra, in western India. Shrines of Ravalnath are also found in border areas of Belg ...
, Bhutanath, Kala-
Bhairava
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhairava ...
, Kshetrapala and deities like Gramapurusha.
["Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti", Part-1, p. 223, B. D. Satoskar, Shubhada Publication]
Daivadnyas who follow the
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
of
Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' ...
worship Vishnu and Lakshmi as their prime deities and have established many temples of Vishnu in the form of Lakshminarayan,
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
,
Venkatesha,
Narasimha
Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...
and
Vithoba
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is generally considered as a manifestation of the god Vishnu, or his avatar Krishna. Vithoba is of ...
. They were converted into Madhva fold by
Vadiraja Tirtha
Sri Vadiraja Teertharu (1480 – 1600) was a Dvaita philosopher, poet, traveller and mystic. A polymath of his time, he authored many works, often polemical, on Madhva theology and metaphysics. Additionally, he composed numerous poems and as ...
and they are followers of Sodhe Matha, one of
Ashta Mathas of Udupi
The Tulu Ashta Mathas of Udupi ( kn, ಉಡುಪಿಯ ತುಳು ಅಷ್ಟ ಮಠಗಳು) are a group of eight ''mathas'' or Hindu monasteries established by Madhvacharya, the preceptor of the Dvaita school of Hindu thought with his di ...
.
Kuladevatas
Their tutelary deities are primarily in the form of the Mother Goddess, though they revere all Vedic, Puranic and folk deities equally.
Ishtadevata
Ishta-devata is a term denoting a worshipper's favourite deity. Ganesha is ishta-devata of all the Śeṭs.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...
or ''Siddhivināyaka Vrata'' is a major festival of the Daivadnyas.
Kalika,
Kansarpal
Kasarpal is a town in the Bicholim region of Goa, which is in the North Goa district. It is about 14 km from the town of Mapusa.
The original name of the village is mentioned as ''Pallika'' in a Copper-plate inscription dated 1436 AD, wh ...
, Goa – is worshipped as Ishta-devata by Gomantaka Daivajñas. This temple is more than 800 years old and is located at a distance of around 14 kilometres from
Mapusa
Mapusa (म्हापशें) is a town in North Goa, India. It is situated 13 km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai to Kochi.
In Portugue ...
. It was built by
Kadambas and was renovated by a Daivadnya minister who was serving Sawant
Bhonsale
The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen.
History Earliest members
The earliest ac ...
– kings of
Sawantwadi
Sawantwadi an aesthetic land of artists, is an integral part of the Konkan region which is in the mid-western coast of India.
The western coast of India since 1510 A.D. has assumed great importance in Indian history and history of internationa ...
, Maharashtra. It is one of the most important temples in the northern part of Goa. The main festivals celebrated in this temple are Śiśirotsava,
Navrātrī, Rathasaptamī, Āvalībhojana and Vasantapujā.
Other Ishta-devata of Daivadnyas include
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
,
Dattatreya
Dattatreya ( sa, दत्तात्रेय, ), Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. In Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Madhya ...
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
,
Vithoba of
Pandharpur
Pandharpur (Pronunciation: əɳɖʱəɾpuːɾ is a well known pilgrimage town, on the banks of Candrabhagā River, near Solapur city in Solapur District, Maharashtra, India. Its administrative area is one of eleven tehsils in the District, ...
,
Hayagriva
Hayagriva, also spelled Hayagreeva ( sa, हयग्रीव IAST , ), is a Hindu deity, the horse-headed avatar of Vishnu. The purpose of this incarnation was to slay a danava also named Hayagriva (A descendant of Kashyapa and Danu), who ...
of
Udupi
Udupi (alternate spelling Udipi; also known as Odipu) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Udupi is situated about north of the educational, commercial and industrial hub of Mangalore and about west of state capital Bangalore by road.
...
, Mahalakshmi, Krishna,
Gayatri
Gayatri (Sanskrit: गायत्री, IAST:Gāyatrī) is the personified form of the Gayatri Mantra, a popular hymn from Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri, and bears the epithet of ''Vedamata'' (mother of the Vedas). Gayatri is ofte ...
,
Durgā Parameśvarī, Lakshmi-narayan, Mañjunātha of
Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala (earlier known as Kuduma) is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India.
The town is known for its centuries old Dharmasthala Tem ...
and
Gokarṇa Mahābaleśvara. Daivadnyas maintain several temples in Goa, and about 38 temples in North Canara district of Kanarataka, and many temples in other parts of Karantaka, Maharashtra and few in the state of Kerala.
Daivajñas also honour various saints like
Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba (born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 192624 April 2011) was an Indian guru. At the age of fourteen he claimed that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, and left his home to serve his devotees.
Sai Baba's b ...
, Dada Maharaj of Patgaon,
Raghavendra Swami
Raghavendra Tirtha () (1595 – 1671) was a Hindu scholar, theologian and saint. He was also known as Sudha Parimalacharya (). His diverse oeuvre include commentaries on the works of Madhva, Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha, interpretation of the ...
,
Narasimha Saraswati
Shree Narasimha Saraswati Swami Or Shree Nrusimha Saraswati Swami (1378−1459) was an Indian guru of Dattatreya tradition(sampradaya). According to the Shri GuruCharitra, he is the second avatar of Dattatreya in '' Kali Yuga'' after Sripa ...
,
Swami Samarth Maharaj
Shri Swami Samarth, also known as Swami of Akkalkot was an Indian spiritual master of the Dattatreya Tradition. He is a widely known spiritual figure in various Indian states including Maharashtra and Karnataka. He lived during the nineteenth ...
,
Sai Baba of Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi (c. 1838? - died 15 October 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master and fakir, considered to be a saint, revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime.
According to a ...
,
Shreedhar Swami
Sri Shreedhara Swami Maharaj (Devanagari: श्री श्रीधर स्वामी Maharaj, Kannada language, Kannada:ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀಧರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ Maharaj) (7 December 1908 – 19 April 1973) was an Indian pr ...
,
Mata Amritanandamayi
Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī (born Sudhamani Idamannel; 27 September 1953), often known as Amma ("Mother"), is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian, who is revered as 'the hugging saint' by her followers.
In 2018, she w ...
and Maṅkipura Svāmī.
Maṭha tradition and Saṃpradāyas
Shankara or Smarta sect
*Shets of Goa,
["People of India: Goa" By Kumar Suresh Singh, Prakashchandra P. Shirodkar, Pra. Pā Śiroḍakara, Anthropological Survey of India, H. K. Mandal, p. 64] Maharashtra and some parts of Karnataka follow the religious rules of the
Smriti
''Smriti'' ( sa, स्मृति, IAST: '), literally "that which is remembered" are a body of Hindu texts usually attributed to an author, traditionally written down, in contrast to Śrutis (the Vedic literature) considered authorless, that ...
s and are thus called Smarta, i.e. the followers of the Smṛitis. They were followers of
Sringeri Sharada Peetha
Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Śri Śringeri Maṭha (, ; sa, मठ, ) is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by acharya ...
["A socio-cultural history of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara" By Vithal Raghavendra Mitragotri Published by Institute Menezes Braganza, 1999, Original from the University of Michigan, Pages:108.]
*Due to some unavoidable conflicts between the two sects in the community a new maṭha was established in Sri Kshetra Karki, Honnāvara, in North Canara district. The maṭha is called Jnaneshwari Peeth.
Vaishnava or Madhva sect
*The Daivadnya diaspora in
North Canara
Uttara Kannada is a district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Uttara Kannada District is a major coastal district of Karnataka, and currently holding the title of the largest district in Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Bela ...
,
Udupi
Udupi (alternate spelling Udipi; also known as Odipu) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Udupi is situated about north of the educational, commercial and industrial hub of Mangalore and about west of state capital Bangalore by road.
...
,
South Canara
South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...
and
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, who had migrated from Goa due to Arab and Portuguese invasions, were influenced by
Vadiraja
Sri Vadiraja Teertharu (1480 – 1600) was a Dvaita philosopher, poet, traveller and mystic. A polymath of his time, he authored many works, often polemical, on Madhva theology and metaphysics. Additionally, he composed numerous poems and as ...
and adopted Vaishnavism.
History says that a Daivajña named Gopalashetṭi was sculpting a Gaṇesha idol, but it took form of a horse or Hayagriva. He offered it to Vadiraja, the pontiff of Sode maṭha, who later expanded his sphere of influence by taking all the Daivadnyas of north Canara into the fold of his Vaishnavism by extending to them ''dikṣa'' and ''mudra''.
This idol of Hayagriva is still worshipped by the pontiffs of Sode maṭha and by their Shetṭ followers.
Classification
Subdivisions
Śeṭs were divided according to the place from where they hailed, the maṭha they followed and other criteria.
The Subdivisions of Gomantaka Daivajñas
Until the early 19th century, Goan Śeṭs were divided into three sub-divisions based on their geographical location, but these divisions no longer exist:
*''Vāḍkār'' (from ''
Peḍṇe,
Sattarī,
Divcal'')
*''Goyṃkār'' (from ''
Sāsaṣṭi,
Mūrgānv,
Tisvāḍī,
Bārdes'')
*''Sauṃdekār'' (from ''
Phoṇḍā,
Kāṇkoṇ,
Sāṅge,
Kepe'')
["Bharatiya Samajvighatak Jati Varna Vyavastha" p. 141 by P. P. Shirodkar, published by Kalika Prakashan Vishwast Mandal]
These sub-divisions never intermarried nor did they accept food from their counterparts.
Diaspora in Maharashtra
There are no prominent distinctions found in Maharashtra, but there are mentions of groups of Śeṭs of Goa, especially from ''
Sāsaṣṭī'', ''
Bārdes'', ''
Tīsvāḍī'', landing in places like Ṭhāṇe,
''Sāvantvāḍī'', ''Ratnagiri'', ''Khārepāṭaṇ'', ''
Mālvaṇ'', ''
Kudāl'' etc.
They are sometimes collectively called as ''Koṅkaṇastha'' Daivajñas. Daivajñas from Koṅkaṇa later migrated elsewhere in Maharashtra, and hence they were also known as ''Koṅkaṇe'' or ''Konkane Devajnas'' as mentioned in old documents.
Previously, Daivajñas from Goa refrained from having matrimonial alliances outside Goa. Today they arrange them with the Daivajñas of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Shetṭs of Kerala
The emigration of Goan Shetṭs to Kerala dates from the early 13th century, when most of them settled in the port of
Cochin
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
. Some Shets migrated from Goa during the later half of the 16th century due to the religious persecution of the Portuguese. These people settled in places such as
Quilon
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...
,
Trichur,
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
, and
Kasaragod
Kasaragod () is a municipal town and administrative headquarters of Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1966, Kasaragod was the first municipal town in the district. It is the northernmost district of Kerala and ...
, along the coast of Kerala.
The Keralite Shets have a temple dedicated to Gopalakrishna, which is perhaps the oldest temple in Fort Cochin.
Society and culture
Language
Daivadnyas speak Koṅkaṇi and its dialects.
Gomantaka Daivadnyas speak a dialect of Koṅkaṇi known as Goan Koṅkaṇi which the ''
Ethnologue
''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensiv ...
''recognises as the ''Gomāntakī'' dialect, further divided into sub-dialects such as the ''Bārdescī Bhās'' or north Goan, ''Pramāṇa'' or standard Koṅkaṇī and ''Sāśṭicī Bhās'' or south Goan.
Their Konkani
sociolect
In sociolinguistics, a sociolect is a form of language ( non-standard dialect, restricted register) or a set of lexical items used by a socioeconomic class, profession, an age group, or other social group.
Sociolects involve both passive acquisi ...
is different from others and is more closer to the ''Saraswat'' dialect.
Daivadnyas in Maharashtra, i.e. Mumbai, Ṭhane, Pune, Kolhapura, Satara, contemporarily speak
Maraṭhi. In the Koṅkaṇa region of Maharashtra they speak dialects of Koṅkaṇi such as ''
Malvani Malvani may refer to:
*Malvani people, people from the Malvan region of Maharashtra, on the Konkan coast of western India
*Malvani language, Indic language spoken by these people, closely related to Konkani and Marathi
*Malvani cuisine, cuisine of t ...
'', ''Kudali'' and others. Daivadnyas in
Kanara
Kanara, also known as Karavali is the historically significant stretch of land situated by the southwestern coast of India, alongside the Arabian Sea in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka.
The region comprises three civil districts, ...
speak different dialects of Koṅkaṇi, such as ''Karvari'' in the
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada is a district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Uttara Kannada District is a major coastal district of Karnataka, and currently holding the title of the largest district in Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Bela ...
district and ''Maṅgluri'' in the
South Canara
South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...
district.
Almost all of them are bilingual, Goan seṭs can speak Maraṭhi fluently,
Canara Seṭs speak Kannaḍa and
Tulu
Tulu may refer to:
People
*Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner
*Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu"
India
*Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...
outside home, likewise a very small fraction of Keralites can speak
Malayalaṃ with an accent, most of them can speak English fluently.
Many of them have accepted Maraṭhi/Kannaḍa as their cultural language but noticeably, this has not led to an assimilation of these languages with Koṅkaṇi. Similarly Daivadnyas settled in various parts of Gujarat use the local Gujarati language.
Portuguese language
Portuguese ( or, in full, ) is a western Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and ...
is known by many members of older generation of Goans who had done their formal education during the Portuguese rule.
Historians say that the period of migration of Daivajñas and the ''
Kudāldeskārs'', from the northern part of India is same, and they settled in Goa in the same period, for this reason members of both the communities speak the same dialect of Koṅkaṇī in Goa.
Historically, many scripts have been used writing either Koṅkaṇī or Marāṭhī. An extinct script called as
Goykanadi
or Kandavī is a Brahmic script that was once used in the territory of Goa to write Konkani and sometimes Marathi in the Konkan coast. Similarly, it was used by the trading Saraswat and Daivajna families along with the Modi script to maintai ...
was used by the traders in the early 16th century. The earliest document written in this script is a petition addressed by Ravala Śeṭī to the king of Portugal.
Other scripts used include Devanāgarī, ''
Moḍī'',
''
Halekannaḍa'' and Roman script.
Kali Bhasha secret lexicon
Daivajña traders had developed a unique slang called ''Kalī Bhās'', which was used to keep the secrecy of the trade by the traders. Remnants of this jargon are still found in the language used by the Daivajña traders.
["Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti", Part-1, p. 226, by B. D. Satoskar, Shubhada Publication]
Diet
The Daivadnyas are generally
non-vegetarian
Non-vegetarian food (in Indian English sometimes shortened to non-veg food) contains meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, or the flesh of any other animal), and sometimes, eggs. The term is common in India, but not usual elsewhere. In the generally ...
s and eat
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
,
mutton
Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...
and
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
, but abstain from eating
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
,
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
and
buffalo meat
Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...
.
Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
with
fish curry Fish curry may refer to:
* Malabar matthi curry, an Indian dish
* Fish head curry, a Singaporean dish where the head of an ''Ikan Merah'' (red snapper, literally "Red fish") is used
* Machher Jhol (also called ''"Machher Ghonta"'') a traditional ...
is their main food.
Ceremonies and rituals
Konkani people
The Konkan people ( Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan people (Konkani language, Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan people (Konkani language, Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan people (Konkani language, Konkani) Konkanis
The Konkan p ...
in general though speak
Indo-Aryan language
The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, Pa ...
s follow
Dravidian kinship
Kinship terminology is the system used in languages to refer to the persons to whom an individual is related through kinship. Different societies classify kinship relations differently and therefore use different systems of kinship terminology ...
practices (see Karve, 1965: 25 endnote 3).
One's father's brother's children as well as mother's sister's children are considered as brothers and sisters, whereas mother's brother's children
and father's sisters children are considered as cousins and potential mates. Cross-cousin marriages are allowed and practised. Like
dravidian people
The Dravidian peoples, or Dravidians, are an ethnolinguistic and cultural group living in South Asia who predominantly speak any of the Dravidian languages. There are around 250 million native speakers of Dravidian languages. Dravidian sp ...
, they refer to their father's sister as ''mother-in-law'' or ''atte'', and their mother's brother as ''father-in-law'' – ''mama'', and one's husband's mother is generally referred to as ''mother''-''maay''.
Daivadnya people are not so orthodox but they strictly adhere to all the ''
Ṣoḍaśa Saṃskāra'' or the 16 sacraments, and other Brahminical rituals according to the Rig Veda.
The Saṃskāras begin to be observed right from the day of conception, but the prenatal sacraments like ''Garbhadhāna'', ''Puṃsavana'', are usually performed as a part of the wedding ceremony nowadays, unlike some 30 years ago these sacraments were held separately after the wedding ceremony at the right time.
Usually the birth of the first child is supposed to take place in woman's mother's home.
After the child is born, ten days of birth pollution or ''Suyer'' is observed, by keeping an oil lamp lit for ten days.
On the sixth day following childbirth, the goddess ''Śaṣṭī'' is worshipped. On the 11th day, a purification ''
Homa
Homa may refer to:
Places Ethiopia
* Homa (woreda), a district in Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Kenya
* Homa Bay, a town and a bay on the shore of Lake Victoria in Kenya
* Homa Mountain, a volcano near Homa Bay, Kenya
Iran
* Chal Homa, Mark ...
'' is performed. The ''Nāmakaraṇa'' or the ''Bārso'', a naming ceremony, is performed on the 12th day.
It is sometimes held one month following the child birth if the stars are not favourable. The ''Karṇavedha'' or ''Kān topap'' ceremony is held on the 12th day in case of a male child, or for a female child, it is held a month after the birth. For ''Uśṭāvaṇ'', ''Annaprasana'' or the ''first feeding'' ceremony child's maternal uncle feeds the baby with cooked soft rice mixed with milk and sugar. Another similar ritual, ''Dāntolyo'' is also performed by the maternal uncle when the baby gets new teeth, on the first birthday of the child. Ceremonies like the first outing or ''Niṣkrāmaṇa'', ''Jāval'' or ''cūdākarṃa'' i.e. cutting child's hair for first time, ''Vidyāraṃbha'' or commencement of studies, are performed as per caste rules.
When the boys grow up, and before they attain the age of 12, ''Munj'' or ''Upanayana'' is performed with great fanfare.
All other sacraments related to it, like ''Keśānta'' or the first shave, ''Vedarambha'' or, ''Samāvartana'' or ''Soḍ Munj'' are performed as a part of thread ceremony nowadays. In case of girls(who were always married before attaining puberty some 75–100 years ago), a ceremony associated with a girl's first
menstruation
Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of hor ...
was observed in olden days.
The most important sacrament for them is ''Vivāha'', ''Lagna'' or the wedding. Various ceremonies held before the actual wedding ceremony are ''Sākarpuḍo'' or the betrothal, ''Devkāre'' or ''Devkārya'' that includes ''Puṇyāhvācana'', ''Nāndi'', ''Halad'', ''Tel'', ''Uḍid muhurtaSome of their customs are different from any others castes.
'' etc. The actual wedding ceremony is performed as per Ṛgveda.
' form the actual parts of the wedding ceremony. Ceremonies like ''Gṛhapraveśa'', changing the maiden name of the bride, and the puja are followed by some games to be played by the newly wed couple, and the visit to the family deity temple.''Pancpartavaṇ'' or a feast is organised five days after marriage.
They strictly observe Gotra exogamy. The custom of
dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...
in its strict form does not exist any more, but ''Sālaṅkṛta'' ''
Kanyādāna'' with ''Varadakṣiṇā'' is followed as a custom. Intercaste marriages are not common in Daivajñas
A widower is and was allowed to remarry but traditionally this was not the case for widows. In more recent times, post-
independence of India
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
, social reforms have allowed widows to remarry but the practice is still frowned upon by the society. The age for girls for marriage is from 18 to 25 and that for boys is from 25 to 30. Child marriage is absent though girls were married off before attaining puberty, this custom was prevalent till the 19th century.
["People of India: Goa" By Kumar Suresh Singh, Prakashchandra P. Shirodkar, Pra. Pā Śiroḍakara, Anthropological Survey of India, H. K. Mandal, p. 65]
Their dead are cremated according to the vedic rights, and various ''
Śhrāddhas श्राद्ध'' and other ''Kriyās'', ''Tarpaṇas'' are performed by the son or any other paternal relative, or in some cases by the son-in-law of the deceased.
As per the Vedas, dead infants without teeth must not be cremated, and are supposed to be buried.
The body is generally carried to the cremation ground by the son of the deceased and his/her close relatives. Death pollution or ''Sutaka'' usually lasts for twelve days.
They usually own their own cremation grounds.
Women are not allowed in the crematorium. If the deceased was male, his widow was tonsured and strict restrictions were imposed on widows. There was no custom of widow remarriage in the past
neither is it very common nowadays nor was there any custom of divorce.
Their priests are usually from their own caste otherwise, particularly
Karhade
Karhaḍe Brahmins (also spelled as Karada Brahmins or Karad Brahmins) are a Hindu Brahmin sub-caste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra, but are also distributed in states of Goa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
Classification
Along w ...
priests officiate their ceremonies whom they show much reverence.
Festivals
Daivajñas observe all the Hindu festivals but
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...
,
Nag Panchami
Naga Panchami is a day of traditional worship of Nag (or Naja or Naga) or snakes (which are associated with the mythical Nāga beings) observed by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists throughout India, Nepal, and other countries where Hindu, Jain, and ...
and
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
are the most important annual festivals.
Other festivals and Vratas observed by them are
Saṃvatsarāraṃbha, Saṃvatsar Pāḍvo or Yugādi,
Vaṭa Paurṇimā, Vadāpunav,
Ṛk Śrāvaṇi, Sūtāpunav,
Gokulashtami
Krishna Janmashtami , also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is observed ...
, Āditya pujan, Āytārā puja,
Haritālikā Tṛtiyā, Tay or Tayī,
Navratri
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is ob ...
, Lalita Panchami,
Dasaro, Āvatāñcī pujā,
Bhaubeej,
Tulaśī Lagna,
Ekadashi
Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of each of the two lunar phases which occur in an Vedic calendar month - the '' Shukla Pakṣa'' (the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the ''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa ...
s like
Āṣādhī, Kārtikī, Mālinī Paurṇimā or Mānnī Punav,
Makar Sankranti
Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...
,
Shigmo
Shimga, or Shishirotsava is a spring festival celebrated in the Indian state of Goa, where it is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community. It is also celebrated by Konkani diaspora and Indian festival of Holi is part of it.
Etymology
T ...
,
Holi
Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...
,
Mahashivratri
Maha Shivaratri ( IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava.
In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ...
, Veṅkaṭapatī Samarādhanā'
Dressing style
![Shetcouple](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Shetcouple.jpg)
Daivajña men traditionally wear ''
Dhotīs'' called ''Puḍve'' or ''Aṅgavastra'', which cover them from waist to foot. These are made of cotton and sometimes silk on special occasions and wore ''Judi'' or ''Sadro'' to cover upper part of their bodies, and a piece of cloth called ''Uparṇe'' over the shoulders. They wore turbans and ''Pagdi''s, ''Muṇḍāso'', a red velvet cap or ''
Topī'' was used by the traders and merchants so that they would not be troubled by the Portuguese.
["Gomantak Pranruti and Sanskruti", Part-1, p. 381 by B. D. Satoskar] Men had their ears pierced and wore ''Bhikbālī'', sported ''
Śendī'' and wore ''
Vibhutī'' or Sandalwood or ''Gopīcandana'' paste on their foreheads. Men were fond of gold jewellery, too.
Traditional Daivajña woman wear a nine-yard
saree
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various Languages of South Asia, regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી ...
, also known as ''Kāppad'' or ''Cīre'' in such a way that the back was fully covered.
The fashion of wearing a blouse became popular in the 18th century. ''Ghāgro'' and a five yards saree was worn by unmarried girls. Women wore gold ornaments on different parts of their bodies (e.g. ''Ghonṭ, Pāṭlī, Todo, Bājunband, Galesarī, Valesar, Kudī''
), and wore silver ornaments to decorate their feet (e.g.;''Paijaṇ, Salle, Māsolī, Vāle''
).
Arts and music
They do not have their own repertoire of folk songs, but many of them are skilled in singing bhajans, in folk and classical traditions. Until recently every family had a tradition of evening bhajan and prayers with the family members in front of the family gods; a few families have still kept this tradition alive. Children recited ''
Shloka
Shloka or śloka ( sa, श्लोक , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927). in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is ...
''s, ''Shubhankaroti'', ''Parvacha'', as the womenfolk lit the lamp in front of the deity, tulasi and ancestors. Womenfolk were not allowed to sing or dance which was considered demeaning, they do not have any folk songs other than ''ovis'' which they hummed while doing household work, some pujas, and other ceremonies such as the naming ceremony, the wedding and the thread ceremony.
Even though they do not have a tradition of folk songs, they have played a significant role in field of
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
, drama, arts and literature.
Socio-economic background
The traditional occupation of Daivajña people is the jewellery trade. Why this became their occupation is not known. There are no mentions of the Śeṭs practising this occupation in the early history, although they used to make gold and silver images for the temples, which old texts suggest they have inherited this art from the Bhojaks
["A socio-cultural history of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara" By Vithal Raghavendra Mitragotri Published by Institute Menezes Braganza, 1999, Original from the University of Michigan, Pages: 54, 55] who made idols of the Sun god, hence were also called as Murtikāras. They were well versed in Śilpaśāstra and in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
hence received royal patronage.
["A socio-cultural history of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagar", by Vithal Raghavendra Mitragotri, Published by Institute Menezes Braganza, 1999, Chapter I, Page 55] Dhume mentions that the Śeṭs also studied medicine, astrology, astronomy
in ancient university of ''Brahmapuri'' in Goa.
They were renowned for their skills even in the western world and were the first to introduce exquisite jewellery designs to Europe, and were extensively involved in gold, silver, perfumes, black pepper export and even silk, cotton textiles, tobacco
and import of horses during Portuguese and pre-Portuguese era.
Texts maintain names of many wealthy traders e.g. ''Virūpa Śeṭī'' of ''Coḍaṇe'',
''Āditya Śeṭī'' of ''Śivāpura'' or ''Śirodā'' ''Viṭhṭhala Śeṭī'', ''Dama Śeṭī'', who was appointed as an administrator of the ''
Bhatkaṭa'' port by the Portuguese, and others. ''Ravala Śeṭī'' from ''Caraim'' who was summoned to
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
by the king of Portugal, was a collaborator with ''
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (; – 16 December 1515) was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean ...
'' and retained a high office in Goa. Since days of yore their business has been flourishing on the banks of river ''
Mandovi
The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins wi ...
'', historical records mention them as prosperous and wealthy traders and business class. These traders, merchants with their fellow artisans, craftsmen had organised themselves into Śreṇīs or guilds,
Śreṣṭhīs or the head of the guilds were very wealthy, and made huge donations to the temples, and their guilds also served as local banks and treasuries.
Few of them also worked as interpreters in king's court and were called ''
Dubash
Interpreting is a translational activity in which one produces a first and final target-language output on the basis of a one-time exposure to an expression in a source language.
The most common two modes of interpreting are simultaneous interp ...
'', ''Gaṇa Śeṭī'' from ''
Loutolim
Loutolim or Loutulim ''Lottli'' pronounced:, Portuguese: ''Loutulim)'' is a large village of South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.
It is an important settlement in the Salcete sub-district.
Etymology
Loutolim derives its name f ...
'' village was in
Kadamba ''rajas'' court. From the old documents it can be also seen that few of them were involved in politics, and were employed by the kings for their service. Some of them were even associated with salvage operation of the vessels, and sometimes even provided the Portuguese with troops, ships and crew.
They assisted the kings in minting and designing the coins;
during
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
rule some Daivadnya families were given a title of ''Potdar'', which literally means treasurer in ''
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
'', who were in charge of testing the genuineness of the minted coins and their prescribed weight, and played an important role in the revenue system of the Marāṭhas.
The tradition of studying Vedas amongst the Goan Śeṭs does not exist any more,
but Daivadnyas from Gokarṇa, Honnavara and many other places in coastal Karnataka and Koṅkaṇa division of Maharashtra have kept this tradition alive. Many of them are priests who offer religious services to the community,very few of them are astrologers and temple priests.
Along with educationally advanced communities in the 1850s – the
CKP
Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) is a caste group mainly found in Maharashtra. Historically, they made equally good warriors, statesmen as well as writers. They held the posts such as Deshpandes and Gadkaris and according to the histor ...
S,
Pathare Prabhu
Pathare Prabhu is one of the Hindu communities in the city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay).
Introduction
The Pathare Prabhus and the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus ( CKPs) are considered sister communities, both being part of the 'Prabhu ...
s,
Saraswats,
Parsi
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...
s;Daivadnyas were one of the communities in the
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
that allowed female education.
Daivadnyas in the state of Maharashtra and Karnataka are classified by
National Commission for Backward Classes
India's National Commission for Backward Classes is a constitutional body (123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2017 and 102nd Amendment Act, 2018 in the constitution to make it a constitutional body under Article 338B of the Indian Constitutio ...
as an
Other Backward Class
The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General castes, S ...
.
Notable people
*
Jagannath Shankarseth
Hon. Jagannath Shankarsheth Murkute (also spelled as Jugonnath Sunkersett, Jugonnath "Nana" Shunkersheth and Jaggannath Shankarsheth Murkute; 10 February 1803 – 31 July 1865) popularly known as Jagannath Shankarsheth was an Indian philanthr ...
- philanthropist and educationalist.
Notes
* ... Śrī Mulapuruṣāne Gauḍadeśāhūna devilā āṇūna ticī sthāpanā chudāmaṇī betāvarīl, Kārai hyā jāgī, Gomatī nadīcyā tīrāvar kelī ... (Translation:Mulapuruṣa brought the images of the goddess from the Gauḍadeśa, and installed them in a place called as Kārai on the Chudamani island on the banks of river Gomatī.)
Source:Smaranika:published by Śrī Gajantalakṣmī Ravalnatha Devasthana Mārsel Goa, May 2004
*A study of Comunidade de Caraim was done by Śrī Gajantalakṣmī Ravalnatha Devasthana. This temple used to exist in Caraim until 1510, and was later shifted to Mahem and then to Mārsel, as mentioned in the documents preserved by the temple and the Comunidade de Caraim documents, all the Gauncars of this comunidade were of ''Daivadnea bramane Casta'', and were divided in three vangors. Most of the Gauncars fled in other places to avoid conversions, no Hindu Gauncars are found in Caraim any more, but only two families of Gauncars of the Comunidade de Caraim are found in Caraim now and they belong to the Roman Catholic Brahmin or Bamonn category. Same is the case with Comunidade de Sangolda, and Comunidade de Aldona.
Sources:Smaranika:published by Śrī Gajantalakṣmī Ravalnatha Devasthana Mārsel Goa, May 2004
Ad. Paṇduraṅga Puruṣottama Śiroḍkara (Bharatiya samajavighaṭaka jātivarṇa vyavasthā)
Goa: Hindu temples and deities, By Rui Gomes Pereira, Antonio Victor Couto Published by Pereira, 1978, p. 41
* ... The earliest instance of this script we have in a petition addressed by a certain Ravala Śeṭī, most probably a Gaunkar of Caraim in the islands of Goa, to the king of Portugal ...
This signature of Ravala Śeṭī in Koṅkaṇī written in Goykānaḍī:
''Ravala Śeṭī baraha'', which means writing of Ravala Śeṭī
This petition also includes signature of Ravala Śeṭī in Roman script.
Source:History of Goa through Gõykanadi
* Grāmaṇya is a crystallisation of conflicts between two castes of individuals belonging to the same caste, and the same group, about observance of certain religious practices vis-a-vis other members of the society or of the particular caste group. There are two types of Grāmaṇyas inter-caste, and intra-caste. (Source:The Satara raj, 1818–1848: a study in history, administration, and culture By Sumitra Kulkarni, Pages: 187,188.)
* Sanskrit ''Suvarṇakāra'', is corrupted to ''
Prākṛta'' ''Soṇṇāro'' from which Koṅkaṇī and Marāṭhī word ''Sonār'' is derived. (Source: The Koṅkaṇî language and literature By Joseph Gerson Cunha, p. 18.)
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*)
, publisher=Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh Mandal
, year = 1979
*
*"Genetics of Castes and Tribes of India:Indian Population Milieu" by M. K. Bhasin, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007, India
*
External links
*
Daivajña Shikshan Mandal
/small>
*Daivajña Samaj in Gujarat
/small>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daivadnya
Konkani
Indian castes
Mangalorean society