Devrukhe Brahmins are one of five sub-
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
s of
Maharashtrian Brahmin
Marathi Brahmins (also known as Maharashtrian Brahmins), are communities native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are classified into mainly three sub-divisions based on their places of origin, " Desh", "Karad" and "Konkan". The Brahmin ...
s. This community is small in numbers compared to other
Maharashtrian Brahmin
Marathi Brahmins (also known as Maharashtrian Brahmins), are communities native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are classified into mainly three sub-divisions based on their places of origin, " Desh", "Karad" and "Konkan". The Brahmin ...
s such as
Deshastha Brahmin
Deshastha Brahmin is a Hindu Brahmin subcaste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra and northern area of the state of Karnataka. Other than these states, according to authors K. S. Singh, Gregory Naik and Pran Nath Chopra, Deshastha Br ...
,
Konkanastha Brahmin
The Chitpavan Brahmin or Konkanastha Brahmin is a Hindu Maharashtrian Brahmin community inhabiting Konkan, the coastal region of the state of Maharashtra. Initially working as messengers and spies in the late seventeenth century, the community ...
and
Karhade Brahmin
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 wi ...
.
Introduction
The Devrukhe brahmins are also called "Devarshi Brahmins". In 1926, the "Devrukhe Brahman Samiti", Bombay published a 16 page pamphlet in Marathi giving information about their community.
Origins
Tracing the origins of Devrukhe Brahmins, it leads to one of the oldest Marathi speaking Brahmins in Maharashtra - Deshastha Brahmin, residents of Desha i.e. over the
Western Ghats. During the end of 15th century - a period marked by famine and turmoils of Mughal rule, many Brahmin families descended the Western Ghats and settled near
Sangameshwar
Sangameshwar Taluka is a taluka in Ratnagiri subdivision of Ratnagiri district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The headquarters for the taluka is the town of Devrukh.The headquarters was moved from the village of Sangameshwar to Devrukh in 1 ...
-
Devrukh
Devrukh is a town in the tehsil of Sangameshwar in the Ratnagiri district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is headquarters for the Sangameshwar tehsil and a part of the Konkan region. The town enjoys salubrious climate, and the majority ...
,
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 ...
. Later they were called as Devrukhe Brahmins. They follow the same traditions as of other Maharashtrian brahmins along with the influences that may have resulted due to migration near Ratnagiri.
See also
*
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
*
Indian caste system
The caste system in India is the paradigmatic ethnographic example of classification of castes. It has its origins in ancient India, and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially the Mu ...
References
{{reflist
Brahmin communities of Maharashtra
Vegetarian communities