Kamat is a surname from Goa,

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

coastal Karnataka 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, ...

in India. It is found among Hindus of the

Goud Saraswat Brahmin Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd) are a Hindu Brahmin community of the north. The Konkani speaking Gaud Saraswat of Goa and southern India claim to be descendents of these Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of the north that migrated to K ...

, Saraswat and

Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins (RSB) are a Hindu community of India. Rajapur are classified under the Other Backward Class(OBC) list by the Government of Kerala and the Government of Karnataka. See also *Gaudapada *Govinda Bhagavatpada Govinda ...

communities following Madhva Sampradaya of either

Gokarna Matha Shri Gokarna Math or Partagali Math ( also known as ''Gokarna Matha'', ''Partagali Jivottama Math'') is the first Gaud Saraswat Mathas of the Dvaita order, a system established by Jagadguru Madhvacharya in the 13th century AD. This matha also ca ...

or Kashi Matha.

Variations

Kāmat is a common surname of Konkani Saraswat Brahmins and of a few Konkani Roman Catholics of Goa, Maharashtra and Canara. "Kāmat" is mostly used in the Konkan area which includes Goa, Maharashtra and around the Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. ''Kāmath'' is used by Brahmins around

Dakshina Kannada Dakshina Kannada district is a district of Karnataka state in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangalore. It is part of the larger Tulu Nadu region. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east ...

and Udupi districts and of Karnataka and Hosdurg in Kerala. The word has origin in the Sanskrit word of "Kāmati" (i.e. Kaam + Maati) meaning "people who work in soil" or do farming or cultivate land. "Camotim" was used in the erstwhile Portuguese territory of Goa but has given way to "Kāmat" today. "Camat" word is still in use in Indonesia which was a Portuguese colony at some point of time in the history. In Indonesia "Camat" means administrative and political head of the sub-district or taluk. Taluk may be said as kecamatan (spelled as ke-chamatan). The name is also in use among some Konkani Catholics who trace their ancestry to the

Goud Saraswat Brahmins Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd) are a Hindu Brahmin community of the north. The Konkani speaking Gaud Saraswat of Goa and southern India claim to be descendents of these Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of the north that migrated to K ...

of Goa. There are many GSB and RSB families, original "Kāmats" from Goa who migrated to Karnataka and Maharashtra in the 16th Century to escape Catholic persecution of Hindus under Portuguese rule and they adopted the place name from Goa where they originally belonged to.

Notable people

The following is a list of notable people with last name Kāmat. * Digambar Kamat, Chief Minister of Goa (2007 to 2012) * Durgabai Kamat (1899–1997), first actress of Indian cinema, debuted in '' Mohini Bhasmasur'' (1913), second movie of Phalke * Ninad Kamat, Marathi and Hindi actor * Umesh Kamat, Marathi actor

Citations

References

*. {{surname, Kamat Indian surnames Karnataka society Konkani-language surnames