The Prabhu communities are a group of distinct

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

castes found in

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 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. There are four such castes, all having different ritual and social status within the caste system of Maharashtra. They are Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu, Pathare Prabhu, Kanchole Prabhus and the Danved Prabhu.

Introduction

The Prabhu communities are subdivided into many castes. * Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (popularly known as CKP) * Pathare Prabhu * Drauv Prabhu also known as Kanchole Prabhus or Pathare Prabhu Kanchole * Danved Prabhu Some sources refer to them by their full name but some are ambiguous as to which specific Prabhu community they are referring to. In other sources, context can be used to identify the specific caste. In some sources, Pathare Prabhus and CKPs have been jointly referred to as Prabhu Communities.

Details

Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) and Pathare Prabhu

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 ...

are considered superior to the other Prabhu communities. They are a ritually high caste and are considered socially proximate to Maharashtrian Brahmin community. Along with the Saraswat, Deshastha and

Chitpawan 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 ...

they have been considered as an "advanced caste" due to similarities in education and occupational status. The Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) and Pathare Prabhu are considered intellectual classes (other than Brahmins) and have been advanced in education. Both have vedic

upanayana ''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' ...

(thread ceremonies or 'munj' in marathi) and their 'vedokta' or rights to study of Vedas and perform Vedic rituals has been formally approved by the Brahmin councils and ratified by the

Shankaracharya Shankaracharya ( sa, शङ्कराचार्य, , "Adi Shankara, Shankara-''acharya''") is a religious title used by the heads of amnaya monasteries called mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism. The title derives from Adi ...

s based on shastras. In case of Pathare Prabhus the formal approval was given by the Shankaracharya of Shingeri and in the case of CKPs by Brahmin councils of Pune, Banares, Bajirao II and the Shankaracharya of Karvir and Sanakareshwar Math (a

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 ...

Kanchole Prabhus

The Drauv (or Dhurus) are also known as Kanchole Prabhus. It is said that they were part of the Pathare Prabhu community but were excommunicated for disobeying caste rules. The Kacholes made several attempts and appeals to the Pathare Prabhu caste to accept them back. The first was made in 1836, the second and third in 1881. In November 1881, 38 gentlemen from the Pathare Prabhu community confirmed the Kanchole's "purity of blood", similar religious beliefs, similar gotras and characteristics and professions, similarity in writings, status etc. Despite these proofs they were not readmitted due to rigid 19th century rules regarding caste pollution.

Communities claiming Prabhu status

The Somavanshi Kshatriya Pathare (SKP) - also known as "Panchkalshi" claim that they were once part of the Pathare Prabhu however the Pathare Prabhus dismiss this claim and do not accept them as equals.

Notes

References

{{Reflist Social groups of Maharashtra Ethnoreligious groups in Asia Marathi people Prabhu Communities of Maharashtra