Semwal is one of the thirty-six subcastes of

Sarola Brahmin Sarola Brahmin, also called Saryul and Serul are Garhwali Brahmins from Uttarakhand, India. Sarola Brahmins were the earliest authenticated Brahmin castes in the then small Garhwal Kingdom 1200 years ago. The capital of this kingdom was Chandpu ...

from

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

. They are the sole custodians and

pandits A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...

of the

Gangotri Gangotri is a town and a ''Nagar Panchayat'' (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 99 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarter. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi � ...

temple. They fall under the category of

Gauda Brahmins Gaur Brahmins (spelling variations: Gor or Gour), also Gauda Brahmins (spelling variations: Gaud, or God), also known as Adi Gauda/Gaur, is a group of Brahmin communities in India. The Gauda Brahmins are one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin commu ...

Etymology

The name "Semwal" originates from a place called Sem-Mukhem (

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

:सेम-मुखेम) in

, abode to the shrine of Sem-Mukhem Nagraj (

: सेममुखेम नागराज) often considered among the locals as the fifth shrine of the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of which the Semwals are permanent serving priests. Apart from this, the name "Semwal" might also have originated from Sem village in

Karnaprayag Karnaprayag is a town and municipal board in the Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Karnaprayag is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River, situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Pindar River. Dem ...

, Chamoli district.

References

{{Reflist Surnames Indian surnames Surnames of Indian origin Surnames of Hindustani origin Hindu surnames Himalayan peoples Social groups of India Social groups of Uttarakhand Brahmin communities of Uttarakhand Toponymic surnames People from Chamoli district

Etymology

See also

References