Madval, sometimes also known as '' Dhobi'', is a washerman community 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 rest of 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 ...

. They claim to be ''Rajaka''s.The occupation of washermen is hereditary. The services of washermen are essential for the people of the urban as well as rural areas alike. They have their own localities which are sometimes gifted to them by the temples for the services they render and agriculture farmers.

Notes

{{Ethnic and social groups of Goa and Konkan Hinduism in Goa Social groups of Goa