Modh is an

adjective An adjective (abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word that describes or defines a noun or noun phrase. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives are considered one of the main part of speech, parts of ...

often adopted in the surnames of Gujarati people who originate from

Modhera Modhera is a village in Becharaji Taluka in Mehsana district, Gujarat, India. The town is well known for the Sun Temple of Chaulukya era. The town is located on the bank of Pushpavati river. History The town was known as Dharmaranya during Pu ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

History

There are both Modh Brahmins and Modh Vanias. The Modh Vanias, like other Hindu Vanias, are divided into Visa ("20") and Dasa ("10"), of which the Visa is considered to be of the higher status. The ''Dharmāraṇya Purāṇa'' is the caste purāṇa of the Moḍh Brāhmaṇs and Moḍh Vāṇiyās, and was composed by the former. The purāṇa states that the Moḍh Brāhmaṇs were created by the gods to transform Dharmāraṇya into a holy tīrtha. Moḍh Vaṇiks (who are grouped with Vaishyas) were created by the divine cow Kāmadhenu by kicking up dirt in order to serve the Moḍh Brāhmaṇs with charity. The purāṇa was composed between the 14th and 15th centuries CE. Formerly Moḍh Vāṇiyā were either

Vaishnav Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Sh ...

or Jain, but in modern times all Moḍhs are Vaishnav. Modh Ghanchis or Telis were classified as an Other Backward Class by the state of Gujarat in 1994, and by the Union of India in 1999.

People

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

, icon of the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

, belonged to Modh- Bania caste. *

Hemachandra Hemacandra was a 12th century () Śvetāmbara Jaina acharya, ācārya, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, wikt:grammarian, grammarian, Law, law theorist, historian, Lexicography, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and Prosody ...

, the Indian Jain scholar, poet, mathematician and polymath was a Modh Vaniya. *

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...

, 14th and the current

Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...

, belongs to Modh- Ghanchi caste. * The Ambani family, one of the richest families, belong to Modh- Bania caste.

References

{{Social groups of Gujarat Brahmin communities of Gujarat Bania communities Oil pressing castes Social groups of Gujarat Modhera