Brahmin communities

Brahmin communities in India are traditionally divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins according to the following shloka found in the "Rajatarangini" of Kalhana (12th century):

: _sa. कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः ।: _sa. गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ॥: _sa. सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः ।: _sa. पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासिनः ॥

:"The Karnatakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Maharashtrakas and Gurjaras; these five (-types who- ) live south of Vindhya (- mountains) are (called-) "Dravida" (- brahmins); (whereas-) Saraswatas, Kanyakubjas, Gaudas, Utkalas, and Maithilas, who live north of Vindhya (- mountains) are known as "five Gauda" (- brahmins)."

The shloka only identifies the caste-system present on the basis of their regional presence. The classification of Brahmins, the highest varna, on the basis of Region is debatable (compare the Brahmin gotra system).Fact|date=August 2007

Pancha-Gauda

Those from "Uttarapatha" ("Aryavarta") (northern and eastern India.)

"Approximately ordered according to geographical regions, from West to East"

Saraswat

*Kashmiri Pandits
*Mohyal Brahmins
*Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
*Gouda Saraswat Brahmins

*Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin
*Nasarpuri Sindh Saraswat Brahmin

Kanyakubja

*Kanyakubja Brahmins

*Saryupareen Brahmins

Gauda

*Khandelwal Brahmin
*Kota Brahmin
*Dadhich Brahmin
*Gaur Brahmin
*Sanadya Brahmin

Sanskrit "IAST|gauḍa" is a vrddhi derivation of "IAST|guḍa", literally "sugar molass", but also the name of a tribe of the Madhyadesha. A school of thought believes that Gauda is sometimes taken to mean the Gaur region of Bengal. However the original meaning of the term coincides with region termed as Brahmakshetra:: _sa. ब्रह्मक्षेत्रं गुडारण्यं मत्स्यपाञ्चालमाथुराः: _sa. एष ब्रह्मर्षि देशो वै ब्रह्मावर्त समम्बरम् ॥: _sa. ब्रह्मक्षेत्रं कुरुक्षेत्रं ब्रह्मदेशः प्रकथ्यते: _sa. आदिगौदर्षिदेशान्तं हर्यारण्यमिहोच्यते ॥Fact|date=August 2007

Maithil

*Maithili Brahmins

*Kulin Brahmins
*Bengali Brahmins
* Bhumihar Brahmins

Utkal

* Utkala Brahmins

Panja-Dravida (Five Southern)

Those from "Dakshinapatha" (South India, including Gujarat and Maharashtra).

Gujarat

*Trivedi Mewada Brahman
*Bhatt Mewada Brahman
*Saurashtra Trivedi Mewad Brahman
*Saurashtra Bhatt Mewada Brahman
*Pushkarna Brahman
*Nagar Brahman
*Audich Brahman
*Modh Brahman
*Bardai Brahman
*Girinarayan Brahman
*Khedaval Brahman
*Shrimali Brahman
*Anavil Brahman
*Sidhra-Rudhra Brahman
*Sree gauda Brahman
*Prashnora Brahman

Maharashtra

*Deshastha Brahmin
*Chitpavan Brahmin(Konkanastha)
*Gaud Saraswat Brahmin
*Karhade Brahmin
*Devrukhe Brahmin

Karnataka

*Kannada Brahmins
**Daivajna Brahmins
**Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins
**Badaganadu Brahmins
**Babbur Kamme Brahmins
**Shukla Yajurveda Brahmins
**Ulucha Kamme Brahmins
**Niyogi Brahmins
**Madhva Brahmins
**Mandyam Iyengars
**Hebbar Iyengars
**Mysore Iyengars
*Mysore Iyers
*Ashtagrama iyers
*Mulukanadu Brahmins
*Sankethi Brahmins
*Sarawat Brahmins, totally different from Gowda Saraswat Brahmins and one of the smallest groups of Brahmins in terms of population.
*Gauda Saraswat Brahmins (Generally considered Pancha-Gauda) [ [http://www.gsbworld.com/ GSB World] ]
*Tuluva Brahmins [ [http://www.boloji.com/places/0019.htm The Tale of Tuluva Brahmins] ]
**Shivalli Brahmins
**Sthanika Brahmins
**Koteshwara Brahmins
**Padia Brahmins
**Saklapuri Brahmins
**Kandavara Brahmins
**Koota Brahmins
**Havyaka Brahmins
**Smarth Brahmins
**Maratha Brahmins
**Karhade Brahmins

Andhra Pradesh

*Telugu Brahmins
*Niyogi Brahmins
*Vaidiki Brahmins
*Dravida Brahmins

Tamil Nadu and Kerala

*Iyers (of sholiyar,Vadama,Vathima,Brihatcharanam,Astasataram
*Iyengars (of Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects)
*Namboothiri Brahmins
*Pushpaka Brahmins (Ambalavasis)
*Sharada Brahmins
*Nagariks or the Brahmin migrants from north india

List of sub-castes

Some of the existing sub-castes from "Panch-Gaur" group of Brahmins are:
*Shakdwipi Brahmins
*Bengali Brahmins
*Bhargav Brahmins
*Bhumihar Brahmins
*Dadhich Brahmins
*Dube Brahmins
*Gaur Brahmins
*Gautam Brahmins
*Kashmiri Pandits
*Khandelwal Brahmins
*Khedaval Brahmins
*Mohyal Brahmins
*Kanyakubja Brahmins
*Kota Brahmins
*Kulin Brahmins
*Maithili Brahmins
*Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
*Sanadya Brahmins
*Saraswat Brahmins
*Saryupareen Brahmins
*Shrimali Brahmins
*Tyagi Brahmins

Some of the existing sub-castes from "Panch-Dravida" group of Brahmins are:
*Bardai Brahmins
*Chitpavan Brahmins (Konkanasth)
*Daivajna Brahmin
*Dhima Brahmins
*Deshastha Brahmin
*Gouda Saraswat Brahmins
*Havyaka Brahmins
*Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins
*Iyers, Iyengar (Vadakalai Thenkalai )
*Kandavara Brahmins
*Kannada Brahmins
*Karhade Brahmins
*Koota Brahmins
*Koteshwara Brahmins
*Nagar Brahmins
*Namboothiri (Namboodiri, Namboodiripad, Bhatathiripad)
*Padia Brahmins
*Pushpaka Brahmins (Ambalavasi Brahmins)
*Saklapuri Brahmins
*Sankethi Brahmins
*Shivalli Brahmins
*Sthanika Brahmins
*Telugu Brahmins (Vaidiki, Niyogi)
*Tuluva Brahmins

References

ee also

*Brahmin
*Panch-Gauda
*Gauḍa brahmins
*Maithil Brāhamana
*Utkala Brahmin
*Bengali Brahmins
*Shakadvipi
*Hinduism
*Forward Castes

External links

* [http://www.vedah.net/manasanskriti/Brahmins.html Brahmin communities]
* [http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/brahmins/list.htm List of Brahmin Castes and Sub-castes]