Naagar

"Nagars" are believed to be one of the oldest of the brahman's groups.

Origin of Nagars

Historians claim the origin of Nagars to be purely Aryan, having gone to India from Southern Europe and Central Asia. They migrated through the Hindu Kush to either Trivishtapa or Tibet. Later they travelled through Kashmir and settled around Kurukshetra.

A belief, which also explains the superiority of Nagar community against most Brahmins, is that when Alexander the Great invaded India, his army came through the present day Kashmir. When Alexander went back, some of the Greek soldiers stayed and married girls of Kashmiri Pundits. References to such marriages are found

"In 303 BCE. Seleucus I (a commander in Alexander's army) led an army to the Indus in India, where he encountered Chandragupta. The confrontation ended with a peace treaty, and "an intermarriage agreement", meaning either a dynastic marriage or a more general agreement for intermarriage between Indians and Greeks. Accordingly, Seleucus ceded to Chandragupta his northwestern territories as far as Arachosia and received 500 war elephants (which played a key role in the victory of Seleucus at the Battle of Ipsus)."

Nagars are believed to be the progeny of this liaison and have therefore acquired the physical features and strength of the Greek soldiers and the intelligence of the Kashmiri Pundits. Fact|date=May 2008

Another interesting and more convincing account about the origin of Nagars has been given by Shri Shambhuprasad Desai of Junagadh, according to whom Nagars first came from Greece, Macedonia, Syria or regions surrounding these places. There are places called Nagar in Jordan, and also in Israel. Also there is also a Nagar community in Iran, who are intelligent, famous and well known as good and efficient administrators. They might have gone there via Kangda (old Nagarkot) of the Himalayas.

The word "nag" means a "mountain" and "naag" means persons living in a mountain region. "R" is a word of the sixth tense. All these three put together becomes "Naagara" This leads us to believe that Nagars must be living in the beginning in the regions surrounded by mountains. ("Nagar" - a man protected by a mountain.)Current research speculates the Aryan origin to be Hatak, where the predominant deity is Hatak, Hatkesh or Hatkeshwar. According to the Skandapurana, the land of Hatkeshwar was a gift from Lord Shiva for the Nagars to colonize. This after Lord Shiva created Nagars to celebrate his marriage to Uma.

In mythology, the origin of Nagars is linked to the marriage of Lord Shiva to Uma. Lord Shiva created a sect of Brahmins to perform his marriage with Uma and asked these Brahmins to settle in the Hatkeshwar kshetra. Another tale depicting the origin of Nagars goes telling the story of a Brahmin boy Kratha who was once roaming about Nag Lok-Nag Tirth the abode of Nags (Serpents) and while roaming he happen into a confrontation with Rudamal- the Nag prince. Rudamal got killed in the confrontation. Enraged by the killing of his son, the Nag King vowed to destroy the entire community of the killer of his son and in the process invaded the town, which is believed to be the present day Vadnagar, where Kratha- the Brahmin boy, lived. Several of the Brahmin families living in the town were killed and several families fled the town. The fleeing Brahmin families took refuge with Trijat, a great saint and an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Trijat advised the Brahmins to worship and please Lord Shiva, which they did. Lord Shiva, however, expressed his inability in destroying the Nags as they were also his devotees. He however, blessed the Brahmins with the powers with the help of which the Brahmins could nullify the poison of the Nags. The Brahmins returned to their town with the blessings of Lord Shiva and were called Nagars- Na- Gar i.e without any poison. (The Nagar community is therefore also revered as the most sacred among the Brahmins as they do not possess any poison in them in the form of any evils). However, when the Brahmins returned to their town they had grown very old ("vriddha") and therefore the town was known as Vriddha Nagar or the city of the old. The name later became Vadnagar. Incidentally, Lord Krishna was also referred to as Nag- Har since he destroyed Kaliya in the river Yamuna.

Another similar story says that the Brahmins of Chamatkarpur were frequently persecuted by the community of Naags. It is believed that a child widow, named Bhattika was kidnapped by them. This led to a bitter fight between the Brahmins of Chamatkarpur and Naags. It happened during the reign of King Prabhanjna. A son was born in his house at an inauspiscious time. At his request, the Brahmins of Chamatkarpur performed a sacrifice for “"shanty"” (peace) but all they got in return was an epidemic.

The Brahmins came to learn from the fire god that some one among them was not pure. One Prabhavdatta wore the cap, went to the forest, practiced penance and propitiated Lord Shiv. The brahmins of chamatkarpur who were persecuted by Naag community sought shelter from Prabhavdatta, who had now the blessings of Lord Shiv. Lord Shiv gave them the Nagara Mantra by which the Naags could be subdued. The brahmins of Chamatkarpur thereafter once again fought the Naags and defeated them. They accepted Prabhavdatta as their leader and since then Prabhavdatta is known as Bhartiyajna.

The famous savant, Manshankar Pitamberdas Mehta identifies Prabhanjna of Anarta country with the Kshatrapa ruler of Gujarat, King Rudradaman-II. He comes to the conclusion that the fight of the Vadnagara Nagar Brahmins with the Naag community took place in AD 347 and that Vadnagar was regained by the Nagars in AD 348. Hence the significance of the Samvat Year 404 corresponding to AD 348 is invariably referred to by the Vadnagar Nagar Brahmins in the Uptamani, which is read at the end of the Marriage ceremony.

It is said that a man of a very low caste once impersonated a Nagar and married a Nagar girl. When the truth came to the knowledge of the girl she burnt herself to death. After this incident, Prabhavdatta of Bhartiyajna, who had by then laid down special rules and regulations for the benefit of Nagars, declared that no one should have his daughter married without making proper enquiries and thus the custom of reading the "Uptamani" (the names of the leading members of the two families and other members of the community) came into existence- from Samvat Year 404 or AD 348.

Migration of Nagars

There is a legend about Bappa Raval, a Nagar Brahmin of Annandpur, who conquered Chittor from a ruler of the Mori Dynasty and established Mewar. In the inscription of AD 1216 of Prabhaspatan, Vadnagar has been mentioned as “Nagar”. In the seven generations mentioned therein, some are cited as ministers of the kings of Gujarat, while others are believed to have held high posts in the State. Valla, a minister of King Kumarpal who constructed a fort for Vadnagar and build a temple of Lord Shiv, was a Nagar as per the inscription of Vadnagar Prashasti of AD 1152 on the pillars of the Torana Gate of Vadnagar.

It is also believed that before Nagars first came to Gujarat in AD 404, they lived in Sindh. Legend has it, this land (along with money) was awarded to the Nagars by King Chamatkar of Anarta for having saved his life. According to the story, the King was out on a hunt when he killed a deer suckling her young. The deer placed a curse on the King. As a result of the curse, the King developed leukoderma. In the area, lived a small village of Brahmins, who, with the use of herbs, cured the King of his illness. King Chamatkar was thankful and offered them, as a reward, money and land. The Brahmins were men of high principle and believed in austere living; they refused the Kings offerings. The queen then went to the village and spoke with the wives of the Brahmin. She persuaded 68 of the 72 into accepting the offer. The four who refused, left the village for the Himalayas with their family. Those who remained are called the founders of the Nagar family descendant identity or "Gotra".

Another version of the legend claims the King of Anarta rebuilt an abandoned city, Chamatkarpur, and consecrated a temple to Hatkeshwar to show his gratitude to the Brahmins.

Through the years, and many name changes, the town is currently known as Vadnagar. The inhabitants of the city were known as Nagars.

As time passed, the city of Vadnagar was invaded on more than one occasion. Nagars sought refuge in the nearby areas of Saurashtra and Rajasthan. During this time, they did their best to observe and preserve the code, to guard their identity.

After King Vishaldev conquered Gujarat (around AD 1040), the King of Ajmer established the cities of Vishnagar (formerly Vishalnagar), Chitrod (or Chitakutpati), Prashnipur, Krashnor, and Sathod (or Shatpad). He offered these cities to the Brahmins who were descendants or an offshoot of the Nagars from Vadnagar.

Around great men gathers many a legend that obscures history. But what is history if not legend agreed upon? This applies equally to Nagars - a great social group. The earliest written book dealing with the origin of Nagars is the Skand Purana containing some 81,000 Slokas. With a view to prorogate the Brahmin Dharma as against the Buddh belief various writers wrote the Skand Purana from AD 300 to 770 sponsored by Skand Gupta and vallabhi emperors. The elite Brahmins, called Nagars were assigned the task of furthering the Brahmin religions. These Nagars were expert interpreters of religion and were working without salary. Mostly they inhabited around Vadnagar or Anandnagar. The kings therefore gave them land for maintenance. These Nagars travelled far and wide and established the "shiv" belief in Egypt, Babylon, Brazil, Kabul, Indochina and Cambodia. It is said that after the death of emperor Ashoka (232 B.C.) the Shakas and Yavanas made inclusions.

External links

* [http://www.nagars.info Nagar Samaj Community Website]
* [http://rohitsreadings.blogspot.com Rohit's Readings]
* [http://www.nagar-setu.com Nagar]