Utkala Brahmin

"Meaning :(The-) Karnātakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Mahārāshtrakās and Gurjaras; these five(-types who-) live south of Vindhya (- mountains) are (called-) "five Dravidas" (- brahmins); (whereas-) Sarasvatas, Kanyakubjas, Gaudas, Utkalas"', and Maithilas, who live north of Vindhya (- mountains) are known as "five Gaudas" (-brahmins) [cf. Kalhana's Rajatarangini in reference for English version.] .

Utkala Brahmins are responsible for priestly and related functions at the Jagannath Temple in Puri (also known as "Jagannath Puri") in Orissa where the oldest and most famous Jagannath deity is installed. In Puri, the annual Rath Yatra festival takes place.

History

Origin of Utkala Brahmins

The Sanskrit text "IAST|Brāhmaṇotpatti-Mārtaṇḍa" by Pt. Harikrishna Śāstri mentions a śloka according to which a king named Utkala invited brahmins from Gangetic Valley for performing a yajna in Jagannath-Puri; when the yajna ended the invited brahmins laid the foundation of the Lord Jagannath there and settled there for serving the Lord [A History of Brahmin Clans , page 155] .

Another Sanskrit text mentions ślokas which say a king named Sudyumna was born of King Ila in the IAST|Ikṣvāku dynasty ; Sudyumna had three sons who founded independent kingdoms : one son Utkala founded the state Utkala with capital at Puri and Navi Gaya(also known as Biraja Khetra,Jajati Nagar,Jajnagar and Jajpur), another son Gaya founded Gayā in Bihar and third son Haritāśca went to east [IAST|Jāti-Bhāṣkara , page 101-102 ; these ślokas are also quoted in "A History of Brahmin Clans" , page 155] .

ub-castes among Utkala Brahmins

There are two major [The Tribes and Castes of Central Provinces of India, page 398.] and four minor divisions among Utkala (Oriyā) brahmins (with the first two among the following being major divisions) :
# Jajpuriya or northern Oriyas.
# IAST|Dākṣinātya or Dakhini or southern Oriyas.
# Pandā.
# Veda Brahmin
# Jharia or IAST|Jhaḍua.
# Halia or Halua. Utkala or Oriya Aranyaka Brahmins are also known as IAST|Jhaḍua ("Jharia" according to cited sources) Brahmin. They were first settlers in Sambalpur. They marry among themselves, and later other Utkal Brahmin immigrants to Western Orissa & Chhattisgarh refuse to intermarry with them. Halua ("Halia" according to cited sources ; from "hal" or plough) took to cultivation and have entirely lost their sacerdital character, but are proud of calling themselves brahmins. Veda Brahmin or Vedanti Brahmins subsist on donations in return of hereditary priesthood (Yajmānī). Pandā form the priestly section ; some of them are cooks in temples and even in private houses , and travel all around India touting for pilgrims to visit the temples of Jagannāth. [The Tribes and Castes of Central Provinces of India, page 399-400. Russel quotes Stirling for a description of Veda-Brahmins and their relations with Haluas.] . Jogendranath Bhattacharya has vividly described the touting activities of these temple-touts [Hindu Castes and Sects, Part-III,Sec-7:"The Brahmans of Orissa" pages 46-50 in new edition.] .

Russel noted one exceptional feature at Jagannātha Temple of Puri : "All castes now eat the rice cooked at the temple of Jagannath together without defilement, and friendships are cemented by eating of little of this rice together as sacred bond.". [The Tribes and Castes of Central Provinces of India, page 400.] .

Sub-castes among Utkala BrahminsThere are two major [4] and four minor divisions among Utkala (Oriyā) brahmins (with the first two among the following being major divisions) :

Jajpuriya or northern Oriyās. Dākṣinātya or southern Oriyās. Pandā. Veda Brahmin Jhadua. Halua.

Russel noted one exceptional feature at Jagannātha Temple of Puri : "All castes now eat the rice cooked at the temple of Jagannath together without defilement, and friendships are cemented by eating of little of this rice together as sacred bond.". [7] .

The Utkala or Oriya Brahmin Surnames are Acharya, Bishi, Chaturvedi, Dash,Dash Sharma,Dikshit (Dixit), Debta (Devta), Gantayat, Kar, Mishra, MishraSharma, Mohapatra,Nath, BhattaMishra, Pani, Panigrahi, Sanigrahi, SinghMohapatra, Rath, RathSharma, Sharma, Satpathy, Pani,Pati, Patra, Sahu, Vedi, Dwivedi, Trivedi, Sarangi, , Pattajoshi,Joshi,Panda, BadaPanda, PujaPanda, Nanda, Senapathi, Purohit, Pujari,Nayak,Behera,Pathi, Nepak, Vajpayee, Devasharma, Tripathy, Praharaj, Padhi,Udgata,Choudhury,Hota,Otta etc.

References

*Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir; 3 Volumes > M.A.Stein (translator),(Introduction by Mohammad Ishaq Khan),published by Saujanya Books at Srinagar,2007,(First Edition pub. in 1900),ISBN 81-8339-043-9 / 8183390439.
*A History of Brahmin Clans (IAST|Brāhmaṇa Vaṃshõ kā Itihāsa) in Hindi, by Dorilāl Śarmā,published by Rāśtriya Brāhamana Mahāsabhā, Vimal Building, Jamirābād, Mitranagar, Masūdābād,Aligarh-1, 2nd ed-1998. (This Hindi book contains the most exhaustive list of Brahmana gotras and pravaras together their real and mythological histories).
*IAST|Jāti-Bhāṣkara by Pt. Jwālā Prasād Misra, published by Khemaraj Shrikrishnadas, Bombay, (1914).
*The Tribes and Castes of Central Provinces of India, by R. V. Russel,I.C.S,(assisted by R. B. Hira Lal),4 Vols,Macmillan and Co; New Ed edition (2 Aug 1995) : Asian Educational Services,India; Language English,ISBN-10: 812060833X ,ISBN-13: 978-8120608337
*"Hindu Castes and Sects" Jogendranath Bhattacharya; First Editions :Calcutta,1896); New Ed:New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publications, 1995.
*Mayne's "Treatise on Hindu Law and Usage",15th ed.,New Delhi: Bharat Law House, 2003.
*Kane, Pandurang Vaman(1880 - 1972), "History of Dharmaśāstra " (ancient and mediæval religious and civil law in India), Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 1962 - 1975.
*Hindu Manners, Customs, and Ceremonies, by Abbe J. A. Dubois,English translation first published in 1816, Reprint. 1999(Third edition. Delhi, Low Price Pub.), 2 volumes, 741 p.,ISBN 81-7020-927-7.
*(Manusmriti) : cite book | author = Translation by G. Bühler| title = Sacred Books of the East: The Laws of Manu (Vol. XXV)| publisher = Oxford | year = 1886| isbn = Available online as [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm The Laws of Manu]
*"History of India" by Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, Published 2004,Routledge,448 pages,ISBN 0415329205
*"IAST|Brāhmaṇotpatti-mārtaṇḍa" by Harikṛṣṇa Śāstri, (Sanskrit), 1871

ee also

*Brahmin communities
*Brahmin
*Brahmins
*Hinduism
*Forward Castes
*Classification of Brahmins

*Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa, India
*Ratha Yatra
*Juggernaut
*Puri, Orissa

External links

* [http://www.vedah.net/manasanskriti/Brahmins.html The complete reference to Brahmins] : No material from this site has been borrowed for this article.
* [http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/brahmins/list.htm A Long List of Brahmin Castes and Sub-castes]
* http://www.rathayatra.co.uk/
* http://www.jagannathtemplepuri.com/