Awasthi

Infobox caste
caste_name=Awasthi
classification=Brahmin
subdivisions=
populated_states=Uttar Pradesh, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh
languages=Hindi and its dialects
religions=Hinduism

"Awasthi" is a surname / family name of a particular sub-caste of Brahmins of India. The Awasthi Brahmins belong to the kanya-kubja brahmin categories of brahmins of north india, the others being Gaur, Saryupari and Sannaadhya.

History

----For last several centuries, Awasthi Brahmins have been located in and around Kanpur and Unnao (and the adjoining hinterland i.e. from Kannauj ) located in the fertile Gangetic plains of Awadh, presently forming part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Awasthi Brahmins are also found in Kangra district of North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.They have been residing over there for centuries. Awasthi Brahmins are also located at village Naret, Pantgaon(Askote)Jauljibi, in the District Pithoragarh of Uttarakhand State for last several generations. Some people say these Awasthi Brahmins have migrated from Uttar Pradesh but there is no recorded proof. The geographical area, where majority of Awasthi families are presently located, for last several centuries, has a rich historical heritage and is a crystal ball of ancient as well as the modern Indian civilization.

There exists no credible source of information as regards the period since when the Awasthi Brahmins have been residing in Awadh area. There is also no complete and authoritative count of Brahmin sub-castes (or any other castes / sub-castes) in India. For example, Rev. M.A. Sherring in the 1860s, had compiled names of about 2,000 sub-castes of Brahmins in his second volume of his Hindu Tribes and Castes. And, he had indicated that the list could be incomplete.

Reference to ancestry

----According to studies conducted by Rev. M A Sherring, all the chief Brahmin gotras are descended from the "Saptarishis" ("sapta" means seven and "rishiss" means sages in Sanskrit). The other meaning of Saptarishis is constellation of Great Bear (Ursa Major).

According to Indian mythology, these seven sages were "Brigu, Angirh, Atri, Viswamitra, Kashyap, Vashisht", and "Agastya". Awasthi Brahmins belong to sage "Upamanyus" Gotra, and sage Upamanyus, along with sages like "Vishisht, Kundin, Parashara" and "Jatukaraniya" followed the school of (thought) of sage Vashisht. Mythological evidences suggest that the Sage Upamanyus followed the Yajur veda. The Awasthi Brahmins located in District Pithoragagh of Uttarakhand State belong to Agastya Gotra and are Yajurvedadhyayi. From the ancient time of the Vedic period, Awasthi Brahmins have always excelled in intellectual pursuits and they still continue to excel in activities requiring brains than brawn. In Brahmin hierarchical level, they are like Shukla and Vajpayee Brahmins.

Language

----Being residing in the ancient land of Awadh and their gotra being Upamanyus, who was indoctrinated in the school (of thought) of sage Vashist, the surname Awasthi is likely to be a shortened "Awadhi" form and derivative of “Awadh-Vashist”.

The mother tongue of Awasthi Brahmins is Awadhi, an Indo-Aryan language, akin to Hindi. Awadhi is the language, in which, the famed epic
Sri Ramacharit Manas was written by Tulasi Das. Like most of the north Indian Brahmins, Awasthi Brahmins donot allow consanguineous marriages, which are in vogue in some social groups in other parts of India.

Locations

----Although most Awasthi Brahmins are confined in the area of Awadh, with the changing times they are moving out to other areas, and out of their “home zone” of Awadh, they are, sometimes, mistakenly thought to belong to Kayastha caste, which have some similar sounding surnames like Asthana and Ambastha.

References