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Audichya Brahmins
Audichya Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin sub-caste primarily of Kanyakubja Brahmin origin mainly from the Indian state of Gujarat. They are the most numerous Brahmin community in Gujarat. A minority of them reside in the Indian state of Rajasthan. According to tradition, the Audichya Brahmins descend from over a thousand North Indian Brahmin families who were invited by Solanki kings in the 10th century to Gujarat to serve as priests of the Rudra Mahālaya Temple. The king Mularaja who conquered Gujarat and Saurashtra, had invited the Northern Brahmins. These Brahmanas were called as Audichyas. Audichyas are primarily Kanyakubja Brahmins. Georg Bühler also refers to Mülaraja of Kanyakubja, who conquered Gujarat, Mülaraja and his successors settled in Gujarat numerous colonies of Brahmins, who down to the present day, are called Audichya. Classification The caste is divided into two endogamous groups, the Sahasra and the Tolakia. In a census in 1883, the sahasra were numerically ...
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Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood (purohit, pandit, or pujari) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.James Lochtefeld (2002), Brahmin, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 125 Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the supreme ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent.GS Ghurye (1969), Caste and Race in India, Popular Prakasha ...
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Charan
Charan (IAST: Cāraṇ; Sanskrit: चारण; Gujarati: ચારણ; Sindhi: چارڻ; IPA: cɑːrəɳə) is a caste in South Asia natively residing in the Rajasthan and Gujarat states of India, as well as the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. Historically, Charans have been engaged in diverse occupations like bards, poets, historians, pastoralists, agriculturalists and also administrators, jagirdars and warriors and some even as traders. Historical roles and occupations Poets and historians Rajasthani and Gujarati literature from the early and medieval period, upto the 19th century, has been mainly composed by Charans. The relationship between Charans and Rajputs is deeprooted in history. As Charans used to partake in battles alongside Rajputs, they were witnesses not only to battles but also to many other occasions and episodes forming part of the contemporary Rajput life. The poems composed about such wars and incidents had two qualities: basic his ...
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Gujarati People
The Gujarati people, or Gujaratis, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who reside in or can trace their ancestry or heritage to a region of the Indian subcontinent primarily centered in the present-day western Indian state of Gujarat. They primarily speak Gujarati language, Gujarati, an Indo-Aryan language. While Gujaratis mainly inhabit Gujarat, they have a Gujarati diaspora, diaspora worldwide. Geographical locations Despite significant migration primarily for economic reasons, most Gujaratis in India live in the state of Gujarat in Western India. Gujaratis also form a significant part of the populations in the neighboring metropolis of Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Mumbai and union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, formerly Portuguese Empire, colonial possessions of Portugal. There are very large Gujarati immigrant communities in other parts of India, most notably in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and other cities l ...
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Priestly Castes
Priestly is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Craig Priestly, a rugby footballer * Miranda Priestly, a character in ''The Devil Wears Prada'' * Paul Priestly, a character in ''EastEnders'' See also * Priestley (other) * Priestly source, one of the proposed sources of the Torah/Pentateuch according to the documentary hypothesis * Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
, a religious leader authorized to perform sacred rituals and mediate between humans and deities {{surname ...
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Brahmins
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood (purohit, pandit, or pujari) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.James Lochtefeld (2002), Brahmin, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 125 Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the supreme ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent.GS Ghurye (1969), Caste and Race in India, Popular Prakasha ...
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Gujarati Vishwakosh
''Gujarati Vishwakosh'' (; ) is an encyclopedia in Gujarati language, Gujarati, one of the Official languages of india, official languages of India, published by Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It can be considered the first full encyclopedia in the Gujarati language. Under the guidance of Dhirubhai Thaker, the work started in 1985 and ended in 2009 consisting of 25 volumes with 23,090 articles. History After the foundation of Gujarat state in 1960 on the linguistic basis, there was a need for literature available to the Gujarati speaking public. After years of efforts by Dhirubhai Thaker, the Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust was set up in December 1985 comprising many scholars and people of various disciplines. Work commenced to create this massive encyclopedia in 1985 under Gujarati writer Dhirubhai Thaker. The first concept was to create 20 volumes (with an additional introductory volume), but by its completion in 2009, the encyclopedia included 25 volumes, w ...
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Dhirubhai Thaker
Dhirubhai Premshankar Thaker (27 June 1918 – 22 January 2014) was an Indian Gujarati writer, who was best known for creating the '' Gujarati Vishwakosh'', a 25-volume encyclopedia of the Gujarati language. Life Thaker was born on 27 June 1918 in Kodinar, a city now in Gir Somnath District, Gujarat, India to his father Premshankar Thaker, and mother, Gomtibahen. His father was a Talati (village development officer) and was fond of reading literature. Thaker was a native of Viramgam, a town in Ahmedabad district. He completed his primary education from Kodinar and Chanasma while secondary education from Chanasma and Siddhpur. He completed matriculation in 1934 from L. S. High School, Siddhapur with Sanskrit and Science subjects. He received a BA from Elphinstone College in 1939 with Gujarati (Honours) and Sanskrit, and a MA in 1941 from the same college with Gujarati. In 1938, Mumbai University awarded him the M. M. Paramanand Prize for his research work. ''Oganisami ...
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Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj () is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda Saraswati founded the samaj in the 1870s. Arya Samaj was the first Hindu organization to introduce proselytization in Hinduism. Etymology "''Arya Samaj''" is a compound Sanskrit term consisting of the words "''arya''" and "''samaj''." The term "''arya''" refers to an individual who possesses virtuous attributes and noble characteristics, whereas "''samaj''" denotes a social group or organized community. Therefore, the term "''arya samaj''" refers to a community of individuals of high moral character. History The beginning Swami Dayanand Saraswati established the Arya Samaj in April 1875 in Bombay with ten principles. However, these principles were finally settled in 1877 in Lahore. Vedic schools Between 1869 and 1873, Dayanand began his efforts to reform orthodox Hinduism in India. He established '' G ...
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Dayananda Saraswati
Dayanand Saraswati () born Mool Shankar Tiwari (12 February 1824 – 30 October 1883), was a Hindu philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of Hinduism. His book '' Satyarth Prakash'' has remained one of the influential texts on the philosophy of the Vedas and clarifications of various ideas and duties of human beings. He was the first to give the call for '' Swaraj'' as "India for Indians" in 1876, a call later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.Aurobindo Ghosh, ''Bankim Tilak Dayanand'' (Calcutta 1947, p. 1) "Lokmanya Tilak also said that Swami Dayanand was the first who proclaimed Swaraj for Bharatpita i.e. India." Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies. Subsequently, the philosopher and President of India, S. Radhakrishnan, called him one of the "makers of Modern India", as did Sri Aurobindo. Those who were influenced by and followed Dayananda included Chaudhary Charan Singh, Madam Cama, ...
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Purohita
Purohita (), in the Hindu context, means '' chaplain'' or ''family priest'' within the Vedic priesthood. In Thailand and Cambodia, it refers to the royal chaplains. A ''tīrthapurohit'' is a priest/ritual performer (''purohit'') at a sacred site (''tīrtha''). Etymology The word ''purohita'' derives from the Sanskrit, ''puras'' meaning "front", and ''hita'', "placed". The word is also used synonymously with the word '' pandit'', which also means "priest". '' Tirtha purohita'' means the ''purohita'' who sit at the fords of the holy rivers or holy tanks and who have maintained the records of the forefathers of the Hindu family for thousands of years. ''Purohita'' can refer to a house priest. Another less-formal name for teerth purohits is ''panda'', which is derived from the word ''pandit'' (from the Sanskrit ''paṇḍita'', meaning "learned man"). Education In India, literate men from the Brahmin varna who desire to become ''purohitas'' receive special training both in th ...
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Kanyakubja Brahmin
Kanyakubja Brahmins are an endogamous Brahmin community mainly found in northern India. They are classified as one of the Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities. Kanyakubja Brahmins emerged as the highest ranking subcaste of Brahmins and are known to have migrated to and colonized many areas outside their northern homeland. In the process, they created a hierarchy of subdivisions and exceedingly complex rank differentiations that correlated their ritual purity and standing with their position within the emerging sacred landscape of early medieval India inversely to the distance separating them from their homeland ~ André Wink. It seems likely that region around Kannauj, was the place of origin of the majority of migrating Brahmans throughout the medieval centuries. Origins The majority of the interviewees assert that the designation of the caste originates from the city of Kannauj, emphasizing that this name signifies a geographical association. The etymology of this caste is so ...
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Saurashtra (region)
Kathiawar (), also known as Saurashtra, is a peninsula in the south-western Gujarat state in India, bordering the Arabian Sea and covering about . It is bounded by the Kutch district in the north, the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest, and by the Gulf of Khambhat in the east. In the northeast, it is connected to the rest of the state and borders on the low, fertile hinterland of Ahmedabad. It is crossed by two belts of hill country and is drained radially by nine rivers which have little natural flow aside from in monsoon months, thus dams have been built on some of these. Kathiawar ports have been flourishing centres of trade and commerce since at least the 16th century. It was formerly a state of India. Etymology and history The name Kathiawad seems to have been derived from the early settlements of Kathikas or Kathis who entered Gujarat from Sindh in early centuries of the Common Era. The name "Saurashtra" itself is from Sanskrit (, ), the vṛddhi form of (, ), deri ...
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