Ahiwasi Brahmin, sometimes spelt Ahivasi is a

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). Th ...

caste found in the states of

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

, Maharshtra and

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

in India.The last wanderers : nomads and gypsies of India by Tejinder Singh Randhawa page 139 Ahmedabad. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.. 1996

Origin of the Ahiwasi Brahmans (Saubhari Brahmans)

The Ahiwasi take their name from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

''ahi'' meaning dragon and ''was'' meaning dwelling, and their name means those who come from the abode of the dragon. They are said to have gotten this name on account of their association with Rishi Saubhari, who is said to have provided sanctuary to dragons at the village of Sunrakh, in what is now

Mathura District Mathura district () is situated along the banks of the river Yamuna is a district of Uttar Pradesh States and Territories of India, state of north-central India. The historic city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura is the district headquarters. ...

. The Ahiwasi claim to be descendants of the Saubhari Rishi and 50 daughters of

Mandhata Mandhata, also called Omkareshwar or Shivapuri and ancient Mahishmati, capital of Avanti Mahajanpada is a riverine island in the Narmada River in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is situated on the south ...

. Historically, the Ahiwasi Brahmans were involved in the carrying trade, transporting salt from

to other parts of

North India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

. This led to settlements of the caste in the Narmada valley. In Madhya Pradesh, according to the traditions of the caste, Ahiwasi Brahmans are descended from a

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...

father and 50

Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

mother.

Customs, Language and traditions

The Ahiwasi Brahman (Saubhari Brahman) are strictly

endogamous Endogamy is the cultural practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting any from outside of the group or belief structure as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relatio ...

, and practice clan

exogamy Exogamy is the social norm of mating or marrying outside one's social group. The group defines the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. One form of exogamy is dual exogamy, in which tw ...

. There clans are known as

gotra In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotr ...

s, and they are divided into 50 such

s. The Ahiwasi Brahmans are medium and big-sized farmers, who also have been involved in priestly duties. Trade remains an important secondary occupation. In Uttar Pradesh, they are still found mainly in

, 12 villages with 13th town Baldev (Dauji city) with a second settlement in Aligarh, Hathras, Noida, Agra, Bareilly, Ghaziabad and Saharanpur etc. while those in

are found mainly in

Jabalpur District Jabalpur district () is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The city of Jabalpur is the administrative headquarters of the district. The area of the district is 5,198 km2 with population of 2,463,289 (2011 census). As of ...

and Gwalior, Bhind, Hoshangabad, Harda, as well settlements in the

Narmada River The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

valley. in Rajsthan Bharatpur, Alwar and Jaipur, Haryan Karnal, Panipat, and many villages in south Karnataka and Kerala states. All Ahiwasi Brahmans (Saubhari Brahman) have been settled from Sunrakh village Vrindavan, uttar pradesh.

Ahiwasi Brahman's Pravar Rishi

Angira Rishi Angiras ( (stem), , , nominative singular , , , rendered Angirā in Hindi) was a Vedic rishi (sage) of Hinduism. He is described in the ''Rigveda'' as a teacher of divine knowledge, a mediator between men and gods, as well as stated in othe ...

Ghor Rishi Ghōr, also spelled Ghowr or Ghur (), is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in the western Hindu Kush in central Afghanistan, towards the northwest. The province contains eleven districts, encompassing hundreds of vil ...

Kav Rishi Kavin Sandhu is a British musician from Leicester, England, now based in Los Angeles. Sandhu played guitar with British band Happy Mondays for four years after helping reform the band with frontman Shaun Ryder in 2004. He launched his solo proj ...

Ghor Rishi Kanv Rishi Saubhari Rishi Saubhari Rishi

References

{{reflist Brahmin communities of Uttar Pradesh Brahmin communities of Madhya Pradesh