Moolgram ( Maithili: मूलग्राम) (also written as Mulgram) is a branch or sub-division of a Mool among

Maithil Brahmins Maithil Brahmins are the Indo-Aryan Hindu Brahmin community originating from the Mithila region and original inhabitants of Southern Nepal and bordering regions of India that comprises Madhesh Province & some areas of Koshi Province in Nepa ...

in the

Mithila region Mithila (), also known as Tirhut, Tirabhukti and Mithilanchal, is a geographical and cultural region of the Indian subcontinent bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothil ...

of the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. It represents a more recent ancestral abode, indicating where a specific branch of the original Mool settled. The concept of "Moolgram" within the intricate social fabric of the Maithil Brahmin community is a testament to the enduring significance of lineage and ancestral settlement. It represents far more than a mere geographical marker; it embodies a living connection to the past, a thread that weaves together generations and shapes the present. It is one of the fundamental

genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

identity recorded in the Panji system of Mithila.

Description

In moolgram, the names of two villages are written together. The first village means that the earliest known person called as Viji Purush of the said family was a resident of that village and the second village means that the immediate ancestor of the concerned family lived in that other village at the time of registration. The first village in the moolgram refers to the name of the mool of that family. The moolgram is

exogamous 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 ...

and plays an important role in the marriage of the Maithil Brahmins community.

References

{{India-culture-stub Culture of Mithila History of Mithila Mithila Indian genealogy