Deshastha Brahmin.html



This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (October 2008)

Deshastha Brahmins (Marathi: देशस्थ ब्राह्मण) are a Hindu Brahmin sub-caste belonging to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group primarily from the Indian state of Maharashtra. "Deshastha", in Sanskrit, means "inland" and thus, Deshastha Brahmins are Brahmins living in the interiors or away from the coast. ¹

Population & Geographical Location

Maharashtra, the state in India where majority of Deshastha live

With Karhade Brahmin, Devrukhe,Chitpavan (Konkanastha) & and GSB, Deshastha form the five major Brahmin communities of Maharashtra with Deshastha by far the largest of the five. The community is now predominantly urban. Deshastha have two major sub- sects or shakhas called Rigvedi and Yajurvedi.other small sub-sects are like Samvedi and Govardhan. Yajurvedi Brahmins are further divided into - Shukla Yajurvedi and Krishna Yajurvedi sects. It is believed that Yajurvedi Brahmins learnt the Yajurveda from Shri Yagnyawalkya, hence they are recognized as Madhyadin Brahmins, ie the Brahmins who received Yajurvedic knowledge in the noon. For further details,see the article on Shakha.

In Southern India (typically the part of Karnataka-Andhra that belonged to Bombay-Province), there are two communities of Deshastha known as Deshastha Madhva Brahmins, who follow the teachings of Madhvacharya and Deshastha Smartha Brahmins, who follow the teachings of Shankaracharya respectively. The surnames of these southern Indian and mainly Kannada speaking Deshastha brahmins can be identical to those of Maharashtrian Deshastha brahmins(e.g. Kulkarni, Deshpande, Joshi etc.

A Deshastha couple

Marathi speaking Deshastha can also be found in large numbers outside Maharashtra in the former Maratha ruled or Maratha confederacy states/cities of Indore, Baroda, Ujjain, Gwalior, Dhar and Tanjore.

Unlike the British Raj colonial administration, the Indian government at the ten year census does not collect data on upper castes and the associated sub-castes. Therefore it is difficult to know precisely how large Deshastha population is. However, the number can be estimated as 2.0 million by extrapolating from the colonial era census reports. ^{2 3} Appearance wise, they are similar to other communities in Maharashtra. H.H. Risley's work during the 1901 census and more recent DNA work ⁴found Deshastha to be indistinguishable from other castes like Maratha in Maharashtra.

Residence

Rahul Dravid- The great wall

In spite of the fact that they are from Deccan plateau, many Deshashtas migrated to the coastal city of Mumbai during British Rule in search of administrative and clerical jobs. There was also migration to other cities like Pune and Nagpur or Maratha ruled cities outside Maharashtra like Indore. A second wave of migration took place after the formation of Maharashtra state(in 1960)when many families settled in the greater Mumbai metropolitan area and particularly Thane and Dombivali. These new migrants predominantly found work in the service sectors like Government,Teaching(Education),Railways, Banking/ Insurance and Engineering. Few Deshastha also succeeded in starting their own industries in Mumbai. examples include Garware Polymers, Parkhi Paper Mills and Sudha Kulkarni-Murthy’s Infosys in 1981.During last few decades, many Deshasthas have started industries in other cities of Maharashtra like Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagpur; those are in the fields of IT, Ethanol, Rubber, Engineering Equipments etc.Deshasthas nowadays live mostly in urban centres. However, they are to be found in certain rural areas as well. Brahmins have been migrating overseas in search of higher education and employment for number of years now. A large number educated Brahmins including deshasthas have moved abroad to USA, UK & other countries like Australia. Indeed, a simple search of surnames of Maharashtrian families in US will reveal mostly brahmin (all sub-groups) or CKP names.The rate of migration has increased fourfold after start of IT boom in 1990. There are thousands of Deshasthas working temporary in US on H1B visas and on Work Permit in U.K..^{citation needed} Please refer to list of Deshastha Brahmins of distinction for Deshastha contribution to various fields.

Occupations

The traditional occupation for a large number of Deshastha men was as priests of Hindu temples or at family religious ceremonies. Other occupations included village revenue officials, academicians, astrologer and administrators. A large number also practiced Ayurvedic medicine. Some are also engaged in farming.Even After entry of Chitpavans in Maratha empire, the posts of “Panditrao” (Minister related to Religious issues) and “Chief Justice“ remained in hands of Deshastha. This may be due to their long tradition of sending their brightest students to the holy city of Kashi for religious and legal studies. During British Raj, brahmins in general, found employment as white collar professions such as office clerks and teachers. In modern times, Deshastha occupations range from being factory workers,clerks to being doctors, lawyers, teachers, administrators, IT professionals and engineers. Deshastha women are also going into higher education and as a result can be found in high ranking professions.Around 2%^{citation needed}of the Deshastha population is still living in interior rural Maharashtra area with relatively poor earnings and poor life style. This fraction of community is not educated (but literate).

History

Image of Deshastha Saint Samartha Ramdas

Deshastha Brahmins consider themselves to be the direct descendants of the great Rishis(Sages) who settled in dandakaranya(Maharashtra)in ancient times.[1] They are people of Aryan descent who had settled down south of Vindhya mountains after the Mahabharat period.The Deshasthas arrived in Maharashtra from the ancient Gandhar province in (Afghanistan) and Punjab during 1st century BC to 150 AD.[2] First they settled in Vidarbha[3] Later they moved westwards in the valleys of Bhima,Godavari and Krishna rivers in Central and Western Maharashtra.[4]

Some Yajurvedi deshastha brahmin families have been living in North Konkan since the 12th century along with Pathare Prabhus. Despite living in Konkan they are still considered ‘Deshastha-Yajurvedis’ rather than Kokanastha (belonging to Konkan).

Deshastha may be the Maharashtrian Brahmin community with the longest known history.^{citation needed} Sant Dnyaneshwar from the 12th century was Deshastha, as were the saints, Eknath and Ramdas from more recent times (16th & 17th centuries, respectively). The close advisors and ministers of Shivaji Maharaj, the 17th century founder of Maratha empire were Deshastha. Unfortunately, the history of Maharashtra and therefore of the Deshastha community before 12th century is quite sparse.The cave paintings of Ajanta and sculptures from other places show Buddhism and Jainism to be the religions with significant royal patronage in Maharashtra during the first millennium of the present era. One can only speculate whether, Deshastha had kept Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) going during this period or converted from Buddhism after the decline of that religion in India. After the rise of Maratha empire, under the leadership Shivaji Maharaj Deshasthas played major role in army and administration which is evident from the warriors like Neelkanth Sarnaik, Keso Narayan Deshpande and Annaji Dato Sabnis so on. Seven out of eight Ashtapradhan of Raje Shivaji were Deshasthas. Even after the fall of Maratha Kingdom to British a few Deshastha-ruled states remained nominally independent until 1947. Major among these were, Prant-Pratindhi of Aundh-Satara, Bavadekar of Gagan-Bavda (Kolhapur)and Panditrao of Bhor.and many more[4][5]

Association with Pathare-Prabhus & Early migration to Mumbai island

When Chimaji Appa attacked the Fort of Vasai in 1739-40, Pathare Prabhu Khanduji Mankar and Yajurvedi Brahmin Antaji Kawale played important roles in the battle. The Peshwas promised Antaji the jahagir of Malad but after the deaths Bajirao Peshwa, Chimaji Appa and Antaji Raghunath, Balaji Bajirao Peshwe alias Nanasahib Peshwe reneged on their promise. Nanasaheb Peshwe being a 'Konkanastha Brahmin' followed the advice of his relatives. The Konkanasta Brahmin in his kingdom started harassing the Deshastha Brahmins. This also affected the Yajurvedi Brahmins who had arrived with the Pathare Prabhus in Northern Konkan. On the advice of his supporters Balaji Bajirao Peshwe destroyed the Yagnas of the Yajurvedi Brahmin and disallowed the chanting of the 'Brahma Gayatri Vedak Mantra' by them. He humiliated them as 'Palsi'. Fed up with the humiliations by the Peshwas, Yajurvedi Brahmins left the Peshwai. According to the advice of the Rajguru, all Yajurvedi Brahmins and Pratihaar Prabhus migrated and settled in Bombay and started working under the British regime. Over the years these Pratihaar Prabhus became Pathare Prabhus.[5]

Society & Culture

Image of Renuka of Mahur, deity for many Deshastha families

Deshastha — like all other Brahmins — trace their paternal ancestors to one of the seven sages, the saptarshi. This way they classify themselves into eight gotras, named after the ancestor rishi. Deshastha have two sub sects, Rigvedi and Yajurvedi. Inter-marriage between these sub sects was uncommon until recently, although there is no taboo against this.

Like most families in Maharashtra & other states of India, Deshastha families also have their own "unique" family deity, Kuldevta, usually the Goddess Parvati, known by different names such as Bhavani,Renuka, Amba, etc. Despite being the most popular deity amongst Deshastha and other Marathi people, no family regards Vitthal or other Avatars of Vishnu as their Kuldevata. Balaji may be an exception though. A number of families have Khandoba and Balaji as their Kuldaiwat. Balaji is regarded as a form of Vishnu by most Hindus but as Shankar, for example, by the Lingayat community. The Kuldevta is invoked on auspicious occasions like weddings and initiation ceremony (munja or Upanayanam)[6] to obtain her blessings. Families also make pilgrimage to their Kuldevta temples after an auspicious occasion. The location of the Kuldevta temple may give a clue as to the original abode of a particular family because families may have chosen a particular temple as Kuldevta for geographical proximity.

Like most other castes in India, Deshasthas are a patrilineal society and children derive their group or caste association from their father.

By tradition, like other Brahmin communities of Southern India, Deshastha Brahmins are lacto vegetarian. The special dishes for Deshastha and some other Marathi communities may be the simple toor dal varan. Metkut is another Brahmin specialty. Deshastha use black spice mix or kala masala in the cooking. Traditionally, each family had their own recipe for the spice mix. However, this tradition is giving way to housewives buying the mixed spice pack directly from retailers. Puran poli for festivals is another Marathi Brahmin special dish.

Image of a Deshastha woman in the traditional nine yard sari

Deshastha women traditionally wore a nine yard sari. The way they wore the nine yard sari was different from women of other castes. Unlike women from other caste groups in Maharashtra, Deshastha women traditionally do not cover their head with their sari. Men wore dhotis again in a "Brahmin way." For religious ceremonies men & boys wore a coloured silk dhoti called a "sovale". In modern times, women mostly wear the five yard sari. Salwar kameez and Western clothes are popular amongst the young.

Despite decades of campaign against casteism, Deshastha tend to be mostly endogamous. However, marriages between Deshastha and other Maharashtrian Brahmin communities such as Karhade and Kokanastha, Devrukhe,GSB are common. Marriages between Deshastha and CKPs in urban area also take place in large numbers. Marriages between Maharashtrian Deshastha and Kannada Deshastha are also common, particularly in the border region of the two states. Marriages between Deshastha & other non-brahmin castes do take place in small numbers. Deshastha differ from Kokanstha in allowing cross-cousin marriages (a man marrying his maternal uncle's daughter). Due to concerns about genetic defects, this practice is dying out. Ironically, unrelated men and women of the same gotra are considered related and therefore marriage between people from the same gotra is considered incest.

Social and political issues: Before British raj

During ancient and mediaeval periods, Deshasthas (and Brahmins in general) rose to prominence in Indian society, primarily due to their emphasis on spiritual life and scholarship, particularly in terms of their expertise in the Vedas and the attendant religious rituals. Most of the administrators in the government of Shivaji Maharaj were Deshastha Brahmin. Deshastha influence waned during the rule of Nanasaheb Peshwa(Especially during 1750s) who belonged to the Konkanastha-chitpavan sub-caste. For example, city of Miraj was actually recaptured by PantPratinidhi from Mogul control, but Nanasaheb Peshwa gave the “jahagir” of Sangli-Miraj to Sardar Patwardhan despite the latter having no role in recapturing Miraj Actually,such practice of giving ‘Jahagir’(Ownership of Province) to the relatives of political people was abolished by Shivaji Maharaj. After death of Shahu Maharaj (Grandson of Shivaji) in 1749, Nanasaheb Peshwa took many such decisions in favor of his relatives from Kokan; this policy affected many Deshastha accountants, clerks, Military persons working with in Maratha empire as a result deshasthas lost many posts right from senior level (Amatya- Military Accountants, Phadanvis-Finance secretary) to junior level of clerks and priest. Despite the lack of patronage, many deshastha generals like Sardar Vinchurkar, Sardar Mujumdar, Sardar Purandare, Sakharam Bapu Bokil and Sardar Panse, Rajas of Aundh (Satara District), the PantPratinidhis and Bhor, the Pandits played major roles in the military and administration of Maratha empire from 1713-1818.

Unfortunately, until recent times, like other high castes of Maharashtra and India, Deshastha also followed the practice of segregation from other castes considered lower in the social hierarchy. Until a few decades ago, a large number of Hindu temples, presumably with a Deshastha priest, barred entry to the so called untouchables. This practice died out due to the campaigns conducted by leaders like Veer Savarkar, Sane Guruji, K. B. Hedgewar and non Brahmin leaders like Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule. Legislation outlawing caste discrimination after Indian independence may also have played a part in eliminating the segregation and untouchability.Dr. Govande was a one of the supporter of Mahatma Phule. Mahadev Ambedkar another Deshastha bramhin had helped Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in later's early schooling career. Babasaheb had expressed gratitude about his Ambedkar guruji many times in his speech.

Unlike other castes and tribes in India, Deshastha at present do not have a caste Panchayat to arbitrate in matters relating to disputes involving caste members. However in the past there has been instances of caste gathering to resolve disputes [7]

Social and political issues: Modern Era (British raj & Post-independence)

Even after the fall of the Maratha empire, many Deshastha -ruled states remained nominally independent under British rule.. Later, during the British raj they were also the first to acquire English education and served as administrators during the British rule in India. Such a relatively privileged life during the colonial period led to resentment from other castes.Deshashthas and other marathi brahmins were the primary targets during the anti-Brahmin riots in Maharastra in 1948 following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. The rioters burnt homes and properties owned by brahmins. However, in some instances, the rioters also killed their brahmin victims. It took years for them to recover from this situation. Some took it constructively and migrated to Cities in search of work. “Kool Kayda”, a Reformist-Agriculture- Land Law after Independence, worsened their situation in rural area and was another motivation for them to migrate to the cities. In Maharashtra, Deshasthas and other brahmin groups have been politically marginalized since Indian independence. Quotas & reservation for disadvantaged groups in government jobs and Higher Education have led to further squeezing of opportunities for brahmins everywhere in India. In recent decades, with the rise of the right wing , BJP & Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, a number of Deshastha politicians rose to prominence. Notable among them are the late Pramod Mahajan and Manohar Joshi. On the left of the political spectrum, one can mention National level Communist leader Shripad Amrut Dange. Deshastha have also demonstrated their leadership in the Education sector Notable examples include Dr. Narhar Hirwe, founder of Royal Society of Science, Mumbai in 1935 and Dr. Mujumdar of Symbiosis. Please refer to list of Deshastha Brahmins of distinction for Deshastha contribution to various fields.

In recent time,the anti-brahmin hate group Sambhaji Brigade attacked Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute of Maharashtra in January 2004, claiming that the Institute had defamed Shivaji. Later the Sambhaji Brigade issued statements reflecting anti-Brahmin sentiments. They also hate Ramdas Swami- a revolutionary saint from 17th century. Recently, the same organization had demanded the removal of Dadoji Konddeo from the Statue of Child Shivaji ploughing Pune's Land at Lal Mahal, Pune. They also threatened that if their demande were not met, they would demolish that part of statue by themselves.

Women

Deshastha teenage girls from 1950s

Sonali Kulkarni

Sudha Kulkarni-Murthy

The deshastha woman from the past is portrayed as woman draped in a nine yard saree. Such dress is becoming rare among deshastha women now. Traditional deshastha women, both married and unmarried wear a "kunku" (red dot, also known as kumkum/sindoor/bindi) on their forehead and married women always wear the mangalsutra. This is a sacred gold necklace tied by the bridegroom around the bride's neck and along with kunku serves the same purpose as the wedding ring to signify the married status of a woman. Being a patrilineal society, a deshastha woman becomes part of her husband's family after marriage and adopts the gotra/lineage as well as the traditions of her husband's family.

Decades ago, deshastha girls used to get married to the groom of their parents' choice by early teens or before. Even now girls are married off relatively early (late teens) by rural less educated Deshastha families, Also in the past, a Deshastha widow was never allowed to re-marry, while it was acceptable for deshastha widowers to re-marry. Deshastha widows at that time used to shave their heads and wear simple red sari. The woman also had to stop wearing the kunku /bindi on her forehead. Basically, widows had to lead a very austere life with little joy. Needless to say, divorces were non-existent.All of these practices have gradually fallen by the wayside over the last hundred years, and modern Deshastha widows lead better lives and younger widows also remarry.

Sudha Murthy was the first woman Mechanical Engineer from India. She also became first woman employee of Tata Motors. Her contribution in the formation of India’s one of the most admirable company,Infosys was much valuable in the early struggling years of the company in the early 1980s.

A Prominent deshastha woman in contemporary time is Anjali Vedpathak Bhagwat the leading Indian rifle shooter. In 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester, she won four golds in the individual and pairs events of Air rifle and Smallbore Rifle (Three positions). Also mentioned should be Sheetal Mahajan who is the First Indian woman to reach both North and South Poles. Another significant contributor is Sonali Kulkarni, a leading actress in Hindi movies.

Rituals, Ceremonies and Festivals

Although many rituals that were practiced in ancient times are no longer followed, some traditions are continued to this day. The rituals, ceremonies and Hindu festivals described below are also followed by other Marathi people or Hindu communities. Unique Deshastha traditions are mentioned where possible.

Deshasthas are initiated into rituals at the time of birth. At that time, a horoscope is made for the child based on the position of the stars. Then the child undergoes the naming ceremony (barsa). During the ceremony the child's paternal aunt (father's sister) has the honour of naming the infant. In Gujarat, children are named according to the letter associated with a particular birth-sign (Ras in Marathi). However, this tradition is either not followed in Maharahtra or the name according to the ras is kept hidden in order to ward off possible black magic. When the child is one year old, the first cutting of the infant's hair (jawal) is a significant ceremony too.

Munj Ceremony

When a male child reaches his seventh birthday he undergoes the initiation thread ceremony known as munja or Upanayanam. From that day on, he becomes an official member of his caste, and is called a dwija (translated in English as "twice-born"). In ancient times, the boy was sent to gurukula to learn Vedas and scriptures. The boy was expected to practice extreme discipline during this period known as brahmacharya. He was expected to lead a celibate life, living on alms, and surviving on selected vegetarian saatvic food and observing considerable austerity in behaviour and deeds. Though such practices are not followed in modern times by a majority of Deshasthas, all Deshasthas boys undergo the sacred thread ceremony before marriage. Twice-born Deshasthas perform annual ceremonies to replace their sacred threads (called Jaanva in Marathi) with new ones on Shravan full moon day (Narali Pornima in Marathi). Like most other Hindu communities, Deshasthas have a shrine called devghar in their house with statues, symbols, and images of various deities. Satyanarayana Puja is also performed for special occasions. Ritual reading of religious texts called pothi is also popular.

A Deshasthas marriage ceremony includes many elements of the traditional Marathi or Hindu wedding ceremonies. Briefly, it consists of Seemant poojan on the wedding eve. The dharmic wedding includes the antarpat ceremony followed by the vedic ceremony which involves the bridegroom and the bride walking around the sacred fire seven times to complete the marriage. Modern urban wedding ceremonies conclude with an evening reception.

The other extremely important rituals for the Deshasthas are the death ceremonies. All Deshasthas are cremated according to Vedic rites, usually within a day of the individual's death. The death rites include a 13-day ceremony. The ashes of the departed are immersed at a confluence of two rivers (sangam) or the sea. Like all other Hindus, the preference is for the ashes to be immersed in the Ganga river or river Godavari. There is also a yearly shraddha that needs to be performed. These rituals are expected to be performed only by male descendants (preferably the eldest son) of the deceased.

Other rituals for different occasions include Vastushanti (entering a new house) and Satyanarayan Puja.

In traditional families, any food is first offered to God as naivedya, and then eaten. Food is not considered to be consumed before this religious offering. In contemporary Deshasthas families, the naivedya is offered only on festival days.

Deshasthas follow the Shaka (Saka) Hindu calendar. The following are just a few of the many festivals observed by Deshasthas.

Gudi Padwa Gudi or Victory pole

Gudi Padwa Gudi or Victory pole

* Gudi Padwa: The year starts on the first day of Chaitra known as Gudi Padwa which falls around March or April of the Western calendar. A gudi or victory pole is erected outside the house on this day. The special dish on the day includes shreekhand. Neem leaves are eaten on this day to ward off illness during the new year. Gudi Padwa like Diwali Padwa and Dasara is considered one of the 3 and half auspicious days of the Marathi calendar and astrological charts need not be consulted for conducting important ceremonies such as weddings. During Chaitra women also hold a Haldi-kunku celebration. Chaitra is, however, considered inauspicious for weddings.

• Ram Navami and Hanuman jayanti, the birthdays of Shree Ramchandra and Hanuman respectively are also celebrated in the month of Chaitra. Sunthwada/dinkwada, a snack usually eaten by new mothers is the snack of the day for Ram navami.

• Narali Pornima - On this Shravan full moon day, Deshastha men change the sacred thread. In northern India, this day is celebrated as Raksha bandhan. Marathi people in general have adopted the Raksha bandhan tradition of sisters tying a rakhee on the wrist of their brothers. A special sweetened rice with coconut, called Narali Bhat in Marathi is the special dish of the day.
• Mangala Gaur- Pahili Mangala Gaur (first Mangala Gaur) celebration is one of the most important celebration for the new brides. On the Tuesday of the month of Shravan after her marriage, the new bride performs Shivling puja for the well being of her husband and new family. It is also a get-together of all women folks. It includes chatting, playing games, Ukhane (married women take their husband's name woven in 2/4 rhyming liners) and great food. They typically play Zimma, Fugadi, Bhendya till the wee hours of the next morning
• Janmashtami - Birthday of Lord Krishna on Shravan Vadya ashtami is observed with a fast. Gopalkala, a recipe made with curd (yoghurt) , pickle, popped millet (jondhale), chilli, salt etc. is popular , especially amongst kids.

clay Ganesh murti worsipped during Ganeshotsav

• Ganeshotsav- Festival of Lord Ganesh. Through, Lokmanya Tilak's efforts Ganeshotsav became a public celebration a century ago. However, Deshasthas families also install their own clay (called shadu in Marathi) Ganpati in their house on Ganesh Chaturthi. The private celebration can go on for 1 1/2 days to full 10 days according to each family's tradition. A Modak (steamed rice dumpling usually with a jaggery/coconut filling) is a sweet prepared for this occasion, and is considered the favourite of Lord Ganesh. Ganeshotsav also incorporates the Gauri festival. Deshasthas install statues of the Gauri. Kokanstha brahmins on the other hand use special rocks as symbols of Gauri. In some families Gauri is also known as Mahalakshmi puja. It is celebrated for three days; on the first day, Mahalakshmi arrival is observed. The ladies in the family will bring statues of Mahalakshmi from the door to the place where they will be worshiped. They are settled at a certain location (very near the Devaghar), adorned with clothes and ornaments. On the second day, the family members get together and prepare a meal comprising of puran poli. This day is the puja day of Mahalakshmi and the meal is offered to Mahalakshmi and her blessings sought. On the third day, Mahalakshmi goes to her husband's home. Before the departure, ladies in the family will invite the neighbor-hood ladies for exchange of haldi-kumkum. It is customary for the whole family to get together during the three days of Mahalakshmi puja. Most families consider Mahalakshmi as their daughter who is living with her husband's family all the year; but visits her parents' (maher) during the three days.
• Navaratri - This festival starts on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashwin. The nine-day festival of Durga culminates in Vijayadasami (Dasara). This is the one the three auspicious days of the year. Traditionally, stars need not be consulted for starting a new project on this day. People also exchange leaves of Apti tree as symbol of gold. During Navaratri women and girls hold bhondla, a singing party in honor of the Goddess. Some families also observe Navaratri in spring season in addition to the Navaratri observed in winter.

Replica fort as part of Diwali celebration

• Kojagiri Pornima (Ashwin Pornima) on autumn Full Moon night is celebrated with sweetened milk. The first born in the family is also honoured on this night.

• Diwali - The festival of lights is celebrated over five days. The Deshasthas celebrate this in their unique style by waking up early in the morning and having and oil bath. People light their houses with lamps, and burst fire crackers over the course of the festival. Special sweets and savories like anarse, karanji, chakli, chivda (Bombay mix), ladoo are prepared for the festival. Colorful Rangoli are made in front of the house. Kids make a replica fort in memory of Shivaji, the great Maratha leader.

Chakli

• Makar Sankranti - This mostly falls on January 14 when the Sun enters Capricorn. In Maharashtra, the day is celebrated by giving and receiving sweets made of jaggery and sesame seeds called tilgool and halwa. During the exchanging of the sweets, people say to each other in Marathi "Til-gool Ghya aani God Bola" (rough translation: Please accept my til-gool & be friendly to me or Take sweet, talk sweet"). Special chappati with jaggery (gool poli) is the dish of the day.

• Shivaratri - Worship day of Lord Shiva. The Lord Shiva is pleased with austerities, so no sweets are prepared. A chutney made the fruit of Kawath tree is the specialty of this day.

Puranpoli-Speciality of Deshastha family

• The festival Holi falls in Falgun, the last month of the marathi Shaka Calendar. Deshastha celebrate this festival by lighting a bonfire and offering puran poli to the fire. In North India, Holi is celebrated over two days with the second day celebrated with throwing colors. Maharashtrians and Deshasthas celebrate color throwing five days after Holi on Rangpanchami.

Deshasthas keep certain days for fasting. Some of the days Deshasthas fast are, Ekadasi, Chaturthi Shivaratri, Janmashtami & Hartalika for women. A lot of people fast during the week in honour of a particular god, for example, Monday for Shiva, Saturday for Maruti and Shani (planet Saturn) etc. A cursory look at a Marathi calendar will show dates for pilgrimage to various temples & shrines of various saints. A popular destination for Deshastha is the shrine of Sant Dnyaneshwar at Alandi in the month of Kartik November.

Surnames & Families

A large number of Deshastha surnames are derived by adding the suffix - kar to the village from which the family originally hailed. So, for example, Bidkar come from town of Bid. Some prominent Deshastha with ‘Kar’ surnames are Kusumagraj(Vi Va Shirwadkar), Famous Scientists such as Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar and Marathi Film Actor Sachin Khedekar. The names Kulkarni, Deshpande and Joshi are very common amongst Deshastha Brahmins and denote their professions. For example, Kulkarni means revenue collector and Joshi means Astrologer. In the list complied Deshastha families are classified using the Rigvedi / Yajurvedi subgroup (shakha), Gotra, the families' Kuldevta and the town / village of origin. As this list gets filled up, common Deshastha surnames like Kulkarni, Joshi & Deshpande will be repeated several times because these denote different families or more precisely different clans. From the list it can also be found out that the Adawadkar and Ghotkar families are related and belong to the same clan because they have identical gotra, kuldevta and are both rigvedi. Other related pairs are Bhalerao / Pol and Dixit / Shouche.

Table of Deshastha Surnames