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Chitrapur Saraswats are a small Konkani-speaking community of Hindu Brahmins in India. They are traditionally found along the Kanara coast and call themselves Bhanaps in the Konkani language.

This is a small community from India spread the world over. They have taken names of villages in Karnataka as surnames. So, their recent history is associated with the State of Karnataka. But some researchers like Bertrand Renaud and Frank Conlon believe they migrated from the banks of River Saraswati in north India. The estimated population of this community is roughly 25,000. The community members refer to themselves as "Bhanaps". The community also has a magazine published every month called Kanara Saraswat from Mumbai which carries articles by members and other news concerning the community.

Origin

Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins are Vedic Brahmins originally from the bank of Saraswati River, now Konkani speaking small community who trace their genealogy to Kashmiri Pandits, who had migrated from Kashmir North India, during the rule of Tyrant Sikandar Butshikan 1389 to 1413, to escape forced religious conversions and Islamic intolerance, to Goa on the Southwestern coast of India, joined the cluster of Goud Saraswat Brahmins who had already migrated from the Goud desha(present Bihar,Bengal and U.P.), North India to Goa in waves at different times and had formed different groups of G.S.Bs. Chitrapur Saraswat tradition, which retains detailed memories of their ancestors’ migration from the Saraswati area to Shrinagar, Kashmir to Shirali, North Kanara. The Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmans who were mostly the Educators and Administrators by profession, and followers of Math of Goud Saraswat Brahmins in Goa, in 1706 migrated to North Kanara, Karnataka, after Muslim invasion of Goa in the 15th century, later signified their separate status by establishing both a new lineage of Gurus, who were to be both religious preceptors and arbitrators of social behavior, and shortly after established Chitrapur Math and Temple complexes. The community members are adherents of Smarthism and Advait Vedanta philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya. The Chitrapur Math is traditionally affiliated to the Sringeri Sharda peetham of Adi-Shankaracharya. Lord Shiva in the form of Bhavanishankar is the patron deity of the Chitrapur Math. The present pontiff of the Chitrapur Math is his Holiness Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji-II. The Chitrapur Saraswats had a heritage of adaptation in physical mobility, education, and occupations that included Priestly functions, and secular ones, mainly landholding and service professions where literacy was required.

During British rule in Kanara, Karnataka, many members of this Chitrapur community served as temple administrators in the villages of south and North Kanara. Due to their exceptional intelligence, natural scholarship, progressive outlook and the enterprise born out of an immigrant mindset, Chitrapur Saraswats took English education earlier than all other communities in Kanara and came to dominate in the Indian Civil Service under the British in these two Kanara districts. Many also became lawyers, solicitors and doctors often dominating the legal profession in the Kanara districts. Chitrapur Saraswats were more inclined to educate their children than Goud Saraswats who were Traders, Landlords, and Agriculturists. Chitrapur Saraswats were able to obtain key jobs at the district offices and the Collector's offices in Honavar, Karwar, Mangalore, and Dharwad. They were also employed as Administrators in the Cotton and Textile export industries in Kumta, Hubli, and Dharwad. By the close of the 19th century the Chitrapur Saraswats were an educationally advanced community. Their education helped them to establish themselves in Bombay, Bangalore and Madras in administrative positions, both in government and private companies. In late 19th century when Bombay became the center of Education and Commerce, majority Chitrapur Saraswats made their way to Bombay to improve their educational, professional and economic life. They were among the first cluster there in well organized community enclaves. Rao Bahadur S.S. Talmaki a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin originated the concept of Co-operative Housing Societies in India and developed the first Co-operative housing society,"Talmaki Wadi"

Notable people

• Shyam Benegal, Indian film director and screenwriter
• Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar, Indian National Congress politician and Hindu reformer.
• Guru Dutt, Indian film director, producer and actor.
• Girish Karnad, Indian actor, film director, Kannada-language writer
• Amrita Rao, Bollywood actress
• Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Indian freedom fighter
• Benegal Narsing Rau, Indian civil servant, jurist, diplomat, and statesman known for his key role in drafting the Constitution of India

See also

• Canara Konkani
• Saraswat cuisine

References

1. ^ Ramanan, Sumana (31 March 2016). "The big footprint of a small community". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
2. Elangovan, Arvind (21 January 2020). "BN Rau: An idealist and a staunch constitutionalist". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
3. "From Mandi to Welcome to Sajjanpur". Rediff. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
4. Sins and Sinners: Perspectives from Asian Religions. BRILL. 17 August 2012. p. 361. ISBN 978-90-04-23200-6.
5. "What Guru Dutt & Deepika Padukone have in common?". Rediff.com. 31 December 2004. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
6. Srinivasaraju, Sugata (13 June 2019). "The untold story of Girish Karnad". Mint. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
7. "'We spoke in Konkani but there was no swearing'". Rediff. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
8. The Illustrated Weekly of India. Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press. July 1970.
9. Newbigin, Eleanor (19 September 2013). The Hindu Family and the Emergence of Modern India: Law, Citizenship and Community. Cambridge University Press. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-107-43475-2.

External links

• Kanara Saraswat Association official Website
• Chitrapur Math, Shirali
• Chitrapurebooks.com

• Konkani
• Mangalorean society
• Brahmin communities of Karnataka
• Brahmin communities of Goa