Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Encyclopedia
Rājāpur/Bhālāvalikar Gauda Sāraswat Brāhmins (RSB), as they are known, belong to the "Pancha (five) Gauda Brahmana
" groups or "Gaudadi Panchakas". Rājāpur Sāraswat Brahmins are a branch of the saraswat brahmin
s, who were supposed to have resided on the banks of the legendary Saraswati River
. They migrated to Goa
region in around 700 BC from the banks of river Saraswati. They got their name from their village of origin namely Rajapur/ Bhalavali Village in Ratnagiri
district of Maharashtra
state in India
, where they had migrated from Goa
. Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat Brahmins were called as Gowd Saraswat Brahmins, before they migrated from Bhalavali/Rajapur to various other places.
Many Goan Gaud Saraswat Brahmins fled from Goa, a section of them went to Bhalavali, Rajapur villages in Ratnagiri
district in order to save themselves from forced conversions by Portuguese in Goa and also attacks from Muslim rulers. Later they came to known as Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gauda Saraswat Brahmins. The members of this community follow the hindu
religion and speak Konkani language
. The Konkani spoken by them is a mixture of Goan konkani and Marathi
. They are the disciple of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math, Kavle in Goa
state of India
.
Saraswat Brahmins lived on the banks of Saraswati River
, now an extinct river, which used to flow in the northern part of India. Though invisible today, there are numerous mention of this sacred river in Rigveda
, Mahabharata
and other Hindu
holy books. References to river Saraswati has been frequently made in the Rig veda shlokas, praising the river as the mightiest river and describe her as "limitless, undeviating, shining and swift moving". Recent findings by scientists and research institutes have confirmed the existence of Saraswati river
.
Saraswat Brahmins derived their name from either the river Saraswati or from their spiritual leader Great sage Saraswat Muni (son of Rishi Dadichi)
, who lived on the banks of Saraswati. They belonged to Smarta tradition and primarily worshipped Panchayatana (the five deities): Shiva
, Vishnu
, Devi
, Surya
and Ganesha
. These Brahmins were one of the Pancha Gouda Brahmin groups who lived north of the Vindhyas.
Saraswat Brahmins mastered the Vedas
, and administerd the priestly rites in the temples. The Vedas were passed down to the generations by the virtue of word of mouth, as written records didn't exist at that time. The Saraswat Brahmins had to maintain a very tight hold on their culture to maintain and protect their legacy.
Sarwats are from Goa
took place around 700BC. They migrated from the banks of river Saraswati, mostly through sea routes in search of greener pastures. Subsequently, many more Saraswat Brahmins migrated to Goa. They took up farming and trading business in Goa. They settled down peacefully and worked in partnership with indigenous people. At the same time, they kept their ancient vedic way of life alive, performed vedic rituals and retained their cultural traditions. They also brought their Kuladevtas and established temples for their deities.These temples facilitated socio-cultural activities of the community.
Another popular belief is that Sage Parashurama brought Saraswats of 10 different Gothras, to the south of Vindhyas to Gomatak, where he asked Varuna to vacate part of the sea-land, which is also called Parashurama Kshetra or Parashurama Shrishti. Then more Saraswat groups followed them. They follow the Shodasha Samskaras with Shrothra-Smartha Chatur Ashrama Karma. These Saraswats are Rigvedi Asulayana Suthra-Shakal Shakha-Adhyayees (student).
The subsequent entry of Christian missionories made the matter worse for Hindus and Saraswat Brahmins. The Hindu temples were destroyed, Hindus were forced to convert to Christianity, Hindu religious functions were banned, people were also forced to eat beef. In 1559 AD, King Joao III of Portugal issued a decree threatening expulsion or execution of non-believers in Christianity. In about 1560 AD, beautiful temple at Keloshi, Kushasthali (Mangesh, Shanta durga), Shri Gaudapadacharya Math at Keloshi and about 280 temples were destroyed in Berdez and 300 temples in Salcette, and many churches were built.
This was perhaps worst and humiliating time for the Saraswat Brahmins. To avoid this humiliation and religious persecution, several Saraswat families fled to different directions such as Mangalore
, north Canara in Karnataka, Cochin in Kerala, Ratnagiri District in Maharashtra to name few, some families who could not afford to flee or resist the persecution converted to Christianity, some who could resist but were not willing to abandon their farms and business stayed on and rebuilt their lives.
They built few temples in these places and continued Smartha tradition. They have their surnames like Lotlikar,Tendulkar,Salwankar, Karlekar etc. (ref. names given under 'Upanamas' in below table of Gotras) which are the original names of Gomantak villages.
had established factories near the creek which were abandoned in the early 1700s. Some families engaged in trade, so it is partially correct that, migrated Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats were referred as traders in Dakshina Kannada
Gazetteer written in 1885. Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats worked in military posts of King's and got surnames such as Nayak, Prabhu etc.
There used to be frequent battles between Maratha Kings and Muslim rulers of Bijapur Adil Shahi dynasty in these areas including Kudal, Savantwadi etc. In 1660 Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj attacked the Rajapur and looted English establishments in retaliation to them providing arms and ammunition to rival Muslim rulers. The frequent battles lead to unrest in the area and difficult to live, which made people to leave these areas and find a safer shelter elsewhere.
So it is believed that Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats migrated to Karnataka/Kerala between late 16th century and early 17th century. Bhalavalikars mainly settled in Dakshina kannada and Kodagu Districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod District in Kerala and Rajapur Saraswats settled in Udupi District. As per D.P.Nayak's book Kudaladeshkar Part 2, they migrated to Coastal Karnataka and northern Kerala in the 17th century between 1749 and 1750 AD. B
/Kerala
, they confronted a strange situation of keeping a separate denominational identity. Their new found habitat of Karnataka and Kerala already had strong presence of Konkani speaking Gauda Saraswat Brahmins who had directly migrated from Goa in 13th and 14th century and they were followers of Vaishnavism as they had converted from Smarta sampradaya to Vaishnavism under the influence of Shri Madhwacharya's Dwaita philosophy and were followers of Kashi Math. They were financially prospered community, as over couple of centuries they had established themselves in trade and business in this region and had their own identity. In those days the spoken language was closely associated with identification of a community.
During that time migration means leaving a place of living with only worn clothes and grains enough for few days of living, obviously the migrant Rajapur/Bhalavalikars were not financially strong. They were still followers of Smarta tradition and however they were not in touch with their Kula Guru Peetha Shri Gaudapadacharya Math in Goa. They spoke a different Konkani dialect under the influence of Marathi due to living in Maharashtra for couple of centuries. These socio-economic factors forced them to establish their own new identity separate from Gauda Saraswat Brahmins of the region. Thus the families who came from Rajapur Taluk of Ratnagiri District came to be known as Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins, and who came from Bhalavali came to be known as Bhalavalikar Saraswat Brahmins.
The history of Saraswats is a testimony of their struggle for existence, owing to a chain of migrations. Throughout the course of history, the Saraswat Brahmins have migrated to a variety of locations. Despite all odds, they have been successful in preserving their culture and traditions intact to this day. Their traditions are unique and tolerant and they easily adopted to the places they migrated.
which follows Smarta Sampradaya
, as they had lost contact with their original Guru Peetha Shri Gaudapadacharya Math in Goa
. The reasons for losing the contact with Guru Peetha can be attributed to lack of communication in those days, destruction of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math and thereby prolonged absence of successive Swamijis in Gomantak (as they decided to remain in Varansasi) due to of religious atrocities committed by Portuguese in Goa
.
In 1942 AD, Shri Durgaparameshwari temple was built at Bantakal in Udupi District by RSBians. The yearly temple festival facilitated gathering of large number of community people at one place. During such a festival in 1947, Shri Kodange Pandith Narayan Nayak addressed the gathering and reminded the community people that their ancestors belonged to Gomantak Saraswats and they were disciples of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math. He also stressed for working towards renewing the relation with the Guru Peetha Shri Gaudapadacharya Math in order to restore the pride and achieve overall development of the Rajapur/Bhalavalikar gauda saraswath brahmins.
Further to this, in 1956 another massive community gathering was organised in Shri Durgaparameshwari temple at Bantakal. In that gathering Puttur Mukund Nayak addressed the gathering and presented compilation of detailed history of Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gauda saraswat brahmanas, with details such as Gothras, family deity details, surnames etc. prevalent in the community and comparing it with Goan Saraswats emphasizing the ancestral relations.
In 1963 AD Shrimat Satchidananda saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya, mathadipati of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math was on a Mokkam at Shri Venkataramana temple in Karkala
along with Shri Sudhindra teertha swamiji, mathadish of Shri Kashi Math
. During this occasion both the Swamiji's were met by RSB community leaders and prayed at their lotus feet to pay a visit to Shri Aadi Shakti Mahalakshmi temple, Lakshmipura, a community temple built and managed by Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins. Later both the Swamiji's kindly accepted the invitation and they were welcomed to Laxmipura temple in a grand ceremony with great devotion and respect to shri Guru peetha. This was a historic event for Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins because, Rajapur/Bhalavalikar saraswats took this opportunity to explain the reasons which had led them to lose contact with Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Saunstan to Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadachrya in detail and prayed at his lotus feet to accept them again as disciples of the Math and bless them.
In response to this prayer, Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya held detailed discussions with other Saraswat math swamiji's for taking a decision. On 15 April 1967, with the divine presence of Shri Swamiji of Kashi Math
, after performing religious rituals in Shri Adi Shakti Mahalakshmi temple, Lakshmipura, hrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya issued a Rayasa (written letter) accepting the RSB community as disciples of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math and whole heartedly blessed them . It was a historic event in the fascinating history of Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gauda Saraswat Brahmins. Subsequent to this event, in 1971 AD. Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya, performed his Chaturmas
vruta for the first time in Shri Aadi Shakthi Mahalakshmi temple, Laxmipura.
Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats gratefully acknowledge this deed of great kindness of Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swamiji and they proudly mention this in every forum that their recent achievements are mainly on account of the wholehearted blessings of Shri Swamijis of Shri Saunstan Gaudapadacharya Math.
, Udupi in Karnataka
and Bhalavalikar Gauda Saraswat brahmins settled in Sullia
, Bantwala, Puttur, Kodagu
in Karnataka state and Kasaragod
distrcit in Kerala
State. It made them divided into two separate groups due to lack of communication. In 1978 with the intervention and blessings of Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math, both Rajapur and Bhalavalikar Saraswats came together as single group.
or Smarta Sampradaya
, Smarta Tradition, as it is termed in Sanskrit
is a denomination
of the Hindu
religion
. The term Smarta refers to adherents who follow the Vedas
and Shastras. Though large number of Sraswats converted to Vaishnavism
under the influence of Shri MAdhwacharya, it was believed that the forefathers of RSBians had taken a oath in front of Lord in Mangueshi temple in Goa
that they will never convert to Vaishnavism
under any circumstances and remained under Smarta Sampradaya
. They mainly follow the Advaita Vedanta
philosophy of Shri Gaudapadacharya
which was later popularised by his parama Shishya Shri Adi Shankaracharya
.They are Rigvedi
Brahmins and follow the Ashwalayana Sutra
. They are the disciples Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Saunstan located at Kavale
, Ponda Taluka, Goa
and Mathadipati of the Math is as their Kulaguru.
They belong to 10 Gotra
s and worship Kula Devata
or family deity as per Panchayatana puja (IAST
) system. As per this system of worship in the Smarta sampradaya
, it consists of the worship of five deities: Shiva
, Vishnu
, Devi
, Surya
and Ganesha
. The Kula Devata or family deity is kept in the center and the other four surround it. Worship is offered to all the deities. The five are represented by five marks made by keeping handful of white rice and a coconut is kept over the mark in center representing the Kula Devata
.
and Udupi districts are the main places in Karnataka
where Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats are concentrated. However over a period Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats went to different places and cities for jobs, education and better living. Now we can also find the many members of this community living in Bangalore
, Mumbai
, Pune
, Karwar
, Belgaum
and also abroad mainly in Middle East and USA.
, they continued speaking Konkani
, the state language of Goa
. They lived in Rajapur/Bhalavali for a century and half. The local language Marathi
made heavy influence on their native language. So the language spoken by them is a fine blend of Goan Konkani
with presence of many Marathi
words. People who migrated to Udupi, Dakshina Kannada
, Kodagu
districts in Karnataka
and northern part of Kerala
adopted some words from Kannada
, Tulu
, and Kodava due to the influence of local language.
Families who continued to live in Rajapur/Bhalavali areas adopted either Marathi
or Malvan
Konkani
over a period of time.
s, they are:
Kuladev or Kula devata (Family deity) are the deities which a set of families of identical Gotra
s primarily worship. There will be a main temple for each deity built and maintained by these families. Many Kuladev temples are in Goa
. People travel from far away places of settlement to these temples in Goa
, normally once in a year to perform pujas and take blessings from the Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Swamiji, their spiritual guru. It is said that a newly married couple is supposed to visit their family deity's temple (Kuladev Mandir) soon after their marriage and take blessings of Kula devata and Kula guru Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Swamiji.
Below given table provides details of Gotra
s and their Kula devatas, prevalent surnames, Upanamas etc. of Rajapur/Bhalavalikar gauda saraswat brahmins). Most of the Upanamas are original Gomantak village names where they used to stay. People use either 'Upanama' or 'Janmanama' as their surname.
is widely worshipped by Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat brahmins as their Ishta devata apart from Kula devata. It may be a legacy of their routes in Bengal, which was part of then Gaud Desh, where worshipping Goddess Durga
is very popular. As they migrated bare handed from Goa
and then from Rajapur/Bhalavali, they believed Goddess Shri Durgaparameshwari
protects them like a 'Durga' (fort) from all evils. The number of Shri Durgaparameshwari
temples built by the community despite their poverty is testimonial to their strong faith on the Goddess.
is considered as one family or one Kula
and each Gotra will have a primary deity worshiped on every important vocations. It is a tradition that a couple soon after marriage will visit to their Kula devata along with their family and take blessings of Kula devata; also, during every religious program at home, the family deity is worshipped. Some of the Kuladevata temples located in Goa are:
Pancha-Gauda
Pancha-Gauda and Pancha-Dravida are two chief divisions of Brahmins, as per the śloka from Rājatarangini of / Kalhana:कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः ,गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ||सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः,...
" groups or "Gaudadi Panchakas". Rājāpur Sāraswat Brahmins are a branch of the saraswat brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s, who were supposed to have resided on the banks of the legendary Saraswati River
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
. They migrated to Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
region in around 700 BC from the banks of river Saraswati. They got their name from their village of origin namely Rajapur/ Bhalavali Village in Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri
Ratnāgiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east...
district of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where they had migrated from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat Brahmins were called as Gowd Saraswat Brahmins, before they migrated from Bhalavali/Rajapur to various other places.
Many Goan Gaud Saraswat Brahmins fled from Goa, a section of them went to Bhalavali, Rajapur villages in Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri
Ratnāgiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east...
district in order to save themselves from forced conversions by Portuguese in Goa and also attacks from Muslim rulers. Later they came to known as Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gauda Saraswat Brahmins. The members of this community follow the hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religion and speak Konkani language
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
. The Konkani spoken by them is a mixture of Goan konkani and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
. They are the disciple of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math, Kavle in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
state of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Saraswat Name
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
, now an extinct river, which used to flow in the northern part of India. Though invisible today, there are numerous mention of this sacred river in Rigveda
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
, Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
and other Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
holy books. References to river Saraswati has been frequently made in the Rig veda shlokas, praising the river as the mightiest river and describe her as "limitless, undeviating, shining and swift moving". Recent findings by scientists and research institutes have confirmed the existence of Saraswati river
Saraswati River
Saraswati River can refer to:*Sarasvati River*Saraswati River , a distributary of the Hooghly River which was active till around the 16th century AD*Ghaggar-Hakra River...
.
Saraswat Brahmins derived their name from either the river Saraswati or from their spiritual leader Great sage Saraswat Muni (son of Rishi Dadichi)
, who lived on the banks of Saraswati. They belonged to Smarta tradition and primarily worshipped Panchayatana (the five deities): Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
, Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
and Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
. These Brahmins were one of the Pancha Gouda Brahmin groups who lived north of the Vindhyas.
Saraswat Brahmins mastered the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, and administerd the priestly rites in the temples. The Vedas were passed down to the generations by the virtue of word of mouth, as written records didn't exist at that time. The Saraswat Brahmins had to maintain a very tight hold on their culture to maintain and protect their legacy.
Sarwats are from Goa
Gomantak Saraswats
The first migration of Saraswats to GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
took place around 700BC. They migrated from the banks of river Saraswati, mostly through sea routes in search of greener pastures. Subsequently, many more Saraswat Brahmins migrated to Goa. They took up farming and trading business in Goa. They settled down peacefully and worked in partnership with indigenous people. At the same time, they kept their ancient vedic way of life alive, performed vedic rituals and retained their cultural traditions. They also brought their Kuladevtas and established temples for their deities.These temples facilitated socio-cultural activities of the community.
Exodus from Goa to Bhalavali/Rajapur
Saraswats prospered for many centuries in Gomantak region. In 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, Saraswats migrated to different places for many reasons. In 1328, army of Tughalaks (Delhi Sultan) captured the Kadamba capital Chandrapur which included Gomantak region and looted it. Gomantak province came under Bahmani (Muslim ruler) rule in 1352 AD and ruled about quarter century, and again in 1472 AD. Bahamani Muslims attacked and destroyed many temples and forced people to convert to Islam. In 1510 Portuguese established their rule in Gomantak after capturing it from Adil Shah of Bijapur dynasty.The subsequent entry of Christian missionories made the matter worse for Hindus and Saraswat Brahmins. The Hindu temples were destroyed, Hindus were forced to convert to Christianity, Hindu religious functions were banned, people were also forced to eat beef. In 1559 AD, King Joao III of Portugal issued a decree threatening expulsion or execution of non-believers in Christianity. In about 1560 AD, beautiful temple at Keloshi, Kushasthali (Mangesh, Shanta durga), Shri Gaudapadacharya Math at Keloshi and about 280 temples were destroyed in Berdez and 300 temples in Salcette, and many churches were built.
This was perhaps worst and humiliating time for the Saraswat Brahmins. To avoid this humiliation and religious persecution, several Saraswat families fled to different directions such as Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, north Canara in Karnataka, Cochin in Kerala, Ratnagiri District in Maharashtra to name few, some families who could not afford to flee or resist the persecution converted to Christianity, some who could resist but were not willing to abandon their farms and business stayed on and rebuilt their lives.
They built few temples in these places and continued Smartha tradition. They have their surnames like Lotlikar,Tendulkar,Salwankar, Karlekar etc. (ref. names given under 'Upanamas' in below table of Gotras) which are the original names of Gomantak villages.
Migration to Karnataka/Kerala
Those who fled and settled in Rajapur/Bhalavali village lived there for about two to three centuries. Rajapur used to be an important centre of maritime trade. The Rajapur town has a creek which was navigable and English and French East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
had established factories near the creek which were abandoned in the early 1700s. Some families engaged in trade, so it is partially correct that, migrated Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats were referred as traders in Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
Gazetteer written in 1885. Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats worked in military posts of King's and got surnames such as Nayak, Prabhu etc.
There used to be frequent battles between Maratha Kings and Muslim rulers of Bijapur Adil Shahi dynasty in these areas including Kudal, Savantwadi etc. In 1660 Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj attacked the Rajapur and looted English establishments in retaliation to them providing arms and ammunition to rival Muslim rulers. The frequent battles lead to unrest in the area and difficult to live, which made people to leave these areas and find a safer shelter elsewhere.
So it is believed that Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats migrated to Karnataka/Kerala between late 16th century and early 17th century. Bhalavalikars mainly settled in Dakshina kannada and Kodagu Districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod District in Kerala and Rajapur Saraswats settled in Udupi District. As per D.P.Nayak's book Kudaladeshkar Part 2, they migrated to Coastal Karnataka and northern Kerala in the 17th century between 1749 and 1750 AD. B
Distinct Identity
Though Rajapur/Bhalavalikars had their identity as Gauda Saraswat Brahmin's till they migrated to KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
/Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, they confronted a strange situation of keeping a separate denominational identity. Their new found habitat of Karnataka and Kerala already had strong presence of Konkani speaking Gauda Saraswat Brahmins who had directly migrated from Goa in 13th and 14th century and they were followers of Vaishnavism as they had converted from Smarta sampradaya to Vaishnavism under the influence of Shri Madhwacharya's Dwaita philosophy and were followers of Kashi Math. They were financially prospered community, as over couple of centuries they had established themselves in trade and business in this region and had their own identity. In those days the spoken language was closely associated with identification of a community.
During that time migration means leaving a place of living with only worn clothes and grains enough for few days of living, obviously the migrant Rajapur/Bhalavalikars were not financially strong. They were still followers of Smarta tradition and however they were not in touch with their Kula Guru Peetha Shri Gaudapadacharya Math in Goa. They spoke a different Konkani dialect under the influence of Marathi due to living in Maharashtra for couple of centuries. These socio-economic factors forced them to establish their own new identity separate from Gauda Saraswat Brahmins of the region. Thus the families who came from Rajapur Taluk of Ratnagiri District came to be known as Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins, and who came from Bhalavali came to be known as Bhalavalikar Saraswat Brahmins.
The history of Saraswats is a testimony of their struggle for existence, owing to a chain of migrations. Throughout the course of history, the Saraswat Brahmins have migrated to a variety of locations. Despite all odds, they have been successful in preserving their culture and traditions intact to this day. Their traditions are unique and tolerant and they easily adopted to the places they migrated.
Shri Gaudapadacharya Math and RSBs
In the course of time after migrating to Karnataka and Kerala until 1967 they remained disciples of Shri Sringeri Sharada Math established by Shri Adi ShankaracharyaAdi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
which follows Smarta Sampradaya
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...
, as they had lost contact with their original Guru Peetha Shri Gaudapadacharya Math in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. The reasons for losing the contact with Guru Peetha can be attributed to lack of communication in those days, destruction of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math and thereby prolonged absence of successive Swamijis in Gomantak (as they decided to remain in Varansasi) due to of religious atrocities committed by Portuguese in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
.
In 1942 AD, Shri Durgaparameshwari temple was built at Bantakal in Udupi District by RSBians. The yearly temple festival facilitated gathering of large number of community people at one place. During such a festival in 1947, Shri Kodange Pandith Narayan Nayak addressed the gathering and reminded the community people that their ancestors belonged to Gomantak Saraswats and they were disciples of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math. He also stressed for working towards renewing the relation with the Guru Peetha Shri Gaudapadacharya Math in order to restore the pride and achieve overall development of the Rajapur/Bhalavalikar gauda saraswath brahmins.
Further to this, in 1956 another massive community gathering was organised in Shri Durgaparameshwari temple at Bantakal. In that gathering Puttur Mukund Nayak addressed the gathering and presented compilation of detailed history of Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gauda saraswat brahmanas, with details such as Gothras, family deity details, surnames etc. prevalent in the community and comparing it with Goan Saraswats emphasizing the ancestral relations.
In 1963 AD Shrimat Satchidananda saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya, mathadipati of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math was on a Mokkam at Shri Venkataramana temple in Karkala
Karkala
Karkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
along with Shri Sudhindra teertha swamiji, mathadish of Shri Kashi Math
Kashi Mutt
Kashi Math is one of the four spiritual schools followed by the Goud Saraswat Brahmins. Members of the Goud Saraswat community predominantly live along the west coast of India, from Mumbai in the north to Kerala in the south. Other Maths followed by Goud Saraswat Brahmins are Gokarna Math , Shri...
. During this occasion both the Swamiji's were met by RSB community leaders and prayed at their lotus feet to pay a visit to Shri Aadi Shakti Mahalakshmi temple, Lakshmipura, a community temple built and managed by Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins. Later both the Swamiji's kindly accepted the invitation and they were welcomed to Laxmipura temple in a grand ceremony with great devotion and respect to shri Guru peetha. This was a historic event for Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins because, Rajapur/Bhalavalikar saraswats took this opportunity to explain the reasons which had led them to lose contact with Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Saunstan to Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadachrya in detail and prayed at his lotus feet to accept them again as disciples of the Math and bless them.
In response to this prayer, Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya held detailed discussions with other Saraswat math swamiji's for taking a decision. On 15 April 1967, with the divine presence of Shri Swamiji of Kashi Math
Kashi Mutt
Kashi Math is one of the four spiritual schools followed by the Goud Saraswat Brahmins. Members of the Goud Saraswat community predominantly live along the west coast of India, from Mumbai in the north to Kerala in the south. Other Maths followed by Goud Saraswat Brahmins are Gokarna Math , Shri...
, after performing religious rituals in Shri Adi Shakti Mahalakshmi temple, Lakshmipura, hrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya issued a Rayasa (written letter) accepting the RSB community as disciples of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math and whole heartedly blessed them . It was a historic event in the fascinating history of Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gauda Saraswat Brahmins. Subsequent to this event, in 1971 AD. Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya, performed his Chaturmas
Chaturmas
Chaturmas is a holy period of four months , beginning on Shayani Ekadashi—the eleventh day of the first bright half, Shukla paksha, of Ashadh —until Prabodhini Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the first bright half of Kartik in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.Chaturmas is reserved the...
vruta for the first time in Shri Aadi Shakthi Mahalakshmi temple, Laxmipura.
Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats gratefully acknowledge this deed of great kindness of Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swamiji and they proudly mention this in every forum that their recent achievements are mainly on account of the wholehearted blessings of Shri Swamijis of Shri Saunstan Gaudapadacharya Math.
Rajapur and Bhalavalikar Saraswats Coming together
Predominantly Rajapur Gauda Saraswat Brahmins settled in places near KarkalaKarkala
Karkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
, Udupi in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and Bhalavalikar Gauda Saraswat brahmins settled in Sullia
Sullia
Sullia is a taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is a small town, surrounded with evergreen wooded mountains in the Western Ghats range in South India. Sullia has plantations of rubber, areca nut, coconut, cashew nut, black pepper and banana...
, Bantwala, Puttur, Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
in Karnataka state and Kasaragod
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
distrcit in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
State. It made them divided into two separate groups due to lack of communication. In 1978 with the intervention and blessings of Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gaudapadacharya of Shri Gaudapadacharya Math, both Rajapur and Bhalavalikar Saraswats came together as single group.
Religion
RSBians follow SmartismSmartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...
or Smarta Sampradaya
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
, Smarta Tradition, as it is termed in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
is a denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
of the Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. The term Smarta refers to adherents who follow the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
and Shastras. Though large number of Sraswats converted to Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
under the influence of Shri MAdhwacharya, it was believed that the forefathers of RSBians had taken a oath in front of Lord in Mangueshi temple in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
that they will never convert to Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
under any circumstances and remained under Smarta Sampradaya
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...
. They mainly follow the Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
philosophy of Shri Gaudapadacharya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...
which was later popularised by his parama Shishya Shri Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
.They are Rigvedi
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
Brahmins and follow the Ashwalayana Sutra
Shakha
A shakha , is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school. An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a ...
. They are the disciples Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Saunstan located at Kavale
Kavale
Kavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...
, Ponda Taluka, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and Mathadipati of the Math is as their Kulaguru.
They belong to 10 Gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s and worship Kula Devata
Kuldevta
Kuladevata or Kuladevi, also known as Kuladev and Kŭladaiwat, stands for "family deity, that is either a god or a goddess" within Hinduism, as distinct from personal ishta-devata and village deities...
or family deity as per Panchayatana puja (IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
) system. As per this system of worship in the Smarta sampradaya
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
, it consists of the worship of five deities: Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
, Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
and Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
. The Kula Devata or family deity is kept in the center and the other four surround it. Worship is offered to all the deities. The five are represented by five marks made by keeping handful of white rice and a coconut is kept over the mark in center representing the Kula Devata
Kuldevta
Kuladevata or Kuladevi, also known as Kuladev and Kŭladaiwat, stands for "family deity, that is either a god or a goddess" within Hinduism, as distinct from personal ishta-devata and village deities...
.
Distribution of Population
Dakshina KannadaDakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
and Udupi districts are the main places in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
where Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats are concentrated. However over a period Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswats went to different places and cities for jobs, education and better living. Now we can also find the many members of this community living in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
, Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
and also abroad mainly in Middle East and USA.
Language
Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Gaud Saraswats proudly call themselves as 'Konknay' (Konkanies). Since they migrated from GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, they continued speaking Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
, the state language of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. They lived in Rajapur/Bhalavali for a century and half. The local language Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
made heavy influence on their native language. So the language spoken by them is a fine blend of Goan Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
with presence of many Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
words. People who migrated to Udupi, Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
, Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
districts in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and northern part of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
adopted some words from Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
, Tulu
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
, and Kodava due to the influence of local language.
Families who continued to live in Rajapur/Bhalavali areas adopted either Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
or Malvan
Malvan
Malvan is a town in Sindhudurg District, the southernmost district of Maharashtra. This culturally and historically important town is a Taluka place in Sindhudurg District...
Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
over a period of time.
Gotras
Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Goud Saraswats are of 10 gotraGotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s, they are:
- AtreyaAtreyaAn Atreya is a descendant of Atri, one of the great Hindu sages whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas.The descendents of Atri Rishi use Atreya as their surname just like many other Gotras, or clan names used by the Brahmin community of Hindus in India and Nepal. In Northern India,...
- BharadwajaBharadwajaBharadwaja was one of the greatest Hindu Arya sages descendant of rishi Angirasa, whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. He was one of the Saptarshis in the present Manvantara; with others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa.Bhardwaj Rishi was father of...
- Dhananjaya
- Gautama
- JamadagniJamadagniJamadagni is one of the Saptarishis in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara. He was a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatis created by Brahma, the God of Creation...
- KaundinyaKaundinyaKaundinya also known as Ajnata Kaundinya was a Buddhist bhikkhu in the sangha of Gautama Buddha and the first to become an arahant...
- Kaushika
- Kashyapa
- Vasishta
- Vatsa
Kuldevta, Surnames, Upanamas of each Gotra
Saraswats have a the concept of Panchayatana, means worshipping five Gods like form of Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Surya and Ganesha.Kuladev or Kula devata (Family deity) are the deities which a set of families of identical Gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s primarily worship. There will be a main temple for each deity built and maintained by these families. Many Kuladev temples are in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. People travel from far away places of settlement to these temples in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, normally once in a year to perform pujas and take blessings from the Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Swamiji, their spiritual guru. It is said that a newly married couple is supposed to visit their family deity's temple (Kuladev Mandir) soon after their marriage and take blessings of Kula devata and Kula guru Shri Gaudapadacharya Math Swamiji.
Below given table provides details of Gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s and their Kula devatas, prevalent surnames, Upanamas etc. of Rajapur/Bhalavalikar gauda saraswat brahmins). Most of the Upanamas are original Gomantak village names where they used to stay. People use either 'Upanama' or 'Janmanama' as their surname.
| Gotra Gotra In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"... |
Pravara | Upanama | Janmanama | Kuladevta (Family Deity) |
| Bharadwaja | Angirasa, Barhaspathya, Bharadhwaja. | Madkaikar, Salvankar, Shivaji, Thakur, Wagle. | Nayak, Nayak, Shenoy, Nayak, Shanbhag, Sharma. | Shantadurga, Mahalakshmi, LakshmiRavalanath, LakshmiNarayana. |
| Gautama Gautam Brahmins Gautam Brahmins comprise a sub-caste of Brahmins and Kshatriyas in India, Nepal and Bhutan. The Nepali sub-caste Gautam are also known as Gotamey गोतामे. They are originally settled in the doab of Yamuna and Ganga districts and most prominently in the district of Mathura Brij region of North India... |
Angirasa, Ayushya, Gautama. | Kamat/Kamath, Mahajan, Mokoshi. | Kamath/Kamat | SaptaKoteshwar, LakshmiNarayana, Ganapathi. |
| Atri Atri This article is about the sage named Attri. See also the gotra named Atri. For the Italian city, see Atri, AbruzzoIn Hinduism, Attri or Atri is a legendary bard and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapatis, and a son of Brahma, said to be ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, kshatriya and Vaishya... |
Atreya, Archananasa, Shyavashya. | Shendre, Bokde/Bokade, Bandre, Budukule, Goorke, Burake. | Nayak, Marathe, Nayak, Prabhu, Shenoy. | Mangesh, MahadevaMaharudra, Mahalakshmi, Kamakshi,LakshmiRavalanath. |
| Kashyap Kashyap Kashyapa was an ancient sage , who is one of the Saptarshis in the present Manvantara; with others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadwaja... a |
Avatsara, Kashyapa, Asike. | Sankolkar, Kinare, Mahajan, Bhagav, Dhonde, Manjrekar. | Nayak, Juvale, Nayak, Shembekar, Nayak, Nayak, Manjrekar. | Narsimha, Nagesha, Mahalakshmi, Shri Mahalsa Narayani, Shanteri, Mangesh. |
| Vashishta | Vashishta, Indrapramada, Bharadwasu. | Haldonkar,Nar, Potkar, Ambelkar, Khandolkar, Lanjol, Lanjekar, Nidod, Sankalkar, Shevde. | Nayak, ,Kamath, Prabhu, Nayak, Prabhu, Nayak, Prabhu, Nayak. | Bhagavati, LakshmiRavalanatha, Narsimha, Mahalakshmi, Mahalakshmi, Mahalakshmi, SaptaKoteshvara, Mahalakshmi, Mahalakshmi. |
| Vatsa | Bhargava, Chyavana, Apnavan, Cherva, Jamadagni. | Kini,Navelkar, Aslekar, Khandolkar, Kadavanekar, Kamat/Kamath, Valavalkar. | Kini,Prabhu, Nayak, Mallya, Prabhu, Nayak, Kamat/Kamath, Nayak. | Ganapati Khandola, GanapatiKhandola, Ravalanatha, Nagesha, Mahalakshmi, Narsimha, Shantadurga. |
| Kaundinya Kaundinya Kaundinya also known as Ajnata Kaundinya was a Buddhist bhikkhu in the sangha of Gautama Buddha and the first to become an arahant... |
Vashishta, Maitra, Varuna, Kaundinya. | Shinkar, Lotalikar, Kini, Wakade, Shembekar, Kanchikar, Borkar.Mayekar | Pai, Prabhu, Prabhu, Nayak, Juvale, Sharma, Nayak, Nayak, Nayak.Shenvi | Ramanath, Mangesh, Ramanath, Ravalanath, Ganapati, Mahalakshmi, Mangesh, Shantadurga.Mangesh,Mahalaxmi. |
| Dhananjaya | Atreya, Archananasa, Dhananjaya, | Tendulkar, Patkar, Kalwari, Kavatkar/bhute, Raykar, Mede, Bhagavat, Brahme, Gavalkar, Gudkar, Godbole, Jharame. | Prabhu, Prabhu, Nayak, Nayak, Nayak, Nayak, Prabhu, Nayak, Nayak, Nayak. | LakshmiRavalanath, LakshmiRavalanath, , Mahalakshmi, Ravalanath, Mahalakshmi, Mahalakshmi, Mahalakshmi, Mahalakshmi. |
| Kaushika | Vishwamitra, Aghamarpana, Kaushika. | Kelkar, Bandodkar, Bandelkar, Pandit, Chimbalkar, Juvalosahukar, Kapur. | Prabhu, Pai, Nayak, Nayak, Nayak. | Nagesha, Nagesha, Mahalakshmi, Nagesha, Shantadurga, Nagesha. |
| Jamadagni Jamadagni Jamadagni is one of the Saptarishis in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara. He was a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatis created by Brahma, the God of Creation... |
Bhargava, Chyavana, Apnavan. | Marathe, Karlekar. | Nayak, Prabhu. | Somanatheshwara, Lakshmiravalanatha. |
Ishta Devata
Goddess Shri DurgaparameshwariDurga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
is widely worshipped by Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat brahmins as their Ishta devata apart from Kula devata. It may be a legacy of their routes in Bengal, which was part of then Gaud Desh, where worshipping Goddess Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
is very popular. As they migrated bare handed from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and then from Rajapur/Bhalavali, they believed Goddess Shri Durgaparameshwari
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
protects them like a 'Durga' (fort) from all evils. The number of Shri Durgaparameshwari
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
temples built by the community despite their poverty is testimonial to their strong faith on the Goddess.
Kula Devata Temples
Kula devata or family deity is considered important in Saraswat Brahmins. People belonging to one GotraGotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
is considered as one family or one Kula
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
and each Gotra will have a primary deity worshiped on every important vocations. It is a tradition that a couple soon after marriage will visit to their Kula devata along with their family and take blessings of Kula devata; also, during every religious program at home, the family deity is worshipped. Some of the Kuladevata temples located in Goa are:
- Shri Laxmi Narayan, Kundaim, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Pin: 403 115. - Shri Laxmi Ravalanatha, Gavanavada, MarshalMarshalMarshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Pin: 403 401. - Shri Ganapati, Khandola, MarshalMarshalMarshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Bhagavati Haldonkarin Samsthan, Khandola, Marshal, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Mangesh Maharudra, Mangeshim/Priyol, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Mahalsa Narayani, Mardhol, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Lakshmi Narsimha, Veilinga, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Nagesh Maharudra, Nageshim, Bandiwadem/Bandora, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Pin: 403 401. - Shri Mahalakshmi, Bandiwadem/Bandora, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Pin: 403 401. - Shri Saptakoteshwar, Narve, Dicholi, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Navadurga, Madkai, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Ramnath Shanteri Kamakshi, Ramnathim, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Shantadurga, KavaleKavaleKavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...
, Ponda, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. - Shri Laxmi Ravalnath, Mulgao, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
.
RSB Surnames
This is a list of the prevelent surnames known to occur in the Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins (RSB) community:- Ambelkar
- Bandelkar/Bandodkar/Bandodekar/Bandre
- Bhagwat
- Bhandarkar/Bhandare
- Bhat
- Bokade/Bokde
- Borkar
- Chimbalkar
- Dhonde
- Gavalkar
- GodboleGodboleGodbole is a surname from Kokanastha Brahmins or Chitpavan Brahmins from Western Maharashtra and also used by Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins...
- Kamat/KamathKamatKamath or Kamat is a common surname amongst the Goud Saraswat Brahmins of the Konkan and Malabar coasts of India in the states of Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. They usually speak Konkani and is considered as their mother tongue. And most often Marathi or Kannada as their secondary language...
- Kelkar
- Lotalikar
- Madkaikar
- Marathe
- Navelkar
- Nayak
- PaiPai (surname)Pai is a common surname amongst the Gowd Saraswat Brahmins of India. Pai is known to be a prakrit of Pati or "Lord". An unlikely source is leg or foot or one amassed wealth. Pai may have come from Appaya meaning elderbrother according to Poet B.B. Borkar.Families with the surname Pai, are...
- Patkar
- PrabhuPrabhuPrabhu means master or the supreme lord in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God.The term is also used by male devotees of the hindu deity Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. If a man sees another male devotee whom he does not know, he will...
- RaoRao (surname)Rao/राव/رااہ is an Indian princely title cognate with Raja. It's also a royal surname across India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Italy and Brazil...
- Salvankar
- SharmaSharmaSharma Hindi शर्मा, Urdu شرمہ, ) is a name used in the Indian subcontinent mostly in Northern India as a surname or given name. As a noun in Sanskrit, Sharma has various positive connotations, such as "bliss", "happiness", "shelter", "laid back" and "protection."Sharma is a surname of brahmin...
- Shendre
- ShenoyShenoyShenoy is a common surname amongst the Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins. It is the most common surname among the Goud Saraswat Brahmins.-Etymology:...
- Shevde
- Sinkar
- Tendulkar
- WagleWagle (surname)Wagle is an Indian surname of Konkani origin. It is pronounced . It is a surname mostly used by Goud Saraswat Brahman and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins. It is also common in Nepal...
Community Temples
Saraswats wherever they migrated and lived, they built some fine temples. These temples facilitated community gatherings, carrying out religious rituals & traditions also it helped to safeguard the Culture they carried over centuries. Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat Brahmins have built many temples, some of them are :- Shri Durgaparameswari, Post Bantakal, Udupi Dist, Karnataka, Pin:574 115. (Established in 1942)
- Shri Adishakti Mahalaxmi, Laxmipura, Hirgana, KarkalaKarkalaKarkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
Taluk, Udupi Dist. KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin:574 127. (Established in 1891) - Shri Narsimha, Narasinghe, Post Parkala, Udupi Dist, Karnataka, Pin:576 107.
- Shri Durgaparameswari Temple, Adpadi-Kodi, Post Palli, KarkalaKarkalaKarkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
Taluk, Udupi, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin:574 244. - Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple MontimarSri Durgaparameshwari Temple MontimarSri Durgaparameshwari Temple Montimar is a temple of Goddess Sri Durgaparameshwari, situated in Monthimar, Manchi Village, Bantwal Taluk, Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. It has earned the reputation as shrine of Goddess Durga. The two other deities worshipped here are Sri Mahaganapathi and...
(Established in 1833), Montimaru, Post Manchi, Bantwala Taluk, Dakshina Kannada Dist., KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin:574 323. - Shri Durgaparameshwari, Mogeru, Post Katukukke, Via Perla, Kasaragod Taluk, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Pin:670 552. (Established in 1884) - Shri Rama Bhajana Mandira, Kodange, ParkalaParkalaParkala is a suburb of Udupi city located east of Manipal in Udupi district of Karnataka, India. It is administered in part by Udupi City Municipality and in part by the 80, Badagubettu Panchayat .-Description:...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin:576 107. - Shri Durgaparameshwari Bhajana Mandira, Kerpala Road, SulliaSulliaSullia is a taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is a small town, surrounded with evergreen wooded mountains in the Western Ghats range in South India. Sullia has plantations of rubber, areca nut, coconut, cashew nut, black pepper and banana...
post, Dakshina Kannada Dist, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin:574 327. - Shri Bhavani Shankar Mandir, 24, Ronak Bhavan, Bachani Nagar Road, Malad East, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pin:400 097. - Shri Datta Mandir, Kodvali.
- Shri Gajanana Mandir, Rajapur.
- Shri NavadurgaNavadurgaNavadurga , which literally means nine Goddess Durgas, constitute, according to Hindu mythology, the manifestation of Durga in nine different forms...
Temple, Bhalavali. - Shri Ravalanath, Bhalavali.
- Shri Lakshmi-Madhav, Bhalavali.
- Shri Bhagavathi, Bhalavali.
- Shri Mukhyaprana, Rajapur.
Financial Institutions
Saraswats are known to be experts in finance and book keeping. Following are the some of financial and educational institutions started by Samaj for helping development of poor and needy from the community members as well as general public by providing easy access to finance.- Rajapur Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd., 103-105, Swapna Siddhi, Near Kandivalli Railway station, Akurli Road, Kandivili east, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pin: 400 101. - Shri Saraswati Credit Souharda Sahakari Ltd, Sachidananda Seva Sadana, Vinayak Nagar, Darbe, Puttur, Dakshina KannadaDakshina Kannada- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin: 574 202 - Shri Durgaparameshwari Co-Operative Credit Society Ltd., 12 Saraswat Sadana, 3rd Floor, 92 Hospital avenue Road, Parel MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Pin: 400 012. - Rajapura Saraswath Credit Co-Operative Society Ltd., Saraswatha Soudha, Jodu Rasthe, P.O.Kukkundoor, KarkalaKarkalaKarkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
Taluk, Udupi Dist., Pin: 576 117. - Shri Durgaparameshwari Credit Co-operative Society Ltd., Main Road, Parkala, Udupi, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin: 576 107.
Educational institutions
- Shri Saraswathi Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Near Town Hall, Puttur, Puttur Taluk, Dakshina KannadaDakshina Kannada- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Pin 744 202. - Shri Sharadamba High School (Aided), Sheni, KasaragodKasaragod districtKasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
District, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. (Established in 1944). - Shri Durgaparameshwari Higher Primary School, Bantakal, Udupi Taluk & District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. (Established in 1926). - U.S.Nayak High School, Patla, Udupi Taluk and District.
- Patla Ganapati Higher Primary School, Patla, Udupi District. (Established in 1935).
- Aniketna Educational Trust (R), Second Floor, Preethi Arcade, Main Road, Darbe, Puttur, Dakshina KannadaDakshina Kannada- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
, Karnataka. (Est. 2009) Ph: 9741155553
RSB News Magazines
The Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat community, though a small community having less than a lakh population, is a close knit strong community. In present time due to need to travel and live in far off places for jobs, community population has spread across many places and following community magazines have played a important role in keeping them informed about happenings within community.- Saraswata Saurabha, (Kannada Quarterly Magazine), Sachidananda Seva Sadana, Vinayaka Nagar, Darde, Puttur, Dakshina KannadaDakshina Kannada- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
., KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
– 574 202. - Saraswata Sandesh, (Kannada Quarterly Magazine), Manjunatha Nilaya, P.O.Parkala, Udupi Taluk, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
– 576 123. - Konkani Mirror, (Quarterly Multilingual Magazine - English, Kannada and Devanagari), B/505-506, Crystal Avenue, Thakur Village, Kandivili (E), MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
– 400 101.
Social Charitable Institutions
- Bhalavalikar Gouda Saraswata Brahmana Sangha, Sachidananda Seva Sadan, Darbe, Puttur, Dakshina KannadaDakshina Kannada- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 574 202 - R.S.B.Youth Association (Regd.), No.40, “Durga Dhama”, 1st Main, 2nd Cross, Saraswathi Pura, Nyanappana halli, Hulimavu, BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
– 560 076. (Estd: 1995, Regd: 2009). - Rajapura Saraswat Samaja, New Krishna Bhavan, Mill Corner, Malleshwaram, BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
- 560 020. - Bhalavalikar/Rajapura Saraswata Samaja, Sri Durga Parameshwari Kala Mandir, Kerpala Road, SulliaSulliaSullia is a taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is a small town, surrounded with evergreen wooded mountains in the Western Ghats range in South India. Sullia has plantations of rubber, areca nut, coconut, cashew nut, black pepper and banana...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 574 239. - Shree Varad Siddhi Vinayak Seva Mandal, Shree Varad Siddhi Vinayak Seva Bhavan, Siddhi Vinayak Nagar, Bhopar Road Opp Manpada Road, Dombivili East, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- 421 204. - Rajapur Saraswat Sangh, (Established in 1950), Saraswat Sadan, Opp. KEM Hospital, 92, Avenue Road, Parel, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- 400 012. Telephone:(022) 24153196 - Rajapura Saraswata Sangha (Regd.), Kasargod, Near Sheni, Maniyampare, PO Maire, Via Perla, Kasargod Tq, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
State - 671 552. - Rajapura Saraswat Sangh, Muniyal PO, Karkala Taluk, Udupi Dist, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 574 104. - Rajapura Saraswat Brahmana Sangha, Press Corner, Manipal-Alevoor Rd, PO Bantakal, Udupi Dist, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 576 119. - Rajapura Saraswata Sangha, Laxmipura, PO Hirgana, KarkalaKarkalaKarkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
, Udupi District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 574 127. - Rajapura Saraswata Brahmana Samaja, Teerthalli, Shimoga District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 577 432. - Uttara Kannada RSB Sangha, C/o Meenakshi Bhavan, Station Road, Belgaum, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 590 001 - Rajapura Saraswata Yuvajana Sabha, Parkala, Saraswati Printers, Parkala, Udupi District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 576 123. - Rajapura Saraswata Sangha, Hiriadka, Bhadra Constructions, Near SV Temple, PO Hiriadka, Udupi district, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. - Rajapura Saraswata Mahila Mandali, 'Durga Laxmi', PO Kukkundur, Joduraste, Karkala, Udupi District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 576 117 - Rajapura Raraswata Yuva Vrinda, Durgaparameshwari Temple, PO Bantakallu, Udupi district, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 574 115 - Rajapura Saraswata Gramina Sanghatane, Atradi Bhairanje, PO Atradi, Udupi Taluk & District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 576 107 - Bhalavalikara Rajapura Saraswata Brahmana Sangha, Vittla, Bantakal Taluk, D.K., KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. - Rajapura Saraswata Samaja, No.0 Khimchand Chawl, Opp ZP Marathi School, Dhanu, MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
- 401 602, - Rajapura Saraswata Sangha, 1873/12, Vaibhav Tel Service, New Sayyaji Rao Road, Mandi Mohalla, Mysore, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 570 021 - Shree Sachidananda Saraswati Kripaposhita Yakshagana Mandali (R), B/505 Crystal Avenue, Thakur Village, Kandivli East, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- 400 101. - Bhalavalikar Uttama Jeevana Sahakara Sangha, Virajpete, KodaguKodaguKodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. - Rajapura Saraswata Samaja, C/o Kasturi Niwasa, Near Kadri Temple, MangaloreMangaloreMangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. - Rajapura Saraswata Sangha, Ontibettu, Hiriadka, Udupi District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
- 576 113. - Rajapura saraswata brahmana sangha, Dadubettu, Palli, KarkalaKarkalaKarkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
Taluk, Udupi District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. - Rajapura saraswata Brahmana Sangha, Phule Villa, Flat no 481/6, Sahu College Road, PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
– 411 009. - Vighnahara Mahaganapati Seva Mandal, Above hotel Gopalakrishna, Dahisar darshan, Dahisar East, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
– 400 068
Educational Charitable Institutions
- Shri Saraswathi Education Society Regd., Sachidananda Seva Sadana, Vinayaka Nagara, Darbe, Puttur,D.K., Karnataka, Pin: 574 202
- Saraswat Learning Foundation, 3216 Neal Terrace, Fremont, CA 94538, USA, Phone:(510) 659-1999.
- Om Shakti Inc, Haridarshan, Bannaje, Udupi, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
– 576 101. - Rajapura Saraswat Education trust, Laxmipura, P.O. Hirgana, KarkalaKarkalaKarkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
, Udupi District, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
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Notable RSBians
- Sachin TendulkarSachin TendulkarSachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
- World famous Indian cricketer - Vijay TendulkarVijay TendulkarVijay Tendulkar was a leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer, literary essayist, political journalist, and social commentator primarily in Marāthi...
- Famous writer from Maharashtra. - Priya TendulkarPriya TendulkarPriya Tendulkar was an actress, social activist and a writer of Marathi origin, who is most known for her eponymous role in the television series Rajani.-Life:...
- Consumer activist and actress (Daughter of Vijay Tendulkar) - Hari NayakHari NayakHari Nayak is an Indian chef, restaurateur, author and a renowned Indian food and culinary consultant. Hari's signature style of cooking is distinctly featured in his best seller cookbook "Modern Indian Cooking". Chef Hari has pioneered the next generation of Indian Cooking with his latest cookbook...
- Celebrity chef in the USA - Daya NayakDaya NayakDaya Nayak is a sub-inspector with the Mumbai police force. He is currently awaiting reinstation following a suspension order based on allegations of disproportionate income by an underworld criminal...
- Famous Mumbai Police Inspector - Late Shri Kuntikana Ramachandra Nayak - Author of 'Saraswath Sudha', a book on history of RSBians and other Saraswat denominations.
See also
- Shri Gaudapadacharya Math
- GaudapadaGaudapadaGaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...
charya - Govinda BhagavatpadaGovinda Bhagavatpada.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...
- Adi ShankaraAdi ShankaraAdi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
charya - Saraswata KingdomSaraswata KingdomSaraswata Kingdom was an ancient kingdom, territory or region that was situated on the banks of the river Sarasvati River during the pre-historic ages. This region is mentioned in detail in as many as 20 chapters in Mahabharata from to...
- Saraswat cuisineSaraswat cuisineSaraswat cuisine is the cuisine of the Saraswat Brahmins from the Konkan region on the western coast of India. Saraswat cuisine differs from sub-Saraswat brahmin sects and region. Saraswat cuisine originally hails from Goa, India. Goan Saraswat cuisine is known throughout the western coast of India...
Bhalavalikar Kuldevtas online
- http://www.mahalasa.org
- http://www.shrimangesh.org
- http://mahalaxmidev.com
- http://shreeshantadurga.com