Pathare prabhu
Encyclopedia
Pathare Prabhu is one of the Hindu
communities in the city of Mumbai
(formerly known as Bombay). These people are among earliest settlers in the city. They are known to have one of the oldest academic traditions amongst Hindus on par with Brahmins. They were amongst the first of the Hindus to adopt to British educational practice and be well educated in it. They never treated women badly but offered complete freedom, occasionally even sending them to study in foreign universities. They advocated widow re-marriage, an act considered a taboo
in the orthodox Hindu society of those times and they were amongst the first in abolishing hunda (dowry) custom.
being one of the prominent ancestors from the lunar side. And so this community has both solar and lunar lineages unlike other Kshatriya clan. As we see that both the kingships were close to each other, geographically intermarriages were possible amongst them and so eventually that became one community of royal lineage. The name of community 'Pathare Prabhu' probably derived from plateau of Nepal since plateau is called pathar in local terms. Lords of the plateau was the original name which changed to other ellipsis such as, Pattan Prabhu, Patara Prabhu, and Patharia Prabhu. However, they are not now in vogue any more.
A legend goes that Risi Bhrugu cursed lord Ashwapati because he did not take cognizance of the Risi during one religious ceremony and according to that the descendants of Ashwapati were to loose their kingship and shall be reduced to petty clerks in the Kaliyug. According to the legend Risi Bhrugu condemned his progeny to be called as Pattan Prabhu in place of Pathare Prabhu; Pattan means defeated . According to the records Pathare Prabhu rulers were at Ayodhya and from there they went to Paithan and from there to Konkan. These records show that the people of this community eventually spread across the country and settled in many kingdoms as nobles. It appears from the later history of this community that the curse came to be true. They began to loose their power as monarchs and gradually; were reduced to petty lords of small regions; many were accepting courtier-ship of other rulers. Having natural talent as administrators they were welcome as nobles in many dynasties to manage those kingdoms. At that, eventually they became nobles in the court of many rulers from other parts of India such as Pratihara
of Rajasthan
and Yadavas of Deccan.
They inherited Rajput
/Kshatriya
aristocracy from the Pratihara dynesty where they worked as honorable nobles. From the regions of North India and Rajasthan, after the Turkic invasion and subduction of the Pratihara rulers around the 12th and 13th centuries AD, some families migrated to Mumbai
and other regions in Maharashtra via Prabhas Pattan in Gujarat. Gentlmen from this community of Pathare Prabhu also held important position in the court of Yadava kings of Deogiri. After fall of Yadava dynasty at the hands of Alauddin Khilji
; members of Pathare Prabhu community decided to return under the stewardship of King Bimba to Mumbai region along with their Yajurvedi Brahmins where other families had already settled. During Pesewa rule of Maratha dynasty some difference appeared within the Pathare Prabhu landlords and the Pesewa. That made people of this community to go under the protection of Portuguese
and later on under East India Company
. Finally most of the families of this noble community settled in the islands of Mumbai for safekeeping under East India Company. They were no more Lords but still held large lands as landlords. Here again they held important positions such as judges and translators for the erstwhile British Raj
.
They were associated with Raja Bhimdev
who ruled over the islands of Mumbai and during British times, many members of this community were absorbed in the administrative and official departments of the British Government.
Members of this community built many landmarks of Mumbai such as, Mahalaxmi Temple
in central Mumbai, Bhau-cha-dhakka (Ferry Wharf), Gora Ram Mandir & Kala Ram Mandir at Thakurdwar, Prabhadevi Mandir at Dadar, Shri Ram Mandir at Kalbadevi, Kirtikar Market at Dadar.
The Pathare Prabhus are a few of the oldest residents of Mumbai.
Members of Pathare Prabhus community owned places in Mumbai
-India
, like Fort, Palav Road (present Girgaum Road), Laini (present Princess Street), Girgaon Back Road (present V. P. Road) & Navi Wadi. Likewise places in Malad, Goregaon, Bhayendar, Kashi-Meera, Uttan, Uran, Kelve Mahim (now Mahim), Chene were also owned by them. A major part of present day Khar is still owned by the Pathare Prabhus.
When the social reforms movement started in Bombay, in the mid nineteenth century, young literate Pathare Prabhus were part of the Paramhansa Sabha (present Prarthana Samaj
). In fact, for many years its officiating person was Shri Ramchandra Balkrishna Jaykar. Some other distinguished personalities are; the founder and president of the Townhall Asiatic library (first native general library of Bombay) was Shri Raobahadur, Narayan Dinanath Velkar, Magistrate Raobahadur Nana Moroji Trilokekar (first native Magistrate), Bhujangrao Mankar (father of Marathi & Gujarati shorthand) & Gajanan Bhaskar Vaidya (first Hindu Missionary), the list continues.
The typical Pathare Prabhus nickname is 'Sokaji', meaning, one who wants to enjoy life. The true nature of their richness comes from the way they preserve and carry out their traditions.
Clannish, traditional and religious, yet at the same time, preserving modern outlook.
Down the road form Siddhivinayak is the 285-year- old Prabhadevi
temple that lends its name to the locality. Built in 1715, this 18th century temple has a very interesting history behind it.
Approximately since 1848 the place where the temple stands today and the area behind it belonged to Shri Ramchandra Raghunathji Trilokekar. The northern corner of the temple contains a phallus shaped mound which is supposed to be the self-raised idol of the Maheshwaridevi.
The genesis of worship of mother-goddess can be traced to the remote past. The earliest extinct depiction of a group of Matrikas
(Divine mothers) in Indian sculpture may be pushed back safely to the Kushana period. This cult, however, became popular during the Gupta and subsequent periods.
Some of the prominent Pathare-Prabhus of recent time are:
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...
communities in the city of 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...
(formerly known as Bombay). These people are among earliest settlers in the city. They are known to have one of the oldest academic traditions amongst Hindus on par with Brahmins. They were amongst the first of the Hindus to adopt to British educational practice and be well educated in it. They never treated women badly but offered complete freedom, occasionally even sending them to study in foreign universities. They advocated widow re-marriage, an act considered a taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
in the orthodox Hindu society of those times and they were amongst the first in abolishing hunda (dowry) custom.
History
According to their own detailed chronicled lineage, they trace their descent much further back in Indian History from King Ashwapati (circa 700.B.C ) who was a monarch of Nepal and from the solar lineage of Lord Ram. Amongst Pathare Prabhu families, 12 families belong to solar line and 17 to lunar line. Solar from Lord Ashwapati and lunar from Lord Kamapati probably the king of Kamarup or present day Assam. PururavasPururavas
Pururavas was the first king of the Aila dynasty or the Somavamsha. According to the Vedas, he is a mythological entity associated with the Surya and Usha , and is believed to resided in the middle region of the cosmos. The Rig Veda states that he was a son of Ila and was a pious king...
being one of the prominent ancestors from the lunar side. And so this community has both solar and lunar lineages unlike other Kshatriya clan. As we see that both the kingships were close to each other, geographically intermarriages were possible amongst them and so eventually that became one community of royal lineage. The name of community 'Pathare Prabhu' probably derived from plateau of Nepal since plateau is called pathar in local terms. Lords of the plateau was the original name which changed to other ellipsis such as, Pattan Prabhu, Patara Prabhu, and Patharia Prabhu. However, they are not now in vogue any more.
A legend goes that Risi Bhrugu cursed lord Ashwapati because he did not take cognizance of the Risi during one religious ceremony and according to that the descendants of Ashwapati were to loose their kingship and shall be reduced to petty clerks in the Kaliyug. According to the legend Risi Bhrugu condemned his progeny to be called as Pattan Prabhu in place of Pathare Prabhu; Pattan means defeated . According to the records Pathare Prabhu rulers were at Ayodhya and from there they went to Paithan and from there to Konkan. These records show that the people of this community eventually spread across the country and settled in many kingdoms as nobles. It appears from the later history of this community that the curse came to be true. They began to loose their power as monarchs and gradually; were reduced to petty lords of small regions; many were accepting courtier-ship of other rulers. Having natural talent as administrators they were welcome as nobles in many dynasties to manage those kingdoms. At that, eventually they became nobles in the court of many rulers from other parts of India such as Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Yadavas of Deccan.
They inherited Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
/Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
aristocracy from the Pratihara dynesty where they worked as honorable nobles. From the regions of North India and Rajasthan, after the Turkic invasion and subduction of the Pratihara rulers around the 12th and 13th centuries AD, some families migrated to 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...
and other regions in Maharashtra via Prabhas Pattan in Gujarat. Gentlmen from this community of Pathare Prabhu also held important position in the court of Yadava kings of Deogiri. After fall of Yadava dynasty at the hands of Alauddin Khilji
Alauddin Khilji
Ali Gurshap Khan better known by his titular name as Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji was the second ruler of the Turko-Afghan Khilji dynasty in India.He was a well and capable ruler. He belonged to the Afghanized Turkic tribe of the Khiljis...
; members of Pathare Prabhu community decided to return under the stewardship of King Bimba to Mumbai region along with their Yajurvedi Brahmins where other families had already settled. During Pesewa rule of Maratha dynasty some difference appeared within the Pathare Prabhu landlords and the Pesewa. That made people of this community to go under the protection of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and later on under East India Company
East 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...
. Finally most of the families of this noble community settled in the islands of Mumbai for safekeeping under East India Company. They were no more Lords but still held large lands as landlords. Here again they held important positions such as judges and translators for the erstwhile British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
They were associated with Raja Bhimdev
Raja Bhimdev
Bhimdev II or Raja Bhimdev also known as Raja Bimba was a 11th century king who had his capital in Mahikawati, the present-day Mahim, in Mumbai, India....
who ruled over the islands of Mumbai and during British times, many members of this community were absorbed in the administrative and official departments of the British Government.
Members of this community built many landmarks of Mumbai such as, Mahalaxmi Temple
Mahalaxmi Temple
Mahalaxmi Temple is one of the most famous temples of Mumbai situated on Bhulabhai Desai Road. It is dedicated to Mahalakshmi the central deity of Devi Mahatmyam. There are three idols of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswthi...
in central Mumbai, Bhau-cha-dhakka (Ferry Wharf), Gora Ram Mandir & Kala Ram Mandir at Thakurdwar, Prabhadevi Mandir at Dadar, Shri Ram Mandir at Kalbadevi, Kirtikar Market at Dadar.
Culture
Pathare Prabhu are Known for their love for cuisine, arts, religion, education and philosophy. The population of this community is today dwindling in Mumbai due to strict adherence to family planning, however a non-conservative estimate of their numbers is around 7000.The Pathare Prabhus are a few of the oldest residents of Mumbai.
Members of Pathare Prabhus community owned places in 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...
-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...
, like Fort, Palav Road (present Girgaum Road), Laini (present Princess Street), Girgaon Back Road (present V. P. Road) & Navi Wadi. Likewise places in Malad, Goregaon, Bhayendar, Kashi-Meera, Uttan, Uran, Kelve Mahim (now Mahim), Chene were also owned by them. A major part of present day Khar is still owned by the Pathare Prabhus.
When the social reforms movement started in Bombay, in the mid nineteenth century, young literate Pathare Prabhus were part of the Paramhansa Sabha (present Prarthana Samaj
Prarthana Samaj
Prarthana Samaj, or "Prayer Society" in Sanskrit, was a movement for religious and social reform in Maharashtra based on earlier reform movements and traditions of Maharashtra formed in 1849 by Ram Balkrishna Jaykar and others in Mumbai. It was secret in order to avoid the wrath of the powerful...
). In fact, for many years its officiating person was Shri Ramchandra Balkrishna Jaykar. Some other distinguished personalities are; the founder and president of the Townhall Asiatic library (first native general library of Bombay) was Shri Raobahadur, Narayan Dinanath Velkar, Magistrate Raobahadur Nana Moroji Trilokekar (first native Magistrate), Bhujangrao Mankar (father of Marathi & Gujarati shorthand) & Gajanan Bhaskar Vaidya (first Hindu Missionary), the list continues.
The typical Pathare Prabhus nickname is 'Sokaji', meaning, one who wants to enjoy life. The true nature of their richness comes from the way they preserve and carry out their traditions.
Clannish, traditional and religious, yet at the same time, preserving modern outlook.
Prabha Devi (Shakhambari Devi) Temple
Prabha Devi RoadDown the road form Siddhivinayak is the 285-year- old Prabhadevi
Prabhadevi
Prabhadevi is a small up-scale district neighbourhood of Mumbai city, situated between the Shivaji Park Residential Zone to the north and Worli to the south and the Arabian Sea to the west...
temple that lends its name to the locality. Built in 1715, this 18th century temple has a very interesting history behind it.
Maheshwaridevi Temple (Family Goddess of the Mankars)
Navi-WadiApproximately since 1848 the place where the temple stands today and the area behind it belonged to Shri Ramchandra Raghunathji Trilokekar. The northern corner of the temple contains a phallus shaped mound which is supposed to be the self-raised idol of the Maheshwaridevi.
Maheshwaridevi Temple
RajasthanThe genesis of worship of mother-goddess can be traced to the remote past. The earliest extinct depiction of a group of Matrikas
Matrikas
Matrikas , also called Matara and Matris , are a group of Hindu goddesses who are always depicted together. Since they are usually depicted as a heptad, they are called Saptamatrikas : Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Maheshvari, Indrani, Kaumari, Varahi and Chamunda or Narasimhi...
(Divine mothers) in Indian sculpture may be pushed back safely to the Kushana period. This cult, however, became popular during the Gupta and subsequent periods.
Notable people
Some of the prominent Pathare-Prabhus of recent time are:
- Shreyas TalpadeShreyas Talpade-Early life:Talpade was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, in a Marathi family. He attended Shree Ram Welfare Society's High School in Andheri-West. He is married to Deepti Talpade. Shreyas met his wife Deepti when he went to her college as a celebrity...
- Mahesh KothareMahesh KothareMahesh Kothare is an actor, director and producer of Marathi and Hindi films. He has been working with Indian cinema since when he was small child. He acted as a child artist in well known movie Raja Aur Rank, Chhota Bhai, Mere Laal, Ghar Ghar ki Kahani...
- Nikhil DhurandharNikhil DhurandharDr. Nikhil V. Dhurandhar is a university professor who has published details about the adipogenic effect of the human adenovirus AD-36 or Adv36 on laboratory animals , and also its association with human obesity....
- Kunal VijaykarKunal VijaykarKunal Vijayakar is an Indian film actor, director, and television personality who hosts the food show The Foodie on Times Now and comedy-spoof show The Week That Wasn't on CNN IBN with Cyrus Broacha.-Career:...
(Shrikrishna Keshavrao)
List of Pathare Prabhu Last Names
| Ajinkya | Agaskar | Brahmandkar | Dalvi | Desai | ||||
| Dhurandhar | Gorakshakar | Jayakar | Kirtikar | Kothare | ||||
| Navalkar | Nayak | Prabhakar | Pradhan | Rane | Ranjit | |||
| Rao | Senjit | Talpade | Trilokekar | Vazkar | Dharadhar | Vaidya | Wassoodew | |
| Velkar | Vijayakar | Vyavaharkar | Zaoba | Mankar | Dhairyawan | Dharadhar | Wazkar | Zaoba |