The Sundhi are a caste

Caste

Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 in the 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...

n States of Bihar

Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

, Jharkhand

Jharkhand

Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...

, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

, Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....

 and Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

. The word Sundhi is said to be derived from the Sanskrit Shaundik, a spirit-seller.

History

The caste has various genealogies with differing degrees of respectability, which trace their origin to unions between other castes born of Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

s, 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...

s, and Vaishya

Vaishya

Vaishya is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order. According to Vedic tradition, this caste primarily comprises merchants, farmers, cattle-herders and artisans.-Duties of Vaishyas:...

s due to the public service nature of their traditional profession. People from all walks of life would come and relax at the Sundhi's house to enjoy dance, music and cheap liquor. The art of making this intoxicant involved burying a pot full of grains and water in the ground.

Modern day Sundhi

Many modern day Sundhi are major alcohol distillers, while others are involved in the software and service industries as well as in government roles.

This caste is also found in the northeast districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...

 in Andra Pradesh where they are also known as Sondi and as Baniya or Sudi in the rest of India. They also live in some parts of West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

 and other parts of the country. In Bengal, there are more than six lakhs of Sundhi resident in western Bengal and Bihār as well as in Orissa.

The caste is divided into the Upper Sundhi (Dakshini Sundhi) and the Lower Sundhi (also known as Behera Sundhi, Gajabhatia Sundhior Kira Sundhi). Most of the Sundhis are well educated, particularly those from Andhra Pradesh and they form one of the wealthy sects of the upper coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, mostly found in the Srikakulam District (Ichapuram to Srikakulam). Some immigrants are seen in other places including Hyderabad where there are about 200 families distributed across many sectors of activity.

List of Surnames

The following are village names found in the northeast districts used as surnames. These village names are also used by other castes as surnames.

• Sahoo,(Kendrapara,Cuttack,Jagatsingpur)
• Bhagat
• Jaiswal
  Jaiswal
  Jaiswal or Jayswal or Jayaswal is a geographical title referring to Jayasnagar or Jassowal or Jaisalmer or Jaswal,_Pakistan or Jaswal Pani or Jaswan or Jais Province, shared by several communities in India including"* Jaiswal Brahmins...
  
  
• nalla
• Mandal (Mayurbhanj & Singhbhum of Orissa & Westbengal)
• Chowdhary
• Gupta
• Sah
• Saha
• Choudhary
• Gopaliya(Orissa)
• Gupta
• Ahluwalia & Walia
• Karnwal
• Mahawar'
• Lohiya
• Batham
• Kharidaha
• Vyahut
• Shoundik\Sundhi
• Pardesi Maratha kalar
• Shivhare
• Somvanshi
• Pareta
• Mewada
• Tak
• Porwal
• Purviya
• Suwalka
• Rai'
• Chouksey
• Dadsena
• Malviya
• Jain Jaiswal
• Jain Kalar
• Survanshi
• Daharwal
• Neorgade
• Shione
• Jaisar
• Sahu
• Nashine
• Pashine
• Khuble
• Patel
• Verma
• Gulhare
• Sugnadhi
• Aarya
• Tikkiwal
• Talwar'
• Lanjekar
• Chaurewar
• Diyewar
• Jamaiwar
• Adewar
• kawle
• Chauragade
• Bisane
• Duve
• Duvadhapar
• Dohare
• Bhoyar
• Bhoyare
• Dhuware
• Palewar
• Gangbhoj
• Dahake
• Dhapare or Dhapade
• Sewaiwar
• Nandhediya
• Mahapatra (Puri, khurda Orissa)
• Sahu
• Saw
• Sahoo (Kalahandi, Orissa)
• Bisoi (Koraput, Orissa)
• Parida (Koraput, Orissa)
• Pradhan (Koraput, Kandhamal, Orissa)
• Patra (Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj Orissa)
• Paridala (At Telikipenta, Rajupeta, Moolasavalapuram, Annampeta, Tekkali in srikakulam districts)
• Senapati (Srikakulam,Ravivalasa & Ranasthalam)
• Gajavilli (Subhalai)
• Kadambala (Karthalapalem,Sompeta Mdl.)
• Nandisha (Kalyan singpur, Parlakhemundi)
• Nemalipuri (Metturu,Kasibugga,Ranasthalam)
• Nallana (Telikipenta, Masundarapuram,Allada,kanchili,m.s.palli,sondipeta)
• Bangaru
• Mogulupuri (Yaragam)
• Pandava (Sompeta)
• Uttrakavata / Uttarala
• Sahukari (Kotha Palli,Santhabommali, Near Tekkali, Srikakulam District, AP)
• Kamsu
• Ratnala(Manchineella peta,V.Kotturu Mdl., Kasibugga, Nolluru,m.s.palli.kanchili)
• Labala
• Loya
• Nilagiri
• Teegala
• Tulala / Tulava
• Gajarao
• Sunnamudhi
• Behera (western orissa)
• Prasad
• Mahto
• BangaramBandi

in srikakuklam district sondipeta named village is there here we are able to see many number of sondi families