Vaishya Vani
Encyclopedia
Vaishya Vani is a trader/merchant community hailing from the western coast of India, residing in the Konkan
division of Maharashtra
, Goa
,some parts of coastal and central Karnataka
, and Kerala
. This community commonly known as Vanis (वाणी) and sometimes Kudali Vanis (कुडाळी वाणी). They speak dialects of Marathi
and Konkani.
period. They are traditionally traders and commercial communities, though the Vaisya community in Goa is relatively small in comparison to other states in India. They are concentrated in urban areas, especially Mapusa
, Ponda, Margao
towns in Goa, Karwar
in Karnataka and throughout the Konkan coast.
They are non-vegetarian but abstain from eating pork and beef.
Marriage rites are akin to those of other Hindu
communities,following the Hindu Samskaras.
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
division 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...
, 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...
,some parts of coastal and central 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 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....
. This community commonly known as Vanis (वाणी) and sometimes Kudali Vanis (कुडाळी वाणी). They speak dialects of 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...
and Konkani.
Culture
The Vaisya/Vani community, the third highest in the classical varna system, is a single endogamous group of Kudali Vanis in Goa who later migrated to other states during InquisitionGoa Inquisition
The Goa Inquisition was the office of the Inquisition acting in the Indian state of Goa and the rest of the Portuguese empire in Asia. It was established in 1560, briefly suppressed from 1774–1778, and finally abolished in 1812. The Goan Inquisition is considered a blot on the history of...
period. They are traditionally traders and commercial communities, though the Vaisya community in Goa is relatively small in comparison to other states in India. They are concentrated in urban areas, especially Mapusa
Mapusa
Mapusa also spelt at Mapuca, Mhapsa or Mapsa is a town in North Goa, India. It is situated 13 km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai to Trivandrum...
, Ponda, Margao
Margao
Margao and commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.- Etymology :...
towns in Goa, 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...
in Karnataka and throughout the Konkan coast.
They are non-vegetarian but abstain from eating pork and beef.
Marriage rites are akin to those of 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...
communities,following the Hindu Samskaras.
Classification
- They are divided into 37 Gotras like Bharadwaj, Saunatya, Mahendra, Panika, Gautam, Chanaksha, Vishnuvardhan, etc.
- They bear surnames like Khadye,Alve, Ardekar, Banare, Bidaye, Bobhate, Dhamnaskar, Govekar, Taishete, Kanekar, Nagvekar, Kamerkar, Kanade, Korgaonkar, Kesarkar, Padte, Berde, Bandekar, Gavandalkar, Teli,,Narvekar, Narkar, Khalap, Mejari, Redij, Sadadekar, Damodare,Gangan,shirodkar, Khatu, Lad,Munj, etc.
- They worship deities like Mahalakshmi, Shri Ekviradevi, Shantadurga, Chamundeshwari, Bhagaveshwar, Kelbai, Kanakeshwari, etc. as their KuldevtaKuldevtaKuladevata 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...
s. - Major subgroups by geography are Thanekar Vaishya around Thane, Raigad district, Sangameshwari Vaishya in Ratnagiri District, Patnastha Vaishya Vani (a small group around Kharepantan taluka between Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg District), Kudale Vaishya Vani from Sindhudurg District, Karwar Vaishya Vani from Uttar Kannada District. Further Konkani-speaking Goamantak Vaishya Vani samaj. Konkani- and Kannada-speaking Vaishya Vani samaj in Karnataka form Goa border up to Karwar. Small communities bordering Konkan Belt in Kolhapur District and in Belgaum..
- Maharastra Government has withdrawn OBC status for the caste by GR on 19th July 2011 Link to GR.
External links
- Vaishya Vani online
- Haldipur Math Online
- http://www.kvvs.org/
- http://www.moothan.com/