Karhade Brahmin

Karhade Brahmins (Karhádé Bráhmeņ) form the smallest of the four major sub-castes of Maharashtrian Brahmins, the other three being Deshastha Brahmins, Saraswat Brahmins and Konkanastha Brahmins. The word Karhade is perhaps derived from Karhatak, an ancient region in India that included present day south Maharashtra and northern Karnataka.

Karada Brahmins from Tulu Nadu and regions around Kasargod in present day Kerala share customs and traditions with Kerala Brahmins, however speak a form of old Marathi heavily influenced by local Dravidian languages.

Most Karhade Brahmins live in Maharashtra and Karnataka, though a significant population exists in Madhya Pradesh. A southern branch of the Karhade Brahmins settled around the Kasargod region of the Malabar coast and they are called the Karada Brahmins and share their traditions with Kerala Brahmins and the Brahmins of Dakshina Kannada.

Like a majority of Brahmins, Karhades are Smartists and followers of the Advaita school of philosophy. They are essentially Rigvedi Brahmins and follow the Ashwalayana Sutra.

Famous Karhade Brahmins include Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, a prominent figure in India's first war of independence, Vasudevanand Saraswati also called Tembe Maharaj, a Hindu seer, and Balshastri Jambhekar, who started Darpan, the country's first bilingual newspaper. Marathi business families like the Kirloskar, Pendharkar, Sandu, Shembekar, Talwalkar, Navre belong to this Brahmin subgroup.

Population

In 1931, the population of Karhades in Ratnagiri, Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Satara, Solapur, Ahmednagar, Nasik, Khandesh was 22,997. This is the only concrete data available from the book "Karhade Brahmanancha itihas" by Late V. V. Athalye (Page 37).

In 1931, the population of India was 278,977,238. In 2001 it was 1,028,737,436. Proportionately, Karhades work out to 84,802.

Karhades are present in MP, Gujarat, UP, Karnataka, Kerala and other cities also. Counting them should increase the number by 25% to 106,002. That is about 0.01% of India.

There is no metric to measure contribution to society. Considering this miniscule population however, contribution of Karhade Brahmins is amazing.

Note: The Indian population is taken from Indian government's Census website. Though the website does not specify, I am assuming that the 1931 data on the site relates to that part of undivided Bharat which is today India. This is an important assumption, made to compare with the 2001 census.

Karhade Surnames (Maharashtra, Goa, Gokarna)

• Abhisheki Aβišéki
• Acharya
• Adhye ÁÞjé
• Agte Ágaté
• Alavani
• Ambardekar
• Ambekar
• Ambetkar
• Ambilkar
• Amshekar
• Arde
• Ardey
• Athaley
• Athalye also Athale Áťeljé
• Bakare
• Bakre Baak-ray
• Bawkar
• Bhadbhade βedβedé
• Bhadkamkar
• Bhagwat Also in Deshastha Rigvedi, Kokanastha and Anavil
• Bhat Also in Kashmiri Pandit and Kokanastha
• Bhate
• Bhatavdekar βátewedéker
• Bhopatkar
• Biniwale Also in Deshastha Rigvedi
• Borker βorker Also in Gaud Saraswat (Shenvi) Brahmin tribes
• Bondre " Also in Maratha "
• Chandorkar Cánđorker
• Chirmule or Chirmulay or Chirmuley
• Chinchalkar
• Chunekar
• Dakshindas Đexinđás
• Dengwekar also Degwekar Dégewéker
• Deo Déo Also in Deshastha Rigvedi
• Deolalikar
• Deoskar Déosker
• Deosthali/Devasthali
• Desai (Originally Thakurdesai) Also in Gaud Saraswat, Anavil Brahmins
• Dhakras
• Dhamankar Ďámenker
• Dhavale
• Dhavalikar
• Dhopeshwarkar
• Dike Diké
• Dingankar Dingenker
• Dixit
• Dongre
• Dravid Đrewid
• Gaganagras Gegenágrás
• Galkar
• Garde
• Ghate
• Gujr Also Varis/Sri Vaishnavas
• Ghone
• Ghugre
• Golwalkar
• Govilkar Gowílker
• Gune
• Gurjar Gurzer
• Gurjarpadhye
• Halbe Hálbé
• Halgho Helĝo Also Kashmiri Pandit and Dogra Brahmin tribes
• Hardikar Herdiker
• Harshe Hershé
• Harshe Herszé
• Herlekar
• Herlekar
• Hirlekar Hirléker
• Honkan
• Jambhekar
• Jamenis Also Deshstha Rigvedi
• Janvekar
• Jathar
• Joshi also in deshastha rugvedi n kokanastha brahmin
• Jayade
• Javdekar Żáwedéker
• Juvekar Żuwéker
• Kajale
• Kajrekar
• Kalele
• Kanetkar (But Kanitkar is a Kokanastha surname)
• Karambelkar
• Karkare
• Karkare
• Karkhanis Also in Kayastha Prabhu
• Karmbelkar
• Kashalikar
• Kashalkar
• Kashelkar Kešélker
• Kashikar
• Katdare
• Katre
• Khandekar Ķándeker
• Khandkar
• Khanwalker Ķhánwalkar
• Khedekar
• Kher Ķér Also in Pahadi and Dogra Brahmins
• Kibe
• Kinjavdekar Kinzewedéker
• Kirane
• Kirkire
• Kirloskar Kirlosker- from the Kirloskar Group, one of the top 10 industrial groups in India
• Kirtane
• Kulkarni
• Kotibhaskar
• Kuran Also in other Havyaka and Madhwa Brahmins
• Kuvalekar/ kuwalekar
• Laghate laghate
• Lagwankar Lágwenker
• Lokras
• Luktuke
• Mahajani
• Máínkar
• Mandke
• Mandpe
• Manerikar
• Mávlaņkar
• Mnulye Muļjé
• Moghe
• Nafade
• Nafde
• Nakhare
• Nanal Nánel
• Naniwadekar Nániwedéker
• Natekar Náteker
• Navilekar Navileker
• Navare Neweré
• Nawathe Also Nawathye and Navathe
• Nigudkar
• Nulkar
• Padalkar
• Padhye Páđjé
• Palekar
• Palsule
• Palvankar
• Pandit
• Pangarkar Also in Deshastha Rigvedi
• Panshikar
• Paradkar
• Parandekar
• Patki
• Patwardhan
• Patwardhan Also in Kokanastha
• Pendharkar
• Phadnis Also Kayastha Prabhu
• Phalnikar
• Phansalkar Fenseļker
• Pitre
• Prabhudesai Praβuðésáí Also in Gaud Saraswat Brahmins
• Prabhune
• Puntambekar Also Deshstha Rigvedi
• Puranik Also in Deshastha
• Purohit Also Deshastha Rigvedi, Sharayuparin and Anavil
• Raykar
• Riswadkar
• Sabnis
• Sadhale
• Sahakari
• Sapre
• Sapre
• Sardesai Serðésáí
• Sardeshpande
• Sarpotdar
• Sarvate
• Satavlekar
• Sawkar
• Shahane Šaháņé
• Shejwalkar
• Shembekar
• Shenolikar
• Shevade
• Shrikhande Šriķandé
• Szanwalju Also in Kashmiri Pandit and Dogra Brahmins
• Talwalkar
• Tambe
• Tatkar
• Tatke
• Tembe also Tembye
• Thakur (Originally Thakurdesai)
• Thakurdesai Also in Gaud Saraswat (Shenvi)
• Tikekar
• Tole or Toley or Tolye
• Upadhye
• Wadekar
• Wakankar
• Walame
• Mánerikar
• Moghe Moğé
• Patil Also found in many other tribes in the Deccan

Karada Surnames (Dakshina Kannada, Udipi, Kodagu, Kasargode, Malabar)

• Sharma Šermá
• Sasthry also Shastri Šásţri
• Bhat βatt
• Mishra Mišre
• Garde
• Mundle

Notable inhabitants

• Lata Mangeshkar, a Hindi singer
• T S Shejwalkar, a historian
• Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi (Born to Moropanth Tambe)
• Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, classical and Natya-sangeet singer
• Durga Bhagwat, scholar and critic of Indological studies
• Dr. Jayant Narlikar, astronomer, astrophysicist
• Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar, classical singer
• Nikhil Kanetkar, badminton player
• Shruti Kurien-Kanetkar, badminton player
• Prabhakar Panshikar, Marathi stage actor
• Rima Lagoo, Hindi & Marathi actress
• Ashutosh Gowariker, film director and producer

See Also

• Varnas
• Brahmanism
• Brahmin communities
• Forward Castes

External Links

• The Karhaadaa

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