Who are Saraswat Brahmins

The Saraswats are a sub-group of HinduBrahmins of India who trace their ancestry to the banks of the Rigvedic Sarasvati River. The Saraswat Brahmins are mentioned as one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities.

In Kalhana's Rajatarangini (12th century CE), the Saraswats are mentioned as one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities residing to the north of the Vindhyas.They were spread over a wide area in northern part of the Indian subcontinent. One group lived in coastal Sindh and Gujarat, this group migrated to Bombay State after the partition of India in 1947. One group was found in pre-partition Punjab and Kashmir most of these migrated away from Pakistan after 1947. Another branch known as Dakshinatraya Saraswat Brahmin are now found along the western coast of India.

Social status

Kashmir

According to M. K. Kaw (2001), Kashmiri Pandits, a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community hold the highest social status in Kashmir.

Maharashtra

Historically, in Maharashtra, Saraswats had served as low and medium level administrators under the Deccan Sultanatesfor generations. In 18th century, the quasi-independent Shinde and the Holkar rulers of Malwa recruited Saraswats to fill their respective administrative positions.This made them wealthy holder of rights both in Maharashtra and Malwa during the eighteenth century. During the same period in Peshwa ruled areas, there was a continuation of filling of small number of administration post by the Saraswats.In Maharashtra, till the rise of Peshwas, the Chitpavans held low social status and other Brahmins refused to dine with them however during the rule of the Chitpavan Brahmin Peshwas in the 18th century, Saraswat Brahmins was one of the communities against whom the Chitpavans conducted a social war which led to Gramanya (inter-caste dispute).

After the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule in 1961, many Goan Saraswats opposed merger of Goa into Maharashtra.

Diet

Konkan and Goa

In Goa, the Saraswat Brahmins have fish as a part of their diet. The Saraswat Brahmins of the Konkan region also eat fish.

Karnataka

In coastal districts of Karnataka, Gaud Saraswats are the Madhva Vaishnavite Saraswat Brahmins, followers of Madhvacharya, while the Saraswats are Smarthas, followers of Shankaracharya. They are largely vegetarians.

Others

Saraswat Brahmins from northern and eastern India also include fish in their diet.

Marriages

The Saraswat Brahmins are divided into various territorial endogamous groups, who at one time did not intermarry.  According to the sociologist, Gopa Sabharwal (2006),marriages between Saraswat and non-Saraswat Brahmins are on the increase though they were unheard of before, mainly because the Saraswats eat fish and occasionally meat, while all other Brahmins in that region are vegetarians.