Gayawal Brahmin

Gayawal Brahmins (also known as Brahma Kalpit Brahmins or Gayawal Pandas or Pandas of Gaya or Gayawal Tirth Purohits) are a Hindu Brahmin subcaste mainly from the Indian state of Bihar whose members follow the Dvaita philosophy propounded by Madhvacharya and are followers of Uttaradi Math.[1][2] The Gayawal are the main temple priests at the great pilgrimage center of Gaya.[3]

Among the sacred specialists of Gaya, they are the most specialized group of priests, who hold a traditional monopoly over the performance of shraddha rituals on the Ghats of Gaya.[4] The Gayawala thrive on the highest ladder of the caste hierarchy, and even the Brahmins of the highest rank worship their feet when they come to perform the shraddha ceremony of their fathers and forefathers.[5]

Etymology

The word "Gayawal" means "inhabitant of Gaya," but it is only used to denote a particular Gayawal Brahmin community.[6]

References
  1. A. M. Shah. The Structure of Indian Society: Then and Now. Routledge. p. 88. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  2. T. N. Madan (1992). Religion in India. Oxford University Press. A third religious leader who has had a tremendous influence on the Gayawal is Madhavacharya who flourished during the twelfth-century ad. The Gayawal caste as a whole is a follower of the Madhava Vaishnava sect, and, as we have noted earlier, the Madhva math is a living religious center that wields a powerful influence on Gayawal.
  3. A.R. Desai (1975). State and Society in India. Popular Prakashan. p. 438.
  4. Journal of Social Research, Volume 17. Council of Social and Cultural Research, Bihar. 1974. p. 3.
  5. A. Aiyappan; L. K. Bala Ratnam (1956). Society in India. Social Sciences Association. p. 228.
  6. Prasad, Narbadeshwar (1952). "The Gayawals of Bihar". American Anthropologist. 54 (2): 279. ISSN 0002-7294.


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