Dash (Oriya Surname)

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Dash is an Oriya brahmin surname who belong to the Kanyakubja caste. They are settled throughout Orissa and follow mainly the vaishnavite tradition of hinduism. A minority of oriya brahmins belonging to 'Dash' family surname sometimes use the shorter form 'Das'. The shorter surname 'Das', which is more commonly a non-brahmin surname, is quite common in Orissa and West Bengal. So all family surnames ending as Dash indicate brahmin ancestry in Orissa, while some Das could be of brahmin ancestry.

[edit] History

In 9th and 10th century CE.,the king of Orissa invited Brahmins of Kannauj (called Kanyakubja branch of Brahmins ¹ [[1]], [2]) to come and settle in Puri and Ganjam district and take care of spiritual activities, religious activities and as advisers to the King. The king offered them agricultural land, temple management, ministership. In Puri district 48 such Brahmin villages called 'Sasanas', 'Karabads' and 'Bisa' were established. These brahmins later migrated to various other parts of Orissa. Many Kanyakubja brahmins also migrated to the area corresponding to present day lower Bengal in 9th and 10th century CE [3].

[edit] The MamooDasa Brahmins of Kulada Sasan

A more austere family of rich and holistic Brahmins by the Surname of Dasa and referred to, as Mamoodasa (Mamudas) Brahmin family was invited to Orissa by the then king of Ganjam/Bhanjanagar (with capital at the princely state of Ghumsara), Shri Dhananjaya Bhanja (grandson of Kabisamrat Upendra Bhanja), thereby giving the name of Dhananjaypur to this new village of Mamoodasa Brahmins. (Multiple copper-plates with landed gifts and rights ordained to these priests by the Bhanja dynasty prove this fact). This family came to Orissa in 1840 A.D. They were the main priests and revered saints of the Kashi Viswanath Temple. It is widely accepted that the Mumudas name comes from the fact that Lord Shiva, the ruling deity of Kashi, is referred to as Mamoo (The Maternal Uncle) and the blessed noble priests serving the deity were his Dasa.

[edit] References

1. Torch Bearers of Vedic Traditions : Brahmin Sasan Villages in Orissa by Nityananda Patnaik. Vedam Books, New Delhi, Classical, 2002, ix, 227 p. ISBN 81-7054-346-0