Kamat
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Kamat (or Kamath) is a common surname amongst Hindus of the Konkan coast of India in the states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. They usually speak Konkani or Marathi. The word Kamat is believed to be derived from the name of the occupation. Kaamthi means landholder, cultivator or agriculturalist. Kaamthi is a contraction of Kama (work) + Maththi (soil). However, in modern times, the surname is no more linked to the profession.
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[edit] Variations
Kamat is used in Maharashtra, around Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka and Goa. Kamath is used around Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. Camotim was used in the erstwhile Portuguese held territories of Salcette and Bardez in Goa but has given way to Kamat today.
The variation, Kamat or Camotim is a common surname of non Brahmins in Konkani and Marathi speaking communities. The variation, Kamath, is a common surname of Gowd Saraswat Brahmins in Konkani speaking communities. The variation, Kamath, is believed to be derived from kaali maTTaachi which means people from Kali Math. The intelligence of the Kamaths is attributed to their ancestors, who spent time in the Math learning from the goddess Kali.
[edit] Prominent Kamat/Kamaths
- Late H. V. Kamath - Member of Parliament and the first Constituent Assembly of India
- M V Kamath - Veteran journalist & Chairperson of Prasar Bharati
- K. V. Kamath - MD and CEO of ICICI Bank and Forbes Asia Business of the Year 2007
- G. R. Kamat - Noted screenplay writer of Hindi and Marathi films, such as Mahal (Ashok Kumar), Kala Pani (Dev Anand), Mera Saaya (Sunil Dutt, Sadhana), Main Tulsi Tere Angan Ki (Nutan, Vinod Khanna), Pukar (Amitabh Bacchan), Baseraa (Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Rakhee)), Do Premee (Rishi Kapoor), Manchali (Sanjeev Kumar), Do Raaste (Rajesh Khanna), Pedgav che Shahane (Marathi film)
- Late Shri. Rangappa Kamat (Hotelier, founder of "Kamat Group of Hotels")
- Late Dr. K. L. Kamat (a Fullbright scholar, writer, and amateur photographer)
- Digamber Vasant Kamat - Chief Minister of Goa (2007 to date)
- Krishnanand Kamat - Renowned entymologist and a travel writer in Kannada
- Jyotsna Kamat - of Kamat's Potpouri.
