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Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Bengali, Nepali, Rangpuri, Angika; [3][4] |
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The Kandu are a Hindu caste in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They traditionally provided parched grains and are one of the Bania castes in the Vaishya Varna. In Bihar, Kandu often use Gupta as a surname.[6] Kandu living in Nepal are also called Kanu (Nepali: कानू). Saints from this community include Sant Paltu Prasad from Nagpurjalalpur (near Ayodhya), who composed the Bhajnavali (Book of Devotion.)
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The Kandu caste has sub-castes Madhesia, Maghaiya, Bantaria, Kanaujia, Gour, Koranch, Dhuria, Rawani, Ballamitra, and Thathera (distinct from the Thathera caste). In Bihar state, Kandus are found in Samastipur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Patna and Bhojpur districts. [7] In Nepal they are found in the Terai from Jhapa district in the southeast corner west to Banke as well as in Kathmandu.[8]
The community is endogamous but practices village and clan exogamy. They have abandoned their traditional occupation of grain parching. Now they are mainly traders, village shop keepers and money lenders in villages. Urban Kandu follow various other occupations. Their traditions are similar to other Banias in Bihar.[9]