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| c. 510,000 (1997 IMA), although the actual number could be double this figure or even more. | ||||||
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Sourashtra or "Sourashtras" refers to a community of people who speak the Saurashtra language. They had their original homes in Gujarat and migrated to Madurai and other places of Tamil Nadu. The origin of the name date backs to the time when the ancestors of theses people inhabited the kingdom of Sourashtra in Gujarat State.[1] The Tamil name by which these people is known in Southern India is Patnūlkarar, that is silk-thread workers or weavers who speak "Pattunuli" or "Khatri", a dialect of Gujarati.[2] The details about Sourashtra community is discussed by A.J. Saunders.[3]The Bhagavata calls the Abhiras as Saurastra.The Bhagavata calls the Abhiras as saurastra and Avantyas rulers (saurastra-avantya-abhira) and the Vishnu treats the Abhiras as occupying the saurastra and Avantil provinces.[4][5]
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The speakers of the Saurashtra language, known as Saurashtrians, maintain a predominant presence in Madurai, a city, also known as 'Temple City' in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Though official figures are hard to come by, it is believed that the Saurashtra population is anywhere between one-fourth and one-fifth of the city's total population. They are also present in significant numbers in Dindigul, Periyakulam, Paramakudi, Erode, Palani, kancheepuram, Rajapalayam, Nilakottai, Salem, Namakkal, Singapore, Chennai, Trichy, Pudukkottai, Kumbakonam, Thiruvarur, Ayyampettai, Ammapettai,Dharasuram,Thirubhuvanam,Ammayappan, Walaja, Arni, Tiruvannamalai, Palayamkottai, Krishnapuram, Veeravanalur,Vellanguli Tirunelveli,kanniya kumari and Kottar in Nagercoil. Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is said to house several Saurashtrian families, known as Pattusali or Saurastrian Brahmins.
There are three group of migrants living Tamil Nadu. First migrants came to Salem Second migrant group settled Tanjore and surrounding places and third later migrants settled Madurai and surrounding places.
The noted Tamil playback and devotional music singer, T.M. Soundararajan, cited his Saurashtrian roots and upbringing for his mellifluous enunciation and rendition of Tamil music on a Television interview in the 1990s.
Most Saurashtras that live in the U.S.A. live in places with high Indian populations. There is a very small population for Saurashtra-Americans compared to the population for the rest of the Indian-Americans.
Saurashtra people speak the Saurashtra language.