Goud Saraswat Brahmin

Goud (also spelt as Gaud or Gawd) Saraswat Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin community in India and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community. They are popularly referred to as GSBs. They are Konkani people and primarily speak Konkani as their mother tongue. They are the first Rigvedic Brahmins.

They claim their origin to the Brahmins who lived on the banks of the now-extinct river Saraswati of Pakistan Punjab or Kashmir. They derived their name from either the river Saraswati or from their spiritual leader, the sage Saraswat Muni(sage) who lived on the banks of Saraswati. These Brahmins were one of the Pancha Gawda Brahmin groups who lived north of the Vindhyas. They belonged to Smarta tradition and primarily worshiped the five deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha. Throughout the course of history, the Saraswat Brahmins have migrated to a variety of locations and are found mostly in Western coast of India.

Lord Parshurama with Saraswati Brahmin settlers commanding Lord Varuna to make the seas recede to make the Konkan Region.

Language

Goud Saraswat Brahmins primarily speak Konkani as their mother tongue. The Konkani they speak is slightly different from the Konkani spoken by other communities such as the Catholics, Navayaths, and Siddis. The Konkani spoken by Goan Saraswats, Karnataka Saraswats and Kerala Saraswats is also different. The Konkani spoken by Karnataka Saraswats has borrowed loan words from Kannada while the Konkani spoken by Kerala Saraswats has borrowed loan words from Malayalam. This was due to several centuries of domicile by the Saraswats in these areas.^{[citation needed]}

Divisions

Gauda Saraswat Brahmins are categorised by surname (indicating profession), gotra (lineage) or matha (spiritual guru).

Gotras

Every GSB belongs to a particular gotra, similar to a "clan". The gotras are named for noted Hindu sages or rishis, thus the gotra's name indicates what sage its members pertain to. Marriage within the same gotra is prohibited, which may be a method to avoid inbreeding.^{[citation needed]}

Mutts

Lord Shri Krishna (Kota Kashi Math)

• Shri Gaudapadacharya Math (Kavale, Ponda, Goa), Advaita school with Gaudapadacharya as Adi Guru
• Gokarna Partagali Jeevottam Mutt (Partagali-Cancona, Goa), Dvaita School with Madhva Sampradaya
• Sri Kashi Math (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh), Dvaita Sampradaya
• Sri Chitrapur Math (Shirali, Karnataka), Advaita School with Gaudapadacharya as Adi Guru
• Sri Dhaboli Math (Kudal, Maharastra), Advaita School with Shankaracharya as Adi Guru

Rituals

During the eighth month of pregnancy, a woman moves to her mother's house, especially during the birth of her first child. The expecting mother also performs Ganapathi Pooja for a successful delivery and a healthy child. On the 6th day, a pen and lamp are kept near the child's head, symbolic of a wish for an intelligent child. On the 12th day, the naming and cradling ceremony is performed wherein the paternal grandmother whispers the child's name into his/her ear and a horoscope is cast.^{[citation needed]} When the child turns three months old, they are taken to the temple, and thereafter the child goes to the father's abode.^[1]

Festivals

GSB's celebrate almost all festivals in Hinduism, and follow the Hindu lunar calendar (Panchang in Konkani) that gives the days on which the fasts and festivals should be observed.^[2]

Cuisine

Notables

See also

Gaud Saraswat Brahmin

• Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of Cochin
• List of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins

Other Saraswat Brahmin Community

• List of Goan Brahmin Communities
• List of Saraswats
• Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
• Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin

References

Further reading

• Suryanath U Kamath (1992). The origin and spread of Gauda Saraswats. 
• Venkataraya Narayan Kudva (1972). History of the Dakshinatya Saraswats. Samyukta Gauda Saraswata Sabha. 
• Ramachandra Shyama Nayak. Saraswath Sudha. 

External links

GSB websites

1. www.gsb.in
2. www.gsbkonkani.net
3. www.gsblagna.com

GSB Community

1. GSB - Kerala
2. GSB - Coimbatore
3. GSB - Mumbai
4. GSB - UK
5. GSB - UAE

GSB Organizations

1. GSB Seva Mandal - Mumbai
2. GSB Sarvajanic Ganesholsava Samiti - Mumbai
3. GSB Samaj Seva Sangh - Vasai, Thane (Dist.)