Gramanya

Gramanya (Devanagari:ग्रामण्य,Grāmaṇya) refers to a dispute or discussion related to castes in Maharashtra in the past few centuries that related to supposed violation of the Brahmanical ritual code of behavior.

Overview

Gramanya is a crystallisation of conflicts between two castes of individuals belonging to the same caste, and the same group, about observance of certain religious practices vis-a-vis, other members of the society or of the particular caste group. There are two types of Gramanyas inter-caste, and intra-caste. Records mention that Gramanyas took place in Maharashtra in late 18th and 19th century and various castes were involved in many disputes. There are also recorded instances of Gramanyas between Saraswats and the Chitpawans, Karhades and the Chitpawans, CKPs and the Chitpawans, Pathare Prabhus and the Chitpawans and the Shukla Yujurvedi Deshastha Brahmins and the Chitpawans. The intra-caste disputes involved the supposed violation of the Brahmanical ritual code of behavior. The disputes between Daivadnya Brahmins and Chitpawans as well as the Deshasthas happened during 19th century. The disputes between the Marathas and Maharashtrian Brahmins like Deshasthas and Chitpawans happened in and 19th and 20th centuries. Many Brahmins who were following the priesthood, considered the Marathas as Shudra and denied to perform Vedic rituals for them. All such disputes between castes were become common in Maharashtra at that time. Verdicts of Gramanyas were given by arbitrators(religious councils or religious leaders) that decided the ritual status of the caste.

Further reading

• Thākare, Keśava Sitārāma (1919) (in Marāṭhī), Grāmaṇyācā sādyanta itihāsa arthāta nokarśāhīce banḍa, Mumbai