Kharwa caste

2021-11-14T03:14:15Z

2607:9880:2148:11F:A0CF:2B66:C943:FDF4:

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
[[File:Lord Dariyalal-- Dariyalal Temple, Mandvi 2014-03-15 15-32.jpg|thumb|Dariyalal Temple, [[Mandvi]]]]
'''Kharwa,''' or '''Kharva''', ([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]: [[ISO 15919]]: ''Khārvā'') are a [[Jāti|jati]] from [[Gujarat]], India.<ref>People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Two edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 652-657</ref>

==History==
The Kharva community is distributed throughout the coastal areas of Saurashtra and in Mandvi, Mundra, and Ghandhidham, which are Kutch's Coastal region. It is believed that the Kharwa originated from Rajasthan and migrated to the coast during the tenth century, where they took up fishing as well, and imported and exported goods on ships. They are a royal family in Rajput . They are descendants of '''Pruthviraj Chauhan'''. There are two castes in kharva, mainly raghuvanshi and suryavanshi. Raghuvanshi kharvas are the one who washed Lord Ram's feet before letting him sit in his boat before crossing the river .

It has been said that Kharva caste comes under a Rajputana Community . In the early ages of the caste It's said that the people of Kharva caste were Landlords and Guarantors .<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zims-en.kiwix.campusafrica.gos.orange.com/wikipedia_en_all_nopic/A/Kharwa_caste|title=Kharwa caste}}</ref>

The Kharwa community is distributed throughout the coastal areas of [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] and [[Kutch district|Kutch]]. Some Kharwas from Diu also migrated to [[Indians in Mozambique|Mozambique]] and later from there to [[Indians in Portugal|Lisbon]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Roxo |first=Pedro |date=2018 |title=Hindu ''Jati'' (Castes) from Diu Island and the Reproduction of Religious Expressive Culture in the Hindu-Gujarati Diaspora in Mozambique and in Portugal: The ''Kathiyawadi Bhajan'' |journal=[[South Asian Studies]] |doi=10.1080/02666030.2018.1440061 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=57–69|s2cid=194999206 }}</ref> The [[Maratha Empire]] recruited Kharwas along with [[Bhandari (caste)|Bhandaris]] and [[Koli people|Kolis]] in large numbers for their [[Maratha Navy|navy]] in the mid-1600s. Kharwas were skilled fishermen and seamen who had experience on the seas having traveled to places as far away as Aden, Zanzibar and Singapore. They were also experienced with building ships.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pendse|first=Sachin|title=The Sea in History - The Early Modern World|publisher=[[Boydell and Brewer]]|year=|isbn=9781783271603|editor-last=Buchet|editor-first=Christian|location=|pages=635–48|chapter=Maratha Sea Power|editor-last2=Le Bouëdec|editor-first2=Gérard}}</ref>

== Society and culture ==
Cross-cousin marriage is practised amongst the Kharwas shows they were of [[Dravidian]] origin in ancient times.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Karve|first=I.|date=1943|title=KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY AND KINSHIP USAGES IN GUJARĀT AND KATHIĀWĀD|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42929317|journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute|volume=4|issue=3|pages=208–226|jstor=42929317|issn=0045-9801}}</ref>

== Religion ==

=== Beliefs and practices ===
Kharwas are [[Hindu]] and worship various forms of [[Devi]], including [[Ambika (goddess)|Ambaji]], [[Bhadrakali]], [[Bahuchara Mata|Bahuchara]] and [[Chamunda]] in Porbandar. Other ''Mātās'' worshiped include ''Samudrī, [[Harsidhhi|Sikotarī]]'' and ''[[Hinglaj Mata mandir|Hinglāj]].'' In Kutch ''Khojī, Dilvadī, Mamai, Padmani, Poravel'' and ''Veravani'' ''Mātās'' are also worshiped. [[Jhulelal (Hinduism)|Dariyalal]] is another important deity worshipped by Kharwas and other seafaring communities, including Muslim communities. The Kharwas of [[Mandvi]] tend to be [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavs]], while those of Somnath and Veraval are [[Shaivism|Shaivites]].{{Sfn|Varadarajan|1983|p=5-8}}

=== Festivals ===
Like other marine communities, Kharwas celebrate the opening of the seafaring season, after the passage of the Monsoon on [[Coconut day|Narial Purnima]] which falls on the full moon in the month of [[Shraavana|Śravaṇ]]. Various offerings, including flowers, coconuts and incense sticks are offered to the deity of the sea, [[Samudra]]. Shravan Purnnima is celebrated with [[Shiva]], [[Varuna]], [[Maruts|Marut]], [[Parjanya]] and ''Ratnākar'' are worshiped, with Ganesha to remove any obstacles from their upcoming journeys into the sea. On Bhadravi Amavasya, a fair is held to propitiate Shiva. A lingam is installed along the coast and as the water level rises around it, it is believed that the spirit of Samudra has entered. Another fair is held on the birthday of Dariyalal on the second day of [[Chaitra]], where sweet rice is eaten as [[Prasāda|prasad]]. {{Sfn|Varadarajan|1983|p=5-8}}

==Present circumstances==
Importing and exporting goods by ship remains the traditional occupation of the community. They trade in many countries, including Oman, U.A.E, Somalia, and also other parts of Africa. Many Kharwa now have their own ships for exporting goods and have set up different cooperative societies.

==References==
{{reflist}}

=== Sources ===

* {{Cite journal|last=Varadarajan|first=Lotika|date=1983|title=Indian Seafaring: The Precept and Reality of Kalivarjya|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/41562422|journal=[[Australian Association for Maritime History|The Great Circle]]|volume=5|issue=1|pages=1–12|jstor=41562422|via=JSTOR}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kharwa (Caste)}}
[[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian castes]]

Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Kharwa caste