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| {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} | | {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} |
| {{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}} | | {{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}} |
| '''''Mahuri (माहुरी)''''' is a [[Hindu]] [[caste]] ([[jāti]]) under [[Vaishya]] [[varna (Hinduism)|varna]].
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| Mahuri are reported to have migrated from the city of [[Mansarovar, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] and surrounding rural locations to the then sub of [[Bengal]] under the [[Mughal Empire]]. As a faithful community, the Mahuri Vaishya community still continues to worship ''Mata Mathurasini Devi'', an incarnation of [[Shakti]], as their family deity.
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| == Mythology ==
| | '''Mahuri''' is a [[Hindu]] [[caste]] ([[jāti]]) and the community members of Mahuri caste are scattered across India with some pockets in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.<ref>{{Cite news |title=कोडरमा में 9 जुलाई को माहुरी समाज कराएगा सामूहिक विवाह,रिसेप्शन की भी व्यवस्था |url=https://hindi.news18.com/news/jharkhand/koderma-mass-marriage-will-be-organized-by-mahuri-samaj-on-9th-july-8408243.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240615021310/https://hindi.news18.com/news/jharkhand/koderma-mass-marriage-will-be-organized-by-mahuri-samaj-on-9th-july-8408243.html |archive-date=2024-06-15 |access-date=2026-03-11 |work=News18 हिंदी |language=hi-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-17 |title=नालंदा: माहुरी समाज को बरगलाने वाले हो जाएं होशियार |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/biharsharif/story-nalanda-deceive-mahuri-society-become-conscious-2318097.html |access-date=2026-03-11 |website=www.livehindustan.com |language=hi}}</ref> Mahuri are reported to have migrated from the city of [[Mansarovar, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] and surrounding rural locations to the then [[subah]] of [[Bengal]] under the [[Mughal Empire]]. As a faithful community, the Mahuri Vaishya community still continues to worship ''Mata Mathurasini Devi'', an incarnation of [[Shakti]], as their family deity.{{cn|date=October 2023}} A set of two wind musical instruments, called Jodi Mahuri, are performed by the community members during marriages as part of ''Mangal Badya''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Network |first=Post News |date=2018-08-07 |title=‘Jodi Mahuri’ may fall silent in the nursery of music - OrissaPOST |url=https://www.orissapost.com/jodi-mahuri-may-fall-silent-in-the-nursery-of-music/ |access-date=2026-03-11 |website=Odisha News, Odisha Latest news, Odisha Daily - OrissaPOST |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Himanshu |date=2025-09-29 |title=Sulha Bharani being played with Dhol, Nishan, Tasha and Mahuri during Maa Samaleshwari's Dussehra puja in Balangir, watch |url=https://kalingatv.com/features/sulha-bharani-being-played-with-dhol-nishan-tasha-and-mahuri-during-maa-samaleshwaris-dussehra-puja-in-balangir/ |access-date=2026-03-11 |website=KalingaTV |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-09-29 |title=Jeypore celebrates Dussehra with traditional tribal music |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/jeypore-celebrates-dussehra-with-traditional-tribal-music/articleshow/124217922.cms |access-date=2026-03-11 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> |
| In a part of the [[Bhagavata Purana]], which is named ''Sukha Sagar'' (that is, the Ocean of Bliss), there is a [[Hindu mythology|mythical]] story which states that [[Brahma]] felt that the [[Avatar]] (incarnation) of [[Krishna]] had already taken place on the earth ([[Prithvi]]). He dispatched an emissary to the Mathura region to ascertain the factual position. There the emissary found that Krishna was moving around with Gopas and [[Gopi]]s in and around [[Vrindavan]]. After some time, Krishna went somewhere, leaving the Gopas and Gopis alone for some time. During Krishna's absence, Brahma's emissary put all the Gopas and Gopis inside a cave and closed the opening of the cave. Upon his return, when Krishna found that all the Gopas and Gopis had disappeared, he, by his divine power, created duplicates of them and sent them to their respective homes.
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| After some time, the real Gopas and Gopis could come out of the cave, and when they reached their homes, they found their identical figures occupying the houses. Somehow, they evicted them from their houses. Now, the Gopas and Gopis created of Krishna's divine [[Maya (illusion)|maya]] came to him, and prayed for shelter. Krishna advised them to reside in the fourteen forest hamlets around Vrindavan and directed them that for livelihood they should engage themselves in trade and commerce.
| | The royal scions of Mahuri estate in Berhampur, Odisha visit the temple every year to perform a ritual during Mahuri Mahotsav.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patnaik |first=Sunil Mohan |date=2024-12-10 |title=‘Mahuri Mahotsav’ revives dying folk art forms of Ganjam |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/news/national/mahuri-mahotsav-revives-dying-folk-art-forms-of-ganjam-928469 |access-date=2026-03-11 |website=www.thehansindia.com |language=en}}</ref> Their ancestors built the Jagannath temple at Khaspa street in 1803. In 2018, Ashok Kumar Narendra Dev, son of Sishir Kumar Dev, the then king of Mahuri estate, performed the ritual of sweeping the chariot in July, a day before they were pulled by the devotees.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patnaik |first=Sunil |date=15 July 2018 |title=Royal scions perform Lord's ritual |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/odisha/royal-scions-perform-lord-s-ritual/cid/1418948 |access-date=11 March 2026 |website=The Telegraph}}</ref> |
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| It is believed by some of the Mahuri people that these Gopas and Gopis created by the divine Maya of Krishna are their ancestors, and Mahuri people derive their surnames, as described below, from the names of the forest hamlets where they had originally settled as directed by Krishna.
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| === Surnames === | |
| <!-- Do we actually need this bit of info here? Can we maybe push it off into the references at the end? With the rewrites, I'm pretty sure that it gets past copyvio, at least...>The following information is based on an article which appeared in the "Mahuri Mayank" of January 1999. The article was written in [[Hindi]] by Shri Prasad [[Lohani]] of Barbigha. A free flow translation in English is given below:<-->
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| The Mahuri Vaishya have 13 [[surnames]] ([[family names]]), each with a different [[gotra]].
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| It is believed that Lord [[Krishna]] advised the ancient ancestors of the Mahuri to engage themselves in trade and commerce—that is, to take up the ways of the [[Vaishya]]—in order to earn their livelihood. They settled in fourteen hamlets nestled in the forests of [[Vrindavana]] (now [[Vrindavan]]) around the ancient city of [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]], whence the name "Mahuri". The fourteen original Mahuri surnames or family names (referred to by modern Mahuri Vaishya as "khatas") are derived from the names of these forest hamlets.''''''
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| *'''Athghara (अठघरा)''' - "Athghara" khata is derived from "khelvan" which is believed to be the lila-ashali of Lord Krishan and Radha. A pond named "Mansarovar" was believed to be located in the "khelwan". "Chandra muni" is the gotra of Athghara.
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| *'''Bargawe (बड़गवे)''' - Bargawe derives their Khata from "bahulavana". Krishan-Kunda and temples of Baldeojee and Bahula cow are located here. The gotra of Bargawe is "Kanta muni".
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| *'''Barahpuriya (बरहपुरिया)''' - Barahpuriyas derive their khata from "madhuwan" where their ancestors used to reside. In this place, one king by the name of Brihat Sen is reported to have performed yagya under the priesthood of Shanta rishi. It is believed that the children performed Yagya. It is believed that "Barahpuriyas" are descendants of "baraha-sainis". The gotra of "Barahpuriya" is "vashista muni" gotra.
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| *'''Bhadani (भदानी)''' surname was acquired by the families who lived in the hamlet of'' Bhadrawana''. Bhadanis belong to Kusha Muni gotra. (This name is also used by some other social groups in the Indian Subcontinent, but often with a modified spelling - e.g. Badani.)
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| *'''Charanpahari (चरणपहाड़ी)''' - In Vrindavana area, there are 5 hillocks, [[Govardhan hill|Gowardhan]], Varasatu, Nandishawar, Charanpahari and Dushari Charanpahari. These small mountains gave the Khata "Charanpahari". The gotra of "charanpahari" is "Saravesh muni".
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| *'''Ekghara''' - From the "vatsha-vana", Lord Brahama is reported to have stolen some calves. Here, Gwal Mandol and Haribole's thirties are located. It is believed that "Ekghara" families used to reside in "vatsha-vana". "Chandra muni" is the gotra of "Ekghara".
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| *'''Kandhwe (कंधवे)''' Kandhwe is given to those families who lived in the hamlet of Kaamvana. Kandhwes belong to the gotra of [[Kashyapa|Kashyap muni]].
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| *[[Mahuri#/editor/2|Kapsime]] '''(कपसीमे)''' - Kapsime is derived from the "mudvan". Here, there is the shrine of prabhujee. The gotra of Kapsime is muni" and "Kapil muni"
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| *'''Kutariyar (कुटरियार)''' - Families residing in the "bhandeervana" acquired "Kutariyaar" khata. A well by the name "Bhandeer" is here. It is believed that this well appeared when the lord Krishan annihilated the demon "vatasha-ashur". "Sharan muni" is perhaps the gotra of "kutariyaar" Some people in this gotra also have their title as "Ram".
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| *'''Lohani (लोहानी)''' is given to families who lived in the hamlet of Lohawana (near the cave of the [[demon]] Lohasur). Lohani folks were initiated in the school of "kapila Muni" and accordingly their gotra is "kapil muni".
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| *'''Pawanchaudah (पवनचौदह)'''- The temple of "pawan mohan jee" is located in [[Mahavan]]. Families residing in this area derived the Khata "Pawanchaudah". The gotra of "Pawanchaudah" is "Surya muni".
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| *'''Seth (सेठ)''' - Those families who were residing in "viharvana" acquired the khata "seth". Presently, there stands a magnificent temple built by Jaipur King Shree Madawajee. "Kamal muni" is the gotra of "Seth" Khata.
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| *'''Tarwe''' '''(तरवे)''' is given to those families who lived in the hamlet of Talwan. Tarwes belong to "Vatasa muni" gotra. In the talwan, Shri Balaramjee is reported to have killed a demon by the name of 'Dhenuka-asur".
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| *'''Vaishkiyar (वैश्कियार)''' - Families residing in the "brihatvana" derived the khata "Vaishkiyar". This "brihatvana" was reportedly located on the eastern flank of "lohavana" where "Nimbakacharya" is believed to have appeared. "Vaishkiyar" belongs to "Bhardwaj muni" gotra.
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| *'''Aramram (आरामराम)'''
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| *
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| *'''Barbigahiya (बरबिगहिया)'''
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| ==History==
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| Although Mahuri people have been coming to places in the Suba of Bengal during the heyday of the Mughal Empire (around 500 years before) for trade and commerce, the large waves of migrations reportedly took place around 250 years before.{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}} Scores of families reached the place [[Bihar-E-Sharif]] located in the present day state of [[Bihar]], India. Over a period of several decades, the Mahuri Vaishya folks reached the [[hinterland]] of [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]] (or Chhota Nagpur) and got located in a number of villages.{{fact|date=April 2023}}
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| Before this, they had already settled in several fertile locations of the areas of the [[Magadha]]. Ultimately, the heritage city of [[Gaya, India|Gaya]], in several senses, emerged as the "capital city" of all the Mahuri Vaishya people.{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}} From the early 20th Century, several mahuri families migrated to the places located in the present day states of the [[West Bengal]] [[Jharkhand]] [[Chhattisgarh]] and [[Odisha]]. By the end of the last century, the dynamism of the Mahuri Vaishya took them to several parts of India, particularly to the metropolitan cities of [[Calcutta]], [[New Delhi]] and [[Mumbai]]. A number of them have also shed their traditional vocation of trade and commerce, and are engaged in a variety of other professions.{{fact|date=April 2023}}
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| ==See also== | | ==See also== |
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| * [[Vinodini Tarway]] | | * [[Vinodini Tarway]] |
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| == External links == | | == References == |
| * [http://www.mahuri.in Mahuri]
| | {{Reflist}} |
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| [[Category:Indian castes]] | | [[Category:Indian castes]] |
| [[Category:Bania communities]] | | [[Category:Bania communities]] |
| [[Category:Social groups of Bihar]] | | [[Category:Social groups of Bihar]] |
| [[Category:Social groups of India]]
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| [[Category:People from Mathura]] | | [[Category:People from Mathura]] |
Mahuri is a Hindu caste (jāti) and the community members of Mahuri caste are scattered across India with some pockets in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.[1][2] Mahuri are reported to have migrated from the city of Mathura and surrounding rural locations to the then subah of Bengal under the Mughal Empire. As a faithful community, the Mahuri Vaishya community still continues to worship Mata Mathurasini Devi, an incarnation of Shakti, as their family deity.[citation needed] A set of two wind musical instruments, called Jodi Mahuri, are performed by the community members during marriages as part of Mangal Badya.[3][4][5]
The royal scions of Mahuri estate in Berhampur, Odisha visit the temple every year to perform a ritual during Mahuri Mahotsav.[6] Their ancestors built the Jagannath temple at Khaspa street in 1803. In 2018, Ashok Kumar Narendra Dev, son of Sishir Kumar Dev, the then king of Mahuri estate, performed the ritual of sweeping the chariot in July, a day before they were pulled by the devotees.[7]
