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Nagar Brahmin
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| Nagar Brahmins | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Nagar Brahmins in Western India (c. 1855-1862) | |
| Religions | Hinduism |
| Languages | Gujarati, Hindi, English |
| Country | India |
| Populated states | Gujarat, Rajasthan |
| Region | North West India |
| Ethnicity | Indian |
The Nagar Brahmin are a Hindu Brahmin caste of India. They are among the most ancient of all Brahmin communities. They are primarily found in Gujarat but have a history of migration to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, in the north and central, Maharashtra and Karnataka further west and into the south, and as far as West Bengal in the east. In North India, the Bias Brahmin community includes Nagar Brahmins and two other Brahmin groups from Gujarat: the Audichya Brahmins and the Bardai Brahmins. Many modern day Nagar families are settled outside of India in the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia.
Historians claim the origin of Nagars to be purely Aryan, having come to India from Southern Europe and Central Asia. They migrated through the Hindu Kush to the Kashmir valley and made their way down to Kurukshetra and later to Western India.
It is also believed that before Nagars first came to Gujarat in 404 A.D., they lived in Sindh. Historians assert that Nagar Brahmins originated from Greece, Macedonia, Syria or regions surrounding these places. According to Somerset Pain, they are of Turkish-Syrian descent. According to Sir Herber Ridley, Nagar Brahmins are Indo-Scythians. Another historian claims that they originated from the ancient Nagar community of Iran.
In Gujarat, the Nagar community laid down its roots in the ancient town of Vadnagar in the Mehsana district of North Gujarat. As time passed, the city of Vadnagar was invaded on more than one occasion. Invasions led to Nagar families seeking refuge in the adjacent areas of Saurashtra and Rajasthan.
Nagars predominantly worship Lord Shiva in the form of the deity Shree Hatkeshwar Mahadev. The oldest account of the Nagars is given in the Nagara Khanda, a part of the Skanda Purana a Hindu religious text. They are known to have a strong work ethic and are often leaders, whether politically, intellectually, spiritually or socially. Many Nagar families were chieftains of princely states, notably in two in Gujarati peninsula Kathiawar's Sorath prant : Kuba State and Vasavad. Many were awarded titles from Rajput and Muslim rulers.