View source for Brahman-Kasta: Deccan

=Brahman-Kasta=
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This article is an extract from <br/>

THE CASTES AND TRIBES <br/>

OF <br/>

H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS <br/>

BY <br/>

SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN <br/>

Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and <br/>

Middle Temple, London. <br/>

One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court <br/>

of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. <br/>

BOMBAY <br/>

THE TlMES PRESS <br/>

1920<br/>
*****<br/>
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[[Category:India|B]]
[[Category:Communities|B]]

The Kasta Brahmans are found in very few numbers in the Dis- 
tricts of Bir and Parbhani. They call themselves Katyayani Shakhi 
Brahmans and trace their origin to Katyayan, the eldest son of the 
sage Yadnyawalkya and his wife Katya. They are dark in com- 
plexion, well-built in frame and look like Deshastha Brahmans in 
appearance. They are looked down upon by the Deshastha Brahmans 
and are not allowed to the communion of food. 

The origin of this sub-caste is involved in obscurity. They are 
the Shukla Yajurvedis of the Madhyandin Shakha and have the six 
gotras mentioned below : — 
[[File: gotra.PNG ||frame|500px]]
Intermarriages between members of the same gotra and the same 
pravara are forbidden. They marry their girls as infants and conduct 
the ceremony on the same lines as the Deshastha Brahmans. Their 
tutelary deities are Bhavani of Tuljapur, Khandoba of Ambadgaon, 
near Paithan, and Shri Vyankatesh. They worship all the gods of 
the Hindu pantheon. Some of them are Shaktas. By profession 
they are priests, money-lenders, money-changers and shop-keepers.