Saraswat Brahmins are Hindu Brahmins, who are spread over widely separated regions spanning from Kashmir in North India to Konkan in West India to Kanara and Kerala in South India. The word Saraswat is derived from the Rigvedic Sarasvati River. Most of Sarswat Brahmins are on Rajasthan north side, Haryana south side and most places on Punjab.
Shirali is a village in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. Shirali is home to two prominent temples: the Chitrapur Math and the Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya Temple. The Chitrapur Math is the holiest temple of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community, and the Maha Ganapathi Mahammaya temple is the Kuladev to the Kamaths, Bhats, Puraniks, Prabhus, Joishys, Mallyas, Kudvas and Nayak families from the Goud Saraswat Brahmin community.
Chitrapur Saraswats are a small Konkani-speaking community of Hindu Brahmins in India. They are traditionally found along the Kanara coast and call themselves Bhanaps in the Konkani language.
Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd) are a Hindu Brahmin community of the north. The Konkani speaking Gaud Saraswat of Goa and southern India claim to be descendents of these Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of the north that migrated to Konkan from Gaud, as per the Skanda Purana. Their traditional occupation was trading.
Shri Chitrapur Math is the central math for the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin sect. It has been located at Shirali in the Bhatkal Taluk in the North Kanara district of Karnataka since 1757. The other maths of the community are located in Gokarna, Karla, Mangalore and Mallapur. All of the maths have the insignia of the saffron flag.
Kokradi (Kokrady) is an agricultural village in Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka State in India. Village population is predominantly engaged in arecanut farming. Administratively, it is under Andinje gram panchayat, Belthangadi Taluk, Dakshina Kannada. Kokradi is also used as a surname among the Billava, Chitrapur, Saraswat, and Brahmins from the village. Billava community constitutes the majority of the village population.
The Chitrapur Guru Parampara or Guru Heritage of the Chitrāpur Sāraswat Brahmins is the lineage of spiritual teachers (gurus), also known as Mathadhipatis who have led the community throughout its history.
Swami Parijnanashram I, or Adi Parijnanashram, was the first guru and Mathadhipati, or head of a matha, of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins. He is said to have been ordained by Lord Bhavanishankar in 1708 to guide the Chitrapur Saraswat community.
Swami Shankarashram I was the second guru and Mathādhipati of the Chitrāpur Sāraswats. He was ordained as the Mathādhipati in 1720 and served as the head till his death in 1757. He was the shishya (disciple) of Swami Parijñānāshram I.
Swami Parijnanashram II was the third Guru and Mathādhipati of the Chitrāpur Sāraswats whose reign was between 1757 and 1770. He was ordained as the guru by the elders of the community after Swami Shankarāshram I died without selecting a shishya (disciple). Normally it is the shishya who ordained by the guru, who succeeds as the guru of the community.
Swami Shankarāshram II was the fourth head guru or Mathādhipati of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. He reigned from 1770 to 1785.
Swami Keshavashram was the fifth guru of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community, that is, the Fifth Mathādhipati (head of the Chitrāpur Matha) of the community. His reign was from 1785 to 1823, a period of 38 years. He became the head of the community after his teacher (guru) Swami Shankarāshram died in 1785.
Swami Krishnashram was the seventh guru of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. He was the seventh mathadhipati, for 24 years from 1839 to 1863.
Swami Pāndurangāshram( Devanagari: पाण्डुरङगाश्रम्, Pan.du.ran.gā.śram) was the eighth guru of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community(Head of the community) for 52 years, from 1863 to 1915. He had succeeded his teacher Swami Krishnāshram after the latter attained Mahā-Samādhi(died) in 1857.
Swami Parijnanashram III was the tenth guru of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. He succeeded his teacher Swami Ānandāshram in 1966 after the latter died.
Konkani cuisine is the cuisine of the Saraswat Brahmins from the Konkan region on the western coast of India. Konkani cuisine differs within the Saraswat Brahmin subsects and within the Konkan-Canara region. Konkani cuisine originally hails from the Konkan region including Uttara Kannada, Udupi district, Dakshina Kannada, Damaon, and Goa, India. Konkani cuisine is popular served in many restaurants throughout the western coast of India, and especially in the cities of Bombay and Bangalore. Each variation has its unique flavour and makes uses of different vegetables and fruits available in the region. Konkani cuisine is usually pesco-vegetarian, except acharyas and purohits who follow a strictly saatvik vegetarian diet. According the Konkani folklore, fish, meats are regarded as sea vegetables. Historically, they have refrained from eating any terrestrial animals in general.
Sadojyat Shankarashram is the spiritual leader of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin and Smartist Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community of India. He is the eleventh Mathadipathi (Head) of Chitrapur Math. It has its spiritual centre or 'math' at Shirali, Uttar Kannada district in Karnataka.
Shri Gaudapadacharya Math, also known as Kavaḷē maṭha, located in Kavale, Ponda, Goa, is the oldest matha of the Smarthan Saraswat Brahman Samaj. It was founded by Gauḍapāda around 740 AD, whose student was Govinda Bhagavatpada, the guru of Adi Shankara, a highly influential figure in Hinduism. There is also a belief that Gauḍapāda himself established the Shri Gaudapadacharya matha when he lived in Gomantak (Goa). Thus, the matha came to be known as Shri Saunstan Gaudapadacharya matha. Unlike other mathas, Shri Gaudapadacharya matha is not a polemical center established to influence the faith of all Hindus, its jurisdiction is limited to only Dakshinatya Saraswat Brahmins. The Peetadhipathi "head monk" is Śrī Gauḍapadācārya. Smartist Goud Saraswat Brahman Samaj and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin are its main disciples.
The Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is the foremost temple of Gowda Saraswatha Brahmins in and around Thalassery.
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