Goud Saraswat Brahmin

Goud Saraswat Brahmin, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

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Goud (also spelt as Gaud or Gawd) Saraswat Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin community in India and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community. They are popularly referred to as GSBs. They are Konkani people and primarily speak Konkani as their mother tongue. They are the first Rigvedic Brahmins.
They claim their origin to the Brahmins who lived on the banks of the now-extinct river Saraswati of Pakistan Punjab or Kashmir. They derived their name from either the river Saraswati or from their spiritual leader, the sage Saraswat Muni(sage) who lived on the banks of Saraswati. These Brahmins were one of the Pancha Gawda Brahmin groups who lived north of the Vindhyas. They belonged to Smarta tradition and primarily worshiped the five deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha. Throughout the course of history, the Saraswat Brahmins have migrated to a variety of locations and are found mostly in Western coast of India.

Goud Saraswat Brahmins primarily speak Konkani as their mother tongue. The Konkani they speak is slightly different from the Konkani spoken by other communities such as the Catholics, Navayaths, and Siddis. The Konkani spoken by Goan Saraswats, Karnataka Saraswats and Kerala Saraswats is also different. The Konkani spoken by Karnataka Saraswats has borrowed loan words from Kannada while the Konkani spoken by Kerala Saraswats has borrowed loan words from Malayalam. This was due to several centuries of domicile by the Saraswats in these areas.[citation needed]
Divisions[edit source | editbeta]

Gauda Saraswat Brahmins are categorised by surname (indicating profession), gotra (lineage) or matha (spiritual guru).
Gotras[edit source | editbeta]
Every GSB belongs to a particular gotra, similar to a "clan". The gotras are named for noted Hindu sages or rishis, thus the gotra's name indicates what sage its members pertain to. Marriage within the same gotra is prohibited, which may be a method to avoid inbreeding.[citation needed]
Mutts[edit source | editbeta]


Lord Shri Krishna (Kota Kashi Math)
Shri Gaudapadacharya Math (Kavale, Ponda, Goa), Advaita school with Gaudapadacharya as Adi Guru
Gokarna Partagali Jeevottam Mutt (Partagali-Cancona, Goa), Dvaita School with Madhva Sampradaya
Sri Kashi Math (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh), Dvaita Sampradaya
Sri Chitrapur Math (Shirali, Karnataka), Advaita School with Gaudapadacharya as Adi Guru
Sri Dhaboli Math (Kudal, Maharastra), Advaita School with Shankaracharya as Adi Guru
Rituals[edit source | editbeta]

During the eighth month of pregnancy, a woman moves to her mother's house, especially during the birth of her first child. The expecting mother also performs Ganapathi Pooja for a successful delivery and a healthy child. On the 6th day, a pen and lamp are kept near the child's head, symbolic of a wish for an intelligent child. On the 12th day, the naming and cradling ceremony is performed wherein the paternal grandmother whispers the child's name into his/her ear and a horoscope is cast.[1] When the child turns three months old, they are taken to the temple, and thereafter the child goes to the father's abode.[2]
Festivals[edit source | editbeta]

GSB's celebrate almost all festivals in Hinduism, and follow the Hindu lunar calendar (Panchang in Konkani) that gives the days on which the fasts and festivals should be observed.[3]
Cuisine[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: Saraswat cuisine
Notables[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: List of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins
See also[edit source | editbeta]

Gaud Saraswat Brahmin[edit source | editbeta]
Gaud Saraswat Brahmins of Cochin
List of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins
Other Saraswat Brahmin Community[edit source | editbeta]
List of Goan Brahmin Communities
List of Saraswats
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin