Chitpavan

A brahmin jati that is a subset of the
Maharashtri brahmins, who were themselves one of the five southern brahmin
communities (Pancha Dravida). Jatis
were endogamous subgroups of traditional Indian society whose status was
determined by the group’s hereditary
occupation. This sort of differentiation
applied even to brahmins, whose role
has been to serve as priests, scholars,
and teachers. The core region for the
Chitpavan brahmins is in western
Maharashtra, particularly the coastline
and the region around Poona. Although
never very numerous, they were historically significant both as the chief ministers (peshwas) to the Maratha kings and
also for producing some of the great figures
in the struggle for independence: M. G.
Ranade, G. K. Gokhale, B. G. Tilak, and
V. D. Savarkar. Because this group of
brahmins was largely located on the
150
Chir Ghat
Depiction of Krishna having stolen the gopis’ clothes while they were bathing.
This episode from Hindu mythology is believed to have taken place at Chir Ghat.
Konkan coastline, they are also known
as Konkanastha.