Belwar

The Belwar are a Hindu sanadhya Brahmin caste found in North India, and mostly in Uttar Pradesh. Sanadhya Brahmins are called Belwars in mainly Sitapur, Lakhimpur, Hardoi, Barabanki, Gonda and Lucknow. They are also called as Bilwar or Bailwar. However they did not like to be called Bilwar or Bailwar.The word Bailwar was used to insult these Sanadhya- Brahmin's by other people.

Origin

The Belwar are a community of Sanadya Brahmin from Awadh, they originally belonged to the Sanadhya Brahmin caste. According to their origin myth, they descend five brothers, one of whom had a daughter. Because of his poverty, he was unable to marry her off. Finally, he accepted whatever proposal came, and married his daughter to a boy from the other Brahmin community . As a consequence of this action, the community were outcast from the Sanadhya Brahmin caste. For a long period, both communities was distinct. Presently,the intermarriage between them are started.[1] Another myth related is that people of this community worked to transfer things on loaded bullocks. In HINDI bullocks are known as BAIL. So those peoples were known as bail-sawar, and that word became bail-war say bailwar and in present it became Belwar. In Uttar pradesh brahmin belt is divided in three parts. In west U.P. Sanadhya Brahmins are in majority, in central U.P. or say in Awadh Kanyakubj Brahmins are in majority and in east U.P. Saryupari Brahmins are in majority. And in each belt minority brahmins are treated as lower class brahmins by majority. In west U.P. KANYAKUBJ & Saryupari Brahmins are treated as badly as saryupari & sanadhyabrahmins are treated in central U.P. and sanadhya & kanykubj are treated in east UTTAR PRADESH. There are nearly 600 categories of Brahmins in India who is the best this debate is meaningless. Who are in the majority believe himself eminent. In uttar pradesh from lucknow to kannauj is the part where kanyakubj Brahmins are in majority, that's the reason they believe eminent and do not like other Brahmin communities and to Sanadhya Brahmins they insult by saying BELWAR.

Present circumstances

The Belwar are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. They are Hindu, and Mahadev is their clan deity. Their customs are similar to other Awadh Brahmin communities. They are generally vegetarian. The community is very traditional. In many villages of different districts they are in majority. This community did not got much social and political recognition because in avadh zone there is a majority of kanyakubj Brahmins. To succeed in Politics of Uttar pradesh caught in racism you need majority of caste maultiplicity.

The Belwar are mainly a landowning community, but are now being urbanised. Those in rural Awadh live in multi-caste villages, but occupy distinct quarters. Each of their settlements contains an informal caste council, known as a biradari panchayat. The panchayat acts as an instrument of social control, dealing with issues such as divorce and adultery.[2]

See also

References

  1. People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das pp. 248 to 251 Manohar Publications
  2. People of India Uttar Pradesh, Volume XLII Part One, edited by A Hasan & J C Das, pp. 248–251, Manohar Publications
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