Topic started by Suhas Shaligram (@ 219.65.82.115) on Tue May 6 11:43:57 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

My name is Suhas Shaligram. My family is settled in Maharashtra for about last 250 years, in Pune District.We are Brahmins with Haritas gothra(Gotra).It is said our first family member has migrated from south,as such our surname Shaligram(SALIGRAMA) indicates a place of domicile.Can any body give me details about our forfather from South India, so also about the gotra Haritas?

Responses:

• From: vaidyanathan (@ 202.153.41.190) on: Tue May 6 13:40:42 EDT 2003
  
  saligrama worshippers are mostly found in tamil nadu among gopichandana vadama iyers who wear a u mark similar to maratha brahmanas,only these brahmins in south wear such a u mark as that,unlike iyengars and namboothiris who also worship saligrama but wear a different mark.
  
  
• From: vaidyanathan (@ 202.153.41.190) on: Tue May 6 13:42:04 EDT 2003
  
  haritas are descendants of sage agatsya
  
  
• From: Suhas Shaligram (@ 219.65.81.179) on: Fri May 23 12:05:21 EDT 2003
  
  Mr.vaidyanathan,
  Thank you very much.Do you know anybody Saligram with Haritas gotra?
  Thanks
  
  
• From: Suhas P. shaligram (@ ) on: Sun Mar 28 23:22:55
  
  History of all Shaligram family having Gotra as HARITAS is being collected at Pune by Shaligram KULVITANTA SAMITI. All brahmins having gotra Haritas are requested to send their information for family history mannual. Suhas Shaligram.
  
  
• From: Rajeshwari (@ h-68-164-187-222.snfccasy.dynamic.covad.net) on: Sat Sep 18 03:12:34
  
  Namaste,
  
  I am a Tamilian Vadama of Vathula Gothram married to an Anglo guy whose family originally came from the Carpathian mountains of Central Europe (in the early 1900s). At the time of our marriage, as my family follows Yajur veda, my husband was given Bharadwaj as his gothra since he did not have any. Everytime I go to the temple to do archana I am asked to give his gothra. I feel uncomfortable about this. Could anyone tell me how gothras are identified or given to people of Anglo-European ancestry or people whose ancestry is not known? Can I be radical and ask my husband to take my family gothra - vathulam? Would that be inappropriate?
  
  Answers and suggestions sought.
  
  Thank you,
  Gotra Struggles in Gorgeous San Francisco
  
  
• From: :-) (@ bbcache-8.singnet.com.sg) on: Sat Sep 18 07:37:58 EDT 2004
  
  Anglo-Europeans do not have a gothra and identification of such gothras are rather difficult if not absent / impossible. Marriages within swagothra or the same gothra is unacceptable, though I do not see any harm in your husband "adopting" your gothra (but u know he cud be considered your "brother"!, just make sure from a proper temple priest there's nothing wrong in doing this). The whole reason for having the system of gothra is to identify the lineage so that ppl do not marry from the same gothra. Ages after such a gothra system was made, only in the last century v came 2 know that marriage b/w members of the same family produces intellectually incapable children (less genetic variation); and increases their risk of congenital diseases. As such it is sufficient to give the name and nakshatra in temples these days :-)
  
  
• From: Venugopal (@ 149.123.22.178) on: Sat Sep 25 13:58:32 EDT 2004
  
  No doubt in every corner we are the purest of aryans. Do not go by colour but by features. Colour can change due to climate.
  
  
• From: Thirumalai Vinjamurar (@ ) on: Mon Nov 1 11:05:32
  
  The confusion is this...
  temple to do archana I am asked to give his gothra. I feel uncomfortable about this. Could anyone tell me how gothras are identified or given to people of Anglo-European ancestry or people whose ancestry is not known? Can I be radical and ask my husband to take my family gothra - vathulam? Would that be inappropriate?
  
  well, archana is done for, among other reasons, to appease God and or thank him. If you are not sure of what gotra he or she is you can do for "sarva gotra" and "sarva nakshatra" which means if the guy's or girl's name is X and you dont know or sure of the star and gotra [for a european is is virtually impossible to be sure] you can do it for that persons name of all gotra and all the stars. Our religion is so encompassing and inclusive. But if you want to thank or appease God, i think the better and more practical way [just as practical way you chose] is to do anna dhana...people generally invite brahmins but you can invite any either in ur place or or in some suitable place. ....
  
  when a girl gets married, her kids take the gotra of the father...but father taking gotra of girl is unheard of..more over it would be embarassing to tell someone that the gotra is same as one reply says...but if you want to so radical, and this is quite popular if you want to get married to sagotra - to do sweekar..that means, only the girl, gets new parents for that particular instance during marriage, when she takes the gotra of new parents , gets married and then changes parents...this is a work around to get married to sagotra...you can do a mix and match of these things and "christen" your guy with suitable details that he gets a new "abhivada" :-)))
  with these pieces of advice, i assume you would donate 5$ to a temple near by or buy food for needy nearby your place!!!
  
  
• From: dav (@ nevarezcorp) on: Mon Nov 8 22:23:12 EST 2004
  
  i) caste in ancient india was based on character rather than color or birth. eg) thieves were assumed lowest caste
  ii) dark people and non brahmins ruled india especially the south infact they constituted many brahmins. So there is no doubt that dark brahmins who are present today were existing even before a 2000 years as brahmins.
  iii) dravidian kings ruled south india
  iv) All indians are immigrants into india at one period or the other for a time span of 25000 yrs and get suntanned. The list includes aryans and dravidians .
  BRAHMINS and BRAHMINISM WERE PRESENT IN INDIA EVEN BEFORE ARYAN INVASION
  
  

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