Belwar
The Belwar are a HindusanadhyaBrahmin caste found in North India, and mostly in Uttar Pradesh. Community is also present in some districts like bhind, muraina of madhya pradesh. They are not in the category of Other Backward Class.They come in the general category. Belwars are mainly found in 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.
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 Hindu 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 social and political position because in avadh zone there is a majority of kanyakubj Brahmans. They do not know reality of this community. Old peoples of kanyakubj Brahmans community show respect towards Belwar community because they know that belwars are also upper class Brahmin and are part of sanadhya brahmans. In uttar pradesh from lucknow to kannauj is the part where kanyakubj Brahmins are in majority, that's the reason they do not like other Brahmin communities and to sanadhya Brahmins they insult by saying BELWAR.
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
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