Somvanshi Kshatriya

Somvanshi Kshatriya or Chandravanshi Kshatriyas are one of the three main Kshatriya Vansha, in India, the other being Surya Vansha and Agni Vansha. They are direct descendants of Som (Or Moon). As the name "SOM" indicate, this community belongs to Lunar Dynasty. Some Kshatriyas still using the surname Somvanshi are based Majorly in Maharashtra, Hardoi, Pratapgarh and Allahabad in UP, Kumaon in Uttaranchal, Some parts of Manipur (the descendants of Arjuna, one of the five Pandavas, whowas married to a princes of Manipur). Other Kshatriyas have diversified and have different surnames e.g. Tomar, Pathania, Bhati, Yadu, Jadeja etc.

As per other records Somvanshi Kshatriya is the name of a small community unrelated to the one in northern India residing on the outskirts of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), on the western shores of India. The settlements are mostly around Virar, Vasai, Nale(नाळे), Agashi, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Mahim, Kelawa,(Shirgaon), Boisar, Tarapur, Chinchani, Vangaon, Narpad, Bordi, Gholvad and Dahanu Road.

Community Spread in Maharashtra

Occupation

Proximity to the commercial hub of Mumbai has seen a majority of the population taking up jobs in the manufacturing as well as service industries. This community has few people who stay in interior parts of Maharashtra who are related to business in different industries.

History

The word "Somavanshi Kshatriya" means the second caste in the hierarchy of the Hindu Varna System. "Soma" means "Moon", thus these kshatriyas belong to the "Chandra Vansha" i.e. "Moon Dynasty of Warriors".Bhagavata Purana

Sopara and Mahim are said to be the land of confluence of the Somavanshi Kshatriya clan, one from Utkala and other from Gujarat and still other from Magadha and Mahishmati. The Somavanshis of Vasai and Palghar taluka have a unique history.

• The history of Somavanshis in Vasai date back to 2000 B.C. to the rule of Utkal (now Orissa) Naresh Guhashaya. Raja Guhashaya ruled Śūrpāraka during 2000 B.C. Since then Śūrpāraka was the place ruled by able Kshatriyas of Somvansha.

• Later during 14th century B.C. the Somavanshis Maurya clan ruled Sopara, thus bringing in some Somvanshi Kshatriyas from Magadha Pradesha.

• Later the clan of Somavanshi Raja Sudhanva of Mahishmati and Laat ruled Sopara from 600 B.C. to 200 B.C. Thus some Somavanshi families from Mahishmati too came to Śūrpāraka

• Later around 280 A.D. Ramachandradev Yadav of the Somavanshi Yadav Clan of Telangana start ruling in Śūrpāraka. Now the Yadav rule starts and lasts till 1071 A.D. for around 9 centuries. During this rule many Telangana Somavanshi Kshatriyas migrated to Śūrpāraka.

• Later around 1138 A.D., King Pratap Bimba Chalukya, brother of Govardhan Bimba, of the Somavanshi Kshatriya clan from Dekkhan raids Śūrpāraka from northern side of Vaitarana. Captures Shurparak and remakes the old city of Mahikavati i.e. Kelve Mahim. Thus Somavanshi Kshatriya from Dekkhan starts residing in Śūrpāraka, but mainly in Mahim

• Around 1161 A.D. Senapati Ambud, a Somavanshi Kshatriya from Gujarat, from Anhilvaad, whose lineage runs back to Orissa somavanshis, tried to attack Mallikarjun Shilahaar and for this settles near the Dahanuka river (Dahanu). At the same time Mohamedeans attack Anhilvaad and thus the Somavanshi sena stays near Dahanuka, later called Vadval. They help Yadavs to conquer North Konkan and defeat Shilahaaras. In return, Yadavs accommodate these Somavanshi Kshatriyas in Dahanu.

• Raja Bimbadev Rana, who belonged to Rajasthan in 1204 A.D. gifted the Simhasan and 5 Kalashis to the Somavanshi Kshatriyas of Sopara, Mahim and Dahanu as a mark of encouragement to Kshatriyas.(This indicates that Somvanshi Kshatriya also have a history in Rajasthan. Also the old language of these people sounds the Rajasthani style with words like "Atthe", "Katthe") But the Somavanshis of Sopara, who belonged to the royal clan of Samrat Sudhanva were only allowed to carry “Panchachattris” on their heads during marriage.

• Thus Vasai carried Somavanshi Kshatriyas from Utkala, Magadha, Mahishmati, Dekkhan, and Anhilvad(Gujarat). Later all these Somavanshi Kshatriya clan got united and there started the marriages between the Somavanshis of Sopara, Mahim and Dahanu. Thus now all of them are called either Somavanshis, Vadval or Panchkalshis. All of them consider Jagadguru Shankaracharya as their traditional Guru and visit Nirmal often. They worship Goddess Bhuvaneshwari Mahalakshmi or Vajrabai (Vajreshwari) or Ekvira Devi or Mahikavati Mata as their Kulaswamini. Those who worship Bhuvaneshwari Mahalakshmi belong to the Somavanshi Clan of Utkala (Orissa). Those who worship Vajreshwari Mata belong to Magadha and Anhilvad. Those who worship Ekvira Mata are descendants of Dekkhan Somavanshis belonging to Devgiri or Mungi Paithan. Those who worship Mahikavati Mata are descendants of Mahishmati’s Somavanshis.

Rituals

These Somavanshis consult Brahmin Purohits during the marriage. This was according to the orders given to the Kshatriya clan by Bimbadev Rana in Shake 1124 (See Bimbakhyana). After the consent of Brahmins the marriage process starts. During marriage the “Varaja” (Bridegroom) sits on a Sinhasana, made of wood. The size of Sinhasana was 3.5 ft*3.5. ft. The four sides of Sinhasana were decorated by 4 Kalshis or 4 Banana branches decorated with 4 green coconuts. Beside the “Varaja” a big Banana Trunk of height around 3 feet used to be kept and on it a Coconut figure made from Banana trunk was kept as 5th Kalasha. On this kalasha “6 Kamtyas” used to be kept as the mark of 6 Surnames, 6 Villages of Somavanshis and 6 faces of Brahmachari God Kartikeya. A dome (Ghumat) was made on the Sinhasana. Thus the “Naval” used to start for the Marriage procession. Somavanshis of Sopara used “Panchachattris” also. The bridegroom used to wear “Raanav Patta” (given by Bimbadev Rana), “Veer Kankan”, and “Todar” (ornament of Feet). The bride was clad with various customary ornaments like Putala Haar, Lahaan Shiran, Vajrateek, Dole, Paashi Haar, Ketak and Gulaab Phule, Thushi, Sonyachi Kanthi and Kot, Duledi, Bormaal, Chude, Navale, Dandakade, Vaalaa, Gof, Toda and would arrive in the marriage tent seated on a well decorated bullock cart. After marriage the “Varaja” gives her Mangaal Sutra and all such soubhagya alankaara including green bangles and Kimkum (Pinjar). The “Mangalsutra” is traditionally made in the Somvanshi community with a gold pendent woven in a Haldi Dhaga and embedded with “Moti” and “Pachu”.At the passage of times, when the Shurparak lost to the hands of Mohamedeans and later to Portuguese, such use of Sinhasanas were thought to be useless.

Groups claiming Lunar origin

• Thakur
• Raut
• Chaudhari
• Mahapatra (Mhatre)
• Save (Saave)
• Gharatha
• Patil
• Churi
• Vartak

Notable people

1. Shubha Raul (Former Mayor of Mumbai)
2. Hitendra Thakur (MLA in Gov. Of Maharashtra)
3. Bhausaheb Vartak (Founder of Vartak college of Engineering)
4. Kesari Patil, Veena Patil (Promoter of Kesari Tours and Travels)
5. Raja Patil (Promoter of Raja Rani Tours and Travels)
6. Dr. Madhukar Thakur (USA) (World renowned scientist in nuclear medicine and radiology, and director of radiopharmaceutical research and nuclear medicine research at Thomas Jefferson University