Pathare Prabhu

Pathare Prabhu or Pratihara Prabhu as they are known are one of the Hindu communities in the city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). These people are among earliest settlers in the city. They are Rajput/Kshatriya aristocracy who migrated to Mumbai around the 12th and 13th centuries AD from the regions of North India and Rajasthan after the Turkic attacks in those regions which were ruled by the Pratihara dynasty of medieval India. Before arriving in Mumbai and north Kokan, Pratihar Prabhus held important position in the court of Yadav kings of Deogiri ( near today’s Aurangabad). After Fall of Yadav Kingdom in hands of Alauddin Khilji, Pratihar Prabhus along with their Yajurvedi Bhramins migrated to Mumbai.

History

They name of community 'Pathare Prabhu' probably derive from 'Pratihara Prabhu'( translation "Pratihara Lord"), since they served, as nobles under the Pratihara dynasty. However, according to their own detailed chronicled lineage, they trace their descent much further back in Indian History from King Ashwapati (circa 700.B.C ) who was a monarch from the solar lineage of Lord Ram. Amongst Pathare Prabhu families 12 families belong to solar line and 16 to lunar line. Solar from Lord Ashwapati and lunar from Lord Pururavas. And so this community has both solar and lunar lineages unlike other Kshatriya clans.

They were associated with Raja Bhimdev who ruled over the islands of Mumbai and during British times, they were absorbed in the administrative and official departments of the British Government.

Throughout the generations, despite their tiny number, the Pathare Prabhu Community has a great impact in the form of many eminent civic leaders, doctors, engineers, judges, actors/actresses, architects, solicitors, industrialists, orators, stage & film artists, musicians and philanthropists.

This community built many of Mumbai's famous landmarks like; Mahalaxmi Temple in central Mumbai, Bhau-cha-dhakka (Ferry Wharf), Thakurdwar’s Gora Ram Mandir & Kala Ram Mandir, Dadar’s Prabhadevi Mandir, Kalbadevi’s Shri Ram Mandir, Dadar’s Kirtikar Market.

They were amongst the first of the Hindus to be well-educated, occasionally even sending their women to study in foreign universities, and also advocated widow re-marriage, an act considered a taboo in the orthodox Hindu society of those times.

Culture

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Pathare Prabhu middleclass gentleman of nineteenth century.

Known for their love of cuisine, arts, religion and philosophy, the numbers of this community are today dwindling in Mumbai with a non-conservative estimate of their numbers being around 15,000-20,000. By the virtue of being a highly educated & broad-minded community, the Pathare Prabhus have been immigrating to UK & US of A, & off-late to Canada & New Zealand.

The Pathare Prabhus were amongst the pioneers in the formation of Mumbai and contributed much to the formation and growth of the city.

The Pathare Prabhus owned places like Fort, Palav Road (present Girgaum Road), Laini (present Princess Street), Girgaon Back Road (present V. P. Road) & Navi Wadi. Likewise places in Malad, Goregaon, Bhayendar, Kashi-Meera, Uttan, Uran, Kelve Mahim (now Mahim), Chene were also owned by them. A major part of present day Khar is still owned by the Pathare Prabhus.

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Pathare prabhu middleclass housewife of nineteenth century.

When the social reforms movement started in Bombay (Mumbai), in the mid nineteenth century, young literate 'Parbhi' (colloquial for Pathare Prabhus) were part of the Paramhansa Sabha (present Prarthana Samaj). In fact, for many years its officiating person was Shri Ramchandra Balkrishna Jaykar. In 1852, the founder and president of the Townhall Asiatic library (first native general library of Bombay) was Shri Narayan Dinanath Velkar. Some other distinguished personalities are Magistrate Raobahadur Nana Moroji Trilokekar (first native Magistrate), Bhujangrao Mankar (father of Marathi & Gujarati shorthand) & Gajanan Bhaskar Vaidya (first Hindu Missionary).

The Pathare Prabhu Community has always been known for their luxurious style of living. The typical Pathare Prabhus nick-named as 'Sokajis'. But the true nature of their richness comes from the way they preserve and carry out their traditions. Clannish, traditional and religious, yet possessing a modern outlook at the same time, the Pathare Prabhus are few of the oldest residents of Mumbai and are instrumental in giving Bombay the prominent status, which it enjoys. Hence the Pathare Prabhus enjoy a special position in the History of this great city.

Temples Built by Pathare Prabhus

Prabha Devi (Shakhambari Devi) Temple

Prabha Devi Road
Down the road form Siddhivinayak is the 285-year- old Prabhadevi temple that lends its name to the locality. Built in 1715, this 18th century temple has a very interesting history behind it.

Maheshwaridevi Temple (Family Goddess of the Mankars)

Navi-Wadi
Approximately since 1848 the place where the temple stands today and the area behind it belonged to Shri Ramchandra Raghunathji Trilokekar. The northern corner of the temple contains a phallus shaped mound which is supposed to be the self-raised idol of the Maheshwaridevi.

Maheshwaridevi Temple

Rajasthan
The genesis of worship of mother-goddess can be traced to the remote past. The earliest extinct depiction of a group of Matrikas (Divine mothers) in Indian sculpture may be pushed back safely to the Kushana period. This cult, however, became popular during the Gupta and subsequent periods.

Notable people

Today's Prominent Pathare-Prabhus include but are not limited to:

• Suresh Vijaykar
• Atul Vijaykar
• M.V.Jaykar
• Pramod Navalkar
• Smita Jaykar
• Shreyas Talpade
• Mahesh Kothare
• Nikhil Dhurandhar
• Pradeep Khanderao Vijayakar
• Chandradatt Bholanath Navalkar (C.B. Navalkar)
• Late Vihang Nayak
• Kunal (Shrikrishna Keshavrao) Vijayakar
• Jayshree Talpade (Jayshree T)
• Meena Talpade / Meena Navalkar (Meena T)

List of Pathare Prabhu Last Names

Agaskar	Brahmandkar	Dalvi	Desai	Dhairyawan	Dharadhar
Dhurandhar	Gorakshakar	Jayakar	Kirtikar	Kothare	Mankar
Navalkar	Nayak	Prabhakar	Pradhan	Rane	Ranjit
Rao	Senjit	Talpade	Trilokekar	Vasudev	Vazkar
Vazkar	Velkar	Vijayakar	Vyavaharkar	Zaoba

Notes

1. Dr.Motiram Balaram Velkar
2. Dr.Krishnarao Ganpatrao Dhairyawan

External links

• The Pathare Prabhu Community Website
• An interesting description of pathare prabhu culture as experienced by Helena Blavatsky in the 18th century.

References

• Pattanprabhu Lekhamani by Shamrao Moroji Nayak (1864)
• Scundhapuraana
• Sahyadrikhanda
• Shree Bhrugu sumhita