Kanitkar
Kanitkar is a surname used by Konkanastha Chitapavan subcaste of Brahmins in India. Kanitkars, like most other Konkanastha Chitpavan Brahmins, originate in the Konkan strip located on the western seacoast of India - about 300-500 kilometers south of Mumbai. Kanitkars (other names: Satkar) were from original five towns and 23 descendant families, spread to 110 towns by 1988. Kanitkars belong to Kaushik Gotra, and consider Shri Vyadeshwar at Guhaghar, Maharashtra, India as their primary "family god" [Kul Daivat].
A large majority of Kanitkars still live in Pune, Maharashtra, India - with the rest in Mumbai, Vadodara and many other cities. Several Kanitkars have also migrated to foreign countries - United States, Australia and Singapore, to name a few.
Genealogy of Kanitkars is documented in "Kanitkar Kul Vrutanta", the latest (second) edition was published on January 26, 1988. At that time, there were around 780 Kanitkar males and 530 females living:
| Gharane No. | Gharane Name | Total Males | Living Males | Living Females | Popular Cities | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basani - Ganeshwadi | 283 | 124 | 70 | Mumbai, Pune | Jayant Mahadeo |
| 2 | Basani - Sakharpe | 128 | 43 | 30 | Mumbai | |
| 3 | Basani - Dhom | 77 | 27 | 34 | Pune, Mumbai | Vasudeo Janardan |
| 4 | Basani - Vetoshi | 43 | 16 | 10 | Pune, Kolhapur | |
| 5 | Palshet - Adoor | 191 | 65 | 38 | Mumbai, Pune | Rajan Yashwant |
| 6 | Palshet - Junnar | 202 | 101 | 66 | Mumbai, Pune | Girish Sudhakar |
| 7 | Palshet - Bavdhan | 237 | 110 | 78 | Pune, Vadodara | Maheshwar Ramchandra |
| 8 | Palshet - Kothure | 38 | 3 | 5 | Sangli | |
| 9 | Palshet - LimbaGanesh | 77 | 37 | 28 | Limbaganesh | Mandar Kanitkar |
| 10 | Palshet - Chandwad | 34 | 5 | 4 | Mumbai | |
| 11 | Palshet - Shirdhon | 103 | 50 | 39 | Pune, Mumbai | |
| 12 | Palshet - Padli | 39 | 15 | 5 | Pune | |
| 13 | Palshet - Bhadkambe | 137 | 54 | 36 | Mumbai, Gwalior | Guruprasad Dattatray |
| 14 | Palshet - Aachre | 31 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 15 | Palshet - Siddheshwar | 46 | 18 | 14 | Mumbai | |
| 16 | Palshet - Guttal | 74 | 33 | 16 | Hubli | Sharad Madhav |
| 17 | Palshet - Guhaghar | 34 | 12 | 8 | Mumbai | |
| 18 | Palshet - Ambegaon | 27 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Palshet - Tarapur | 34 | 5 | 5 | Tarapur | |
| 20 | Palshet - Chinchner | 21 | 6 | 2 | Pune, Satara | |
| 21 | Bhatgaon - Aanjarle | 43 | 21 | 17 | Mumbai, Mahad | |
| 22 | Nandiwade - Vileparle | 29 | 14 | 11 | Mumbai | Mandar Chintamani |
| 23 | Weldoor - Bhiwandi | 45 | 21 | 13 | Mumbai, Pune |
These 1300+ Kanitkars live in 102 different cities/towns in 475 families. Most are in Greater Mumbai (129), Pune (106), Sangli (19), Vadodara (18) and Kolhapur (14).
Most popular Male names were Dattatray (15), Vinayak (12), Madhav, Milind, Vishwanath and Yashwant (11 each), and Gajanan, Gopal, Laxman and Prabhakar (10 each.) Popular female names were Usha (16), Jayashree (11), Anjali and Vijaya (10 each.)
The editors of the second edition envisioned a third edition around year 2010. To that end, [www.kanitkar.com][1] website is under construction and will have information of interest to all Kanitkars around the world. May be in today's electronic age, the next Kul Vruttanta would reside in the cyberspace.
Alternatively, you may contact each Gharane's contact person directly.
Prominent Kanitkars (Alphabetical)
Shrimati Anjali Kanitkar - founder of famous marriage bureau Anuroop Wiwaha Sanstha[3]. She managed to tie knot of over 15.000 marriages over her stunning 25 years devoted to Anuroop. Further Anuroop is known for Brahmin and Chitpavan match making.
Shri Hrishikesh Kanitkar - famous cricketer. Specially known for his last bowl boundary against Pakistan in Bangladesh, for Asia Cup.
Shri Janardan Mankeshwar Kanitkar (APPA) has been in lifetime involved in the field of Library Development over five decades retired as Librarian of IIPA Delhi in late Sixties He along with his multi talented have been actively involved in amateur Marathi Stage at Delhi for over five decades popularly known as APPA and Vahini in Maharashtrian circle in Delhi.
Shrimati Kashibai Govindrao Kanitkar 1861-1948 is considered to be the first female writer in Marathi literature. Her main claim to fame came from her book on "Dr. Anandibai Joshi's biography and letters."
Prof. Keshav Ramchandra Kanitkar during his lifetime in twentieth century has been eminent educationist active in Pune. Involved in nurturing and development of Fergusson College has been Principal of the college for a long time.
Shri Madhav Kanitkar is a noted Marathi playwright and writer. His contributions include books like Mahabharath in Marathi, and monthly magazines Manini and Prapancha.
Shri Manko Mahadeo Kanitkar has been active in moneylending business at Pune during regime of Peshwas in mid eighteenth century. He subsequently led his retired life at Dhom near Wai in Satara District. His successors have continued this business until end of twentieth century.
Shri Narhari Keshav Kanitkar popularly known as AnnaSaheb first qualified engineer in the family graduated from College of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering in 1920s got his specialisation in UK and served the then GIP Railways and retired as Chief of Mechanical Engineering in late 1950s.
Shri Yeshwant Gajanan Kanitkar (Palshet Adoor, Gharane 5) – 1934-1990. M. Sc.(Math, Statistics), Moved to England (1968) and then to the United States (1970.) Author of several Marathi books including Paschim Waare (on the observations of a newly arrived immigrant to America in the 1970s), Kaale Diwas (on Indira Gandhi and the 1975 emergency and its aftermath) and Yeil To Din Maaza (a semi-autobiographical work on his own kidney failure, dialysis and kidney transplant and related events). He founded Maharashtra Foundation (MF), a US-based charitable organization, with help from four friends in Rochester, New York. MF helps worthy causes in the fields of healthcare, education, welfare and development in India, especially those in Maharashtra, and has sent millions of dollars of donations to over 100 NGOs since then.
Shri Vinayak Gajanan Kanitkar is a famous writer with books like Nazi Bhasmsuracha Udayast, Israel yudha yudhya aNi yudha and many more to his credit.
Adv. Madhav Gajanan Kanitkar Being B.A.L.L.B, Adv. Kanitkar was a well-known Lawyer with a specialization as Criminal Lawyer. Subsequently, got opportunity to work as Public Prosecutor. His way of interrogation was so special and interesting, that even the honorable judge use to keep his pen down and just quietly listen Adv. Kanitkar's counter questions. Beside, being an Criminal Lawyer, Adv. Kanitkar was a famous writer of stories again specialized in Criminal Stories. His various stories was published in marathi magazines at that time, "MANINI', 'KATHASHREE', 'PRAPANCHA' etc. and later on he managed to write his own book called 'RUPAVATI BARYA SHATRU'. His many famous criminal cases was published in another well known magazine, 'MANUS'. It will not be just boasting, if I say, that time Manus was famous because Adv. Kanitkar's way of making criminal stories more and more interesting. Even he use to scribble his own day to day life's experience in these stories. Adv. Kanitkar was born on 27 July 1938, and his sudden death happened on 15 June 1976. Even after 33 years of his death, this book (RUPAVATI BHARYA SHATRU) is still famous and the publisher is continuously publishing many editions of this books and needless to say, all the books are getting sold. At the time of his death, he was considered for the promotion of HONORABLE JUDGE OF MUMBAI JUDICIAL COURT, but the story written by destiny was something different, and at the age of 38, he was appointed at the COURT OF GODS.