Kashmiri Pandits

Kashmiri Pandits
Kashmiri Pandits
Classification	Brahmin
Religions	Hinduism
Languages	Kashmiri
Populated states	Jammu and other parts of Northern India
Subdivisions	-

Kashmiri Pandit refers to a person who belongs to a sect of Hindu Pandits who ancestrally originate from the Kashmir Valley. Kashmiri Pandits were gradually forced to migrate to other parts of India over the centuries due to countless Muslim invasions which resulted in Kashmir becoming predominantly Muslim. More recently (1990), hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits had to flee the Kashmir valley because of being targeted by Islamic terrorists.^{[citation needed]} Kashmiri Pandits have made significant contributions to Indian thought and science. Charaka, Aryabhatta, Kalidasa, Abhinavgupta, Kalhana have been stalwarts in the fields of medicine, astronomy, literature, philosophy and History respectively. The Sanskrit language owes it origins to Kashmir and most of its great scholars and poets (i.e. Bilhana, Mahimbhatta, Ksemraja, Vasugupta, Anandvardhana, Ksemendra) were Kashmiris.

Kashmiri Pandit Culture

Religion

Kashmir's association with Hinduism is very old. The very name Kashmir is said to be derived from Kashyapa, one of the seven Saptarishis in Hindu mythology. Kashmiri Pandits are devout Shaivites. Kashmir is home to some of the holiest shrines in Hinduism like Amarnath, Kheer Bhawani, Shrine of Sharda (in Pakistan-administered Kashmir), Shankaracharya Mandir, Hari Parbath, Zeethyer etc. A lot of these shrines were destroyed during and after the mass exodus of the pandits.^{[citation needed]}

Kashmiri Pandit family names

Common family names among Kashmiri Pandits include: Handoo,Aga, Atal, Bandhu, Bhan, Bagati, Bhat/Bhatt(Butt), Budki(Burki), Chowdhury,Dhar(Dar), Dass(Das), Dassi, Dulloo, Ganju(Ganjoo), Kaw,Gurtu,Hak, Haksar, Hangal, Hangoo,Hoon, Jaju,Jalali, Kachru(Kachroo), Kak, Kar, Kappu, Katju, Kaul(Koul), Kaw, Kemmu, Khar,Kasid Kher, Khosa, Kitchlu(Kitchlew), Kunzru, Langoo,Malla, Mantoo, Mattoo, Muthoo, Misri, Natu, Nehru,Ogra,\ Pandit, Pandita, Parimoo, Raina, Rayu, Razdan, Reu, Sadhu, Sapru, Shah, Shivpuri, Shrunglu, Shunglu,Tangnu, Thusoo,Tikoo,Wakhlu, Wanchoo/Wanchu, Wantoo/Wantu,Warikoo, Wattal, Wattoo, Zalpuri, Zaroo and Zutshi. The full list of Kashmiri Pandit surnames can be found at [Kauls.net http://kauls.net/surnames]

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Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Prominent Kashmiri Pandits

Many Kashmiri Pandits have excelled in various fields, such as medicine, arts, engineering, technology, bio-sciences etc. Some eminent Kashmiri Pandits include Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister and his family who were Kashmiri Pandits from Allahabad, Anupam Kher (renowned Bollywood actor), Suresh Raina (The first Kashmiri Pandit to play for the Indian cricket team), Vijayendra N Kaul (present Comptroller and Auditor General of India), Kunal Kemmu (Bollywood actor), Sudhir Dhar, Shireen Bhan and Nidhi Razdan (eminent journalists), Pandit Bhajan Sopori (Santoor maestro) and novelist Hari Kunzru,Raj Kumar (Bollywood actor) alias Kulbushan Pandit. There are many more people from the community who have excelled in their respective fields.

Allegations of Ethnic Cleansing of Pandits from the Valley

Kashmiri Pandits claim to have suffered crimes amounting to ethnic cleansing from the Kashmir Valley, coinciding with the onset of the Islamic separatist movement in 1990. Some sources state that more than four to five thousand kashmiri pandits were killed in the initial violence^{[citation needed]} (although it must be noted that this figure is disputed: some claim that the actual number of pandit casualties may be much higher, while others hold the view that these figures are an overestimation).

Kashmiri Pandits in the Civil Services

The years after Indian Independence saw a large number of Kashmiri Pandits clearing the Civil Services Exam. At a point the percentage of the number of Kashmiri Pandits in the IAS (Indian Administrative Services) was said to be more than 25%.^{[citation needed]}. The reason for this was attributed to the strong emphasis that the community has always placed on education.

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