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The Vishwakarma community are a social group of India, sometimes described as a caste. They claim themselves to be Brahmin or of high-status in the caste hierarchy, although these claims are not generally accepted outside the community. The community comprises five subgroups—carpenters, blacksmiths, bronze smiths, goldsmiths and stonemasons— claim to be descendants of Vishvakarma, the builder and architect of heavenly realm, a Hindu deity.^[1]^[2]

Origin myths

The community claims to be descended from the god Vishvakarma, who is considered by Hindus to be the divine architect or engineer of the universe. He had five children — Manu, Maya, Tvastar, Shilpi and Visvajna — and these are believed by the Vishwakarma community to have been the forebears of their five subgroups, being respectively the gotras (clans) of blacksmiths, carpenters, bell metalworkers (metal casters), stonemasons and goldsmiths.^[3] It is not known whether these five subgroups historically practised endogamy, which is a frequently-found feature of the Indian caste system.^[4]

The origin myths of the Vishwakarma community were first consolidated in the early 18th century, during the British colonial rule. These myths were compiled in the Vishwakarma Puranam, whose original manuscript is undated but was most probably created in the mid-17th or 18th century.^[5] According to a popular myth recorded in the Vishwakarma Puranam, the five children of the god Vishwakarma served the gods as artisans, and possessed the ability to create things by simply visualising them. They had conserved their veerya by being celibates, and lived in a fort on the coast of Ilangapuri (Sri Lanka).^[6] The fort was made of lodestone, and the enemy weapons thrown at it were stuck to its walls, rendering it invincible. Their chief enemy was Karunakaran, a vassal of the Chola emperor. In order to defeat the Vishwakarmas, Karunakaran planted many beautiful women (Brahmin women according to some versions of the legend) in the fort. These women married the Vishwakarmas, thus destroying their spiritual power, and learned the secret that a certain type of poisonous grass could be used to burn up the fort. Using this secret, the enemy blew up the fort, and the Vishwakarmas were scattered in various areas, where they were forced to work as artisans and craftsmen for mortal humans.^[7]

History

While many sources refer to the five subgroups of the Vishwakarma as artisans, historian Vijaya Ramaswamy^[8] believes that the Vishwakarma of the medieval period should be distinguished as craftsmen, arguing that "... while every craftsman was an artisan, every artisan was not a craftsman". Ramaswamy notes that the socio-economic and geographic stability of a medieval village-based maker of ploughs differed considerably from that of the various people who banded together as Vishwakarma and lived a relatively itinerant lifestyle that was dependent on the "temple economy" that waxed and waned as dynasties such as the Vijayanagar Empire were formed and disintegrated. The latter group, who did work in proximity to each other while constructing and embellishing temples, had opportunities for socio-economic advancement but also bore the risks of withdrawal of patronage and changes in religious focus.^[4]

Position in society

In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh they come under Other Backward Class.^[9]^[10]^[11]

In Kerala, the Vishwakarmas have claimed a higher social status for many years, and believe that the trades which they traditionally follow are superior to the work of a manual labourer because they require artistic and scientific skills as well as those of the hand. According to George Varghese, their claim to high status is "one of the mainstays of Vishwakarma identity" in what is otherwise a fragmented, incoherent community that has often suffered from internal differences of opinion.^[3] Their claim has been voiced by Edava Somanathan, a member of the community and its only historian in the written word. Somanathan's works, according to Varghese, "... are written from a pro-community perspective. Therefore, there are a lot of exaggerations and anti-brahmin tirades in Kerala". Somanathan argues that the artisanal groups were a part of the Indus Valley civilisation, pre-dating the arrival of Brahmins and their caste-based division of society. He claims implausible achievements are evidenced in both the arts and sciences during that egalitarian pre-Brahmin era, including the construction of aeroplanes.^[3]^{[full citation needed]}

This claim to Brahmin status is not generally accepted outside the community, despite their assumption of some high-caste traits, such as wearing the sacred thread, and the Brahminisation of their rituals. For example, the sociologist M. N. Srinivas, who developed the concept of sanskritisation, juxtaposed the success of the Lingayat caste in achieving advancement within Karnataka society by such means with the failure of the Vishwakarma to achieve the same. Their position as a left-hand caste has not aided their ambition.^[12] They have been included in the list of Other Backward Classes in some states of India.^[13]

List of castes

The following castes are considered to be members of the Vishwakarma community :

Synonyms

Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Vishwakarmas are locally known as Kammalar, although they prefer to be known as Vishwakarma. They are divided into the Kannar (brass-workers), Kollar (blacksmiths), Tattar (goldsmiths), Tatchar or Suthar/Sutar^[17] (carpenters) and Kartatchar (sculptor), Vishwa Brahim.^[18]^[19]

Karnataka

The Vishwakarma caste of south Karnataka is composed of several sub-castes: Kulachar, Uttaradi (goldsmiths), Matachar (founders), Muulekammaras, and Chikkamanes. Sub-castes do intermarry, and have a hierarchy among themselves.^[20]^{[verification needed]}

Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

In Andhra they are known as Viswa brahmin or Viswakarma (Ausula or Kamsali, Kammari, Kanchari, Vadla or Vadra or Vadrangi and Silpi)^[21]^[22]

References

^ Streefkerk, Hein (1985). Industrial Transition in Rural India: Artisans, Traders, and Tribals in South Gujarat. Bombay: Ramdas Bhatkal, Popular prakasham Pvt Ltd. p. 103. ISBN 0861320670.
^ R.De, Ridder; J.A.J, Karremans (1987). The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology. Netherlands: E.J Brill. ISBN 9004085173.
^ ^a ^b ^c Varghese K., George (8–14 November 2003). "Globalisation Traumas and New Social Imaginary: Visvakarma Community of Kerala". Economic and Political Weekly. 38 (45): 4794–4802. JSTOR 4414253.
^ ^a ^b Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2004). "Vishwakarma Craftsmen in Early Medieval Peninsular India". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 47 (4): 548–582. doi:10.1163/1568520042467154. ISSN 0022-4995. JSTOR 25165073. (subscription required)
^ Vijaya Ramaswamy 2008, p. 277.
^ Vijaya Ramaswamy 2008, pp. 287–288.
^ Vijaya Ramaswamy 2008, p. 288.
^ "Vijaya Ramaswamy | Jawaharlal Nehru University - Academia.edu". jnu.academia.edu. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ "CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH".
^ "Central Government list of OBC - Telangana".
^ Reconfiguring OBC politics in UP - Deccan Herald
^ Ikegame, Aya (2013). "Karnataka: Caste, dominance and social change in the 'Indian village'". In Berger, Peter; Heidemann, Frank (eds.). The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory. Routledge. p. 128. ISBN 9781134061112.
^ Central List of OBCs
^ Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. 1996. p. 1519. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.
^ SP Aggrawal, JC Aggrawal (1991). Educational and Social Uplift of Backward Classes. Concept Publishing Company. p. 160. ISBN 978-81-7022-339-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sanjay Paswan, Jaideva Paramanshi, ed. (2002). Encyclopaedia of Dalits in India: Emancipation and empowerment. Kalpaz Publications. p. 218. ISBN 978-81-7835-269-5.
^ AM Shah, ed. (2012). The Structure of Indian Society. Taylor&Francis. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-136-19770-3.
^ Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007). Historical dictionary of the Tamils. Scarecrow Press. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-0-8108-5379-9. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
^ "List of Backward Classes approved by Government of Tamil Nadu".
^ Brouwer, Jan (1992). "The Latecomers: A case study of caste and sub-caste of goldsmiths in Karnataka, South India". In van den Hoek, A. W.; Kolff, D. H. A.; Oort, M. S. (eds.). Ritual, State, and History in South Asia: Essays in Honour of J. C. Heesterman. BRILL. pp. 442–455. ISBN 9004094679.
^ "CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH".
^ "Central Government list of OBC - Telangana".

Bibliography

Vijaya Ramaswamy (2008). "Traditional Crafts, Technology, and Society in Pre-Colonial Peninsular India". In Rajat Datta (ed.). Rethinking a Millennium: Perspectives on Indian History from the Eighth to the Eighteenth Century. Aakar Books. ISBN 978-81-89833-36-7.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{pp-semi-indef}}
-The '''Vishwakarma''' community, sometimes referred to as Vishwabrahmin in some parts of India, is however composite group of five communities of artisans and craftspersons in India. The five sub-groups{{mdash}}[[carpenter]]s, [[blacksmith]]s, [[bronze]] smiths, [[goldsmith]]s and [[stonemasons]]{{mdash}} trace their descent from [[Vishvakarman]], a Hindu deity.
+{{short description|Hindu artisan caste}}
-Viswakarmas today worship various foms of this deity as well as other deities of the Hindu pantheon.
+The '''Vishwakarma''' community are a social group of India, sometimes described as a [[Caste system in India|caste]]. They claim themselves to be [[Brahmin]] or of high-status in the caste hierarchy, although these claims are not generally accepted outside the community. The community comprises five subgroups{{mdash}}[[carpenter]]s, [[blacksmith]]s, [[bronze]] smiths, [[goldsmith]]s and [[stonemasons]]{{mdash}} claim to be descendants of [[Vishvakarma]], the builder and architect of heavenly realm, a Hindu deity.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Streefkerk|first=Hein|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_L3edKpCmm4C&pg=PA103|title=Industrial Transition in Rural India: Artisans, Traders, and Tribals in South Gujarat|publisher=Ramdas Bhatkal, Popular prakasham Pvt Ltd|year=1985|isbn=0861320670|location=Bombay|page=103}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=R.De|first1=Ridder|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQcVAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA161|title=The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology.|last2=J.A.J|first2=Karremans|publisher=E.J Brill|year=1987|isbn=9004085173|location=Netherlands}}</ref>
-== Name ==
+== Origin myths ==
-The use of ''Viswakarmas'' as  an umbrella term for the five groups is of fairly recent origin .<ref name="Varghese" /> The [[British Raj]] viewed the Indian caste system as being an inflexible system based on [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]], ignoring all evidence of caste creation and disintegration caused by processes of social fission and fusion. This interpretation, formed in part by heeding the work of [[Brahmin]] scholars, resulted in many communities aspiring to official recognition of a higher social status than was traditional, based on claims of descent from elite groups such as the Brahmins or [[Kshatriya]]s. Among the changes that occurred during this period, the census administrator [[John Henry Hutton]] recorded in 1931 a caste called the ''Vishwakarma'', which was an administrative creation defined as a community of artisans who were geographically disparate but shared fairly similar occupations. The Vishwakarma comprised numerous previously diverse castes.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Census and caste enumeration: British legacy and contemporary practice in India |first=Ram B. |last=Bhagat |journal=Genus |volume=62 |issue=2 |date=April–June 2006 |pages=119–134 |jstor=29789312}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
-The community prefer the new name, which has evidential support in 12th-century inscriptions that refer to smiths and sculptors belonging to the ''Vishwakarma [[Kuladevata|kula]]'', although Vijaya Ramaswamy notes that "...&nbsp;the Vishwakarma community is obviously cutting across caste lines" and "...&nbsp;comprises five socially and economically differentiated [[Jāti|jati]]s". Prior to the Raj period, these communities were referred to by names such as ''Kammalar'' in present-day [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Kerala]], ''Panchalar'' in [[Karnataka]], and ''Panchanamuvaru'' in [[Andhra Pradesh]], while there are also medieval inscriptions that refer to them as the ''[[Rathakara]]'' and ''Kammala-Rathakarar''.<ref name="Ramaswamy">{{cite journal |title=Vishwakarma Craftsmen in Early Medieval Peninsular India |first=Vijaya  |last=Ramaswamy |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |volume=47 |issue=4 |year=2004 |pages=548–582 |jstor=25165073 |doi=10.1163/1568520042467154}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
+The community claims to be descended from the god [[Vishvakarma]], who is considered by Hindus to be the divine architect or engineer of the universe. He had five children — [[Manu (child of Vishwakarma)|Manu]], [[Mamuni Mayan|Maya]], [[Tvastar]], Shilpi and Visvajna&nbsp;— and these are believed by the Vishwakarma community to have been the forebears of their five subgroups, being respectively the [[gotra]]s (clans) of blacksmiths, carpenters, bell metalworkers (metal casters), stonemasons and goldsmiths.<ref name="Varghese" /> It is not known whether these five subgroups historically practised [[endogamy]], which is a frequently-found feature of the Indian caste system.<ref name="Ramaswamy">{{cite journal |title=Vishwakarma Craftsmen in Early Medieval Peninsular India |first=Vijaya  |last=Ramaswamy |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |volume=47 |issue=4 |year=2004 |pages=548–582 |jstor=25165073 |doi=10.1163/1568520042467154 |issn=0022-4995}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
-Anthropologist Jan Brouwer used the term 'makers of the world' in positive affirmation of the artisanal practie of the  carpenter, smiths, sculptors and stone masons. He also took note of the fact that the Viswakarmas had no clear classification in the Varna System. (In Conversation with Jan Brouwer,  Sreekala Sivasankaran  Sahapedia)
+The [[origin myth]]s of the Vishwakarma community were first consolidated in the early 18th century, during the [[Colonial India|British colonial rule]]. These myths were compiled in the ''Vishwakarma Puranam'', whose original manuscript is undated but was most probably created in the mid-17th or 18th century.{{sfn|Vijaya Ramaswamy|2008|p=277}} According to a popular myth recorded in the ''Vishwakarma Puranam'', the five children of the god Vishwakarma served the gods as artisans, and possessed the ability to create things by simply visualising them. They had conserved their ''[[vīrya (Hinduism)|veerya]]'' by being celibates, and lived in a fort on the coast of Ilangapuri ([[Sri Lanka]]).{{sfn|Vijaya Ramaswamy|2008|pp=287-288}} The fort was made of [[lodestone]], and the enemy weapons thrown at it were stuck to its walls, rendering it invincible. Their chief enemy was Karunakaran, a vassal of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] emperor. In order to defeat the Vishwakarmas, Karunakaran planted many beautiful women (Brahmin women according to some versions of the legend) in the fort. These women married the Vishwakarmas, thus destroying their spiritual power, and learned the secret that a certain type of poisonous grass could be used to burn up the fort. Using this secret, the enemy blew up the fort, and the Vishwakarmas were scattered in various areas, where they were forced to work as artisans and craftsmen for mortal humans.{{sfn|Vijaya Ramaswamy|2008|p=288}}
-== Origin ==
-The god Vishwakarma is considered by followers of the Hindu faith to be the divine architect or engineer of the universe. He had five children — [[Manu (child of Vishwakarma)|Manu]], [[Maya (child of Vishwakarma)|Maya]], [[Tvastar]], Shilpi and Visvajna&nbsp;— and these are believed by the Vishwakarma community to have been the forebears of their five sub-groups, being respectively the [[gotra]]s (clans) of blacksmiths, carpenters, bell metalworkers (metal casters), stonemasons and goldsmiths.<ref name="Varghese" /> It is not known whether these five subgroups historically practiced [[endogamy]], which is a frequently-found feature of the Indian caste system.<ref name="Ramaswamy" />
 == History ==
-While many sources refer to the five sub-groups of the Vishwakarma as artisans, Ramaswamy believes that the Vishwakarma of the medieval period should be distinguished as craftsmen, arguing that "...&nbsp;while every craftsman was an artisan, every artisan was not a craftsman". Ramaswamy notes that the socio-economic and geographic stability of a medieval village-based maker of [[plough]]s differed considerably from that of the various people who banded together as Vishwakarma and lived a relatively itinerant lifestyle that was dependent on the "temple economy" that waxed and waned as dynasties such as the [[Vijayanagar Empire]] were formed and disintegrated. The latter group, who did work in proximity to each other while constructing and embellishing temples, had opportunities for socio-economic advancement but also bore the risks of withdrawal of patronage and changes in religious focus.<ref name="Ramaswamy" />
+While many sources refer to the five subgroups of the Vishwakarma as artisans, historian Vijaya Ramaswamy<ref>{{cite web |title=Vijaya Ramaswamy {{!}} Jawaharlal Nehru University - Academia.edu |url=https://jnu.academia.edu/VijayaRamaswamy |website=jnu.academia.edu |access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> believes that the Vishwakarma of the medieval period should be distinguished as craftsmen, arguing that "...&nbsp;while every craftsman was an artisan, every artisan was not a craftsman". Ramaswamy notes that the socio-economic and geographic stability of a medieval village-based maker of [[plough]]s differed considerably from that of the various people who banded together as Vishwakarma and lived a relatively itinerant lifestyle that was dependent on the "temple economy" that waxed and waned as dynasties such as the [[Vijayanagar Empire]] were formed and disintegrated. The latter group, who did work in proximity to each other while constructing and embellishing temples, had opportunities for socio-economic advancement but also bore the risks of withdrawal of patronage and changes in religious focus.<ref name="Ramaswamy" />
-Interestingly, Ananda Kumaraswamy's book displaying  plates of south asian sculptures was named Viswakarma, which remains an inspiring volume for art historians.
 == Position in society ==
+In [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Telangana]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]] they come under [[Other Backward Class]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH|url=https://bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in/bclist.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Central Government list of OBC - Telangana|url=http://www.ncbc.nic.in/user_panel/GazetteResolution.aspx?Value=mPICjsL1aLvZW9%2FwXcIbxcNal%2FTghxZUuV7adcx5Bs1cEGdzKqq0GufcXEZAUTq0}}</ref><ref>[https://www.deccanherald.com/content/558541/reconfiguring-obc-politics-up.html Reconfiguring OBC politics in UP - Deccan Herald]</ref>
-The Vishwakarma have held a higher social status for many years, and believe that the vocations which they traditionally follow are superior to the work of a manual labourer because they require artistic and scientific skills as well as those of the hand. According to George Varghese, their claim to high status is "one of the mainstays of Vishwakarma identity" in what is otherwise a fragmented, incoherent community that has often suffered from internal differences of opinion.<ref name="Varghese">{{cite journal |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=38 |issue=45 |date=8–14 November 2003 |pages=4794–4802 |first=George |last=Varghese K. |title=Globalisation Traumas and New Social Imaginary: Visvakarma Community of Kerala |jstor=4414253}}</ref>
+In [[Kerala]], the Vishwakarmas have claimed a higher social status for many years, and believe that the trades which they traditionally follow are superior to the work of a manual labourer because they require artistic and scientific skills as well as those of the hand. According to George Varghese, their claim to high status is "one of the mainstays of Vishwakarma identity" in what is otherwise a fragmented, incoherent community that has often suffered from internal differences of opinion.<ref name="Varghese">{{cite journal |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=38 |issue=45 |date=8–14 November 2003 |pages=4794–4802 |first=George |last=Varghese K. |title=Globalisation Traumas and New Social Imaginary: Visvakarma Community of Kerala |jstor=4414253}}</ref> Their claim has been voiced by Edava Somanathan, a member of the community and its only historian in the written word. Somanathan's works, according to Varghese, "...&nbsp;are written from a pro-community perspective. Therefore, there are a lot of exaggerations and [[Anti-Brahminism|anti-brahmin]] tirades in Kerala". Somanathan argues that the artisanal groups were a part of the [[Indus Valley civilisation]], pre-dating the arrival of Brahmins and their caste-based division of society. He claims implausible achievements are evidenced in both the arts and sciences during that egalitarian pre-Brahmin era, including the construction of aeroplanes.<ref name="Varghese" />{{fcn|date=July 2023}}
-One reason for the lack of political patronage or effective leadership for the community until recently could be the diversity of the skilled works of the groups within and also, for a group which has a heritage of artistic, artisanal and crafts production haven't perhaps felt the need for such an agency.
+This claim to Brahmin status is not generally accepted outside the community, despite their assumption of some high-caste traits, such as wearing the [[sacred thread]], and the Brahminisation of their rituals. For example, the sociologist [[M. N. Srinivas]], who developed the concept of [[sanskritisation]], juxtaposed the success of the [[Lingayat]] caste in achieving advancement within [[Karnataka]] society by such means with the failure of the Vishwakarma to achieve the same. Their position as a [[Idangai|left-hand caste]] has not aided their ambition.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory |first=Aya |last=Ikegame |chapter=Karnataka: Caste, dominance and social change in the 'Indian village' |editor1-first=Peter |editor1-last=Berger |editor2-first=Frank |editor2-last=Heidemann |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |page=128 |isbn=9781134061112 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBgLb8XIGR8C&pg=PA128}}</ref> They have been included in the list of [[Other Backward Class]]es in some states of India.<ref>[http://www.ncbc.nic.in/User_Panel/CentralListStateView.aspx Central List of OBCs]</ref>
-The Viswakarma  claim has been voiced by Edava Somanathan, a member of the community and its only historian in Kerala in the written word. Somanathan's works, according to Varghese, "...&nbsp;are written from a pro-community perspective. Therefore, there are  some exaggerations and [[Anti-Brahminism|anti-brahmin]] tirades in them". Somanathan argues that the artisanal groups were a part of the [[Indus Valley Civilisation]], pre-dating the arrival of Brahmins and their caste-based division of society. He claims remarkable achievements are evidenced in both the arts and sciences during that egalitarian pre-Brahmin era, including the construction of aeroplanes.<ref name="Varghese" />
+==List of castes==
-This claim to Brahmin status is not generally accepted outside the community, despite their assumption of some high-caste traits, such as wearing the [[sacred thread]], and the Brahminisation of their rituals. For example, the sociologist [[M. N. Srinivas]], who developed the concept of [[sanskritisation]], juxtaposed the success of the [[Lingayat]] caste in achieving advancement within [[Karnataka]] society by such means with the failure of the Vishwakarma to achieve the same. Their position as a [[Idangai|left-hand caste]] has not aided their ambition.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Modern Anthropology of India: Ethnography, Themes and Theory |first=Aya |last=Ikegame |chapter=Karnataka: Caste, dominance and social change in the 'Indian village' |editor1-first=Peter |editor1-last=Berger |editor2-first=Frank |editor2-last=Heidemann |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |page=128 |isbn=9781134061112 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sBgLb8XIGR8C&pg=PA128}}</ref>
+The following castes are considered to be members of the Vishwakarma community :
+* [[Lohar (caste)|Lohar]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfAMAQAAMAAJ&dq=lohar+vishwakarma&pg=PA1520 |title=Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles |page=1519 |year=1996 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=978-0-19-563357-3 }}</ref>
+* [[Suthar]]<ref name=agg>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COcwoYRCYhcC&dq=Suthar+sutar+vishwakarma&pg=PA160 |title=Educational and Social Uplift of Backward Classes |page=160 |author=SP Aggrawal, JC Aggrawal |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1991 |isbn=978-81-7022-339-9}}</ref>
+* [[Khati]]<ref name=pasw>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GulBDMgxcU0C&dq=Khati+vishwakarma&pg=PA218 |page=218 |title=Encyclopaedia of Dalits in India: Emancipation and empowerment |publisher=Kalpaz Publications |editor=Sanjay Paswan, Jaideva Paramanshi|year=2002|isbn=978-81-7835-269-5 }}</ref>
+* [[Tarkhan]]<ref name=pasw/>
+* [[Sutradhar]]<ref name=pasw/>
 == Synonyms ==
 === Tamil Nadu ===
-In [[Tamil Nadu]], Tamil Achari, Acharya or Asari are known as ''Tamil Kammalars''. They are goldsmiths, Carpenters, Blacksmiths and landlords.<ref name="Ramaswamy2007">{{cite book|last=Ramaswamy|first=Vijaya|title=Historical dictionary of the Tamils|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC&pg=PA107|accessdate=16 January 2012|year=2007|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-5379-9|pages=107–108}}</ref>
+The Tamil Vishwakarmas are locally known as [[Kammalan|''Kammalar'']], although they prefer to be known as Vishwakarma. They are divided into the ''Kannar'' (brass-workers), ''Kollar'' (blacksmiths), ''Tattar'' (goldsmiths), ''Tatchar'' or ''Suthar''/''Sutar''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EjORKo7maRUC&dq=Suthar+carpenter&pg=PA135 |editor=AM Shah |publisher=Taylor&Francis |page=135 |title=The Structure of Indian Society |year=2012|isbn=978-1-136-19770-3 }}</ref> (carpenters) and ''Kartatchar'' (sculptor), Vishwa Brahim.<ref name="Ramaswamy2007">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC&pg=PA107|title=Historical dictionary of the Tamils|last=Ramaswamy|first=Vijaya|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-8108-5379-9|pages=107–108|access-date=16 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=List of Backward Classes approved by Government of Tamil Nadu|url=https://bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in/bclist.htm|website=}}</ref>
 === Karnataka ===
-The Vishwakarma caste of south [[Karnataka]], is composed of several sub-castes: Kulachar, Uttaradi (goldsmiths), Matachar (founders), Muulekammaras, and Chikkamanes. Sub-castes do intermarry, and have a hierarchy among themselves.<ref name="gold">{{cite book |editor1-first=A. W. |editor1-last=van den Hoek |editor2-first=D. H. A. |editor2-last=Kolff |editor3-first=M. S. |editor3-last=Oort |title=Ritual, State, and History in South Asia: Essays in Honour of J. C. Heesterman |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EtwtSZwyWpgC&pg=PA433 |pages=442–455 |publisher=BRILL |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |chapter=The Latecomers: A case study of caste and sub-caste of goldsmiths in Karnataka, South India}}</ref>{{vs|date=June 2013}}
+The Vishwakarma caste of south [[Karnataka]] is composed of several sub-castes: Kulachar, Uttaradi (goldsmiths), Matachar (founders), Muulekammaras, and Chikkamanes. Sub-castes do intermarry, and have a hierarchy among themselves.<ref name="gold">{{cite book |editor1-first=A. W. |editor1-last=van den Hoek |editor2-first=D. H. A. |editor2-last=Kolff |editor3-first=M. S. |editor3-last=Oort |title=Ritual, State, and History in South Asia: Essays in Honour of J. C. Heesterman |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtwtSZwyWpgC&pg=PA433 |pages=442–455 |publisher=BRILL |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |chapter=The Latecomers: A case study of caste and sub-caste of goldsmiths in Karnataka, South India|year=1992 |isbn=9004094679 }}</ref>{{vs|date=June 2013}}
+=== Andhra Pradesh & Telangana ===
-== Notable people ==
+In Andhra they are known as Viswa brahmin or Viswakarma (Ausula or Kamsali, Kammari, Kanchari, Vadla or Vadra or [[Vadrangi]] and Silpi)<ref>{{Cite web|title=CENTRAL LIST OF OBCs FOR THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH|url=https://bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in/bclist.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Central Government list of OBC - Telangana|url=http://www.ncbc.nic.in/user_panel/GazetteResolution.aspx?Value=mPICjsL1aLvZW9%2FwXcIbxcNal%2FTghxZUuV7adcx5Bs1cEGdzKqq0GufcXEZAUTq0}}</ref>
-*[[Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra]] <ref>{{cite book|last=Pillai|first=R.N.|title=Veerabrahmam : India's Nostradamus saint|year=1991|publisher=Abhinav Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=8170172799|page=9|accessdate=11 Jan 2014|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=aDYdLiszKjwC}}</ref>
+==See also==
+* [[Bhuee clan]]
+* [[Panchal]]
+* [[Tarkhan]]
+* [[Daksha]]
+* [[Great Architect of the Universe]]
+* [[Vishwakarma Puja]] (Vishwakarma Jayanti)
+* [[Kami (caste)]]
+* [[Lohar (caste)|Lohar]]
 == References ==
 {{reflist}}
+=== Bibliography ===
+{{ref begin}}
+* {{cite book |author=Vijaya Ramaswamy |chapter=Traditional Crafts, Technology, and Society in Pre-Colonial Peninsular India |editor=Rajat Datta |title=Rethinking a Millennium: Perspectives on Indian History from the Eighth to the Eighteenth Century |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2H4PGhFB9ScC&pg=PA277 |year=2008 |publisher=Aakar Books |isbn=978-81-89833-36-7 }}
+{{ref end}}
 == Further reading ==
 *{{cite book |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |chapter=The Visvakarma Worldview |title=Prakriti: The Integral Vision |volume=1 (Primal Elements: The Oral Tradition) |editor-first=Baidyanath |editor-last=Saraswati |year=1995 |publisher=Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-246-0037-6 |url=http://ignca.nic.in/ps_01011.htm}}
-*{{cite book |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |chapter=The Story of the Magnetic Fort |title=The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology: Essays in Honour of P.E. de Josselin de Jong |editor1-first=Rob |editor1-last=de Ridder |editor2-first=Jan A. J. |editor2-last=Karremans |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |year=1987 |isbn=9789004085176 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bQcVAAAAIAAJ}}
+*{{cite book |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |chapter=The Story of the Magnetic Fort |title=The Leiden Tradition in Structural Anthropology: Essays in Honour of P.E. de Josselin de Jong |editor1-first=Rob |editor1-last=de Ridder |editor2-first=Jan A. J. |editor2-last=Karremans |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |year=1987 |isbn=9789004085176 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQcVAAAAIAAJ}}
-*{{cite book |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |title=The Makers of the World: Caste, Craft and Mind of South Indian Artisans |location=Delhi |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1995}}
+*{{cite book |first=Jan |last=Brouwer |title=The Makers of the World: Caste, Craft and Mind of South Indian Artisans |url=https://archive.org/details/makersofworld00brou |url-access=registration |location=Delhi |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1995|isbn=978-0-19-563091-6 }}
-*{{cite book|first=John Duncan Martin |last=Derrett |title=Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law: Dharmaśāstra and related ideas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rZrLMgEACAAJ |year=1976 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-04475-3 |pages=45–46}}
+*{{cite book|first=John Duncan Martin |last=Derrett |title=Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law: Dharmaśāstra and related ideas |url=https://archive.org/details/essaysinclassica0001derr |url-access=registration |year=1976 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-04475-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/essaysinclassica0001derr/page/45 45]–46}}
-*{{cite book |first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |chapter=Traditional Crafts, Technology, and Society in Pre-colonial Peninsular India |editor-first=Rajat |editor-last=Datta |title=Rethinking a Millennium: Perspectives on Indian History from the Eighth to the Eighteenth Century : Essays for Harbans Mukhia |publisher=Aakar Books |location=Delhi |year=2008 |isbn=9788189833367 |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2H4PGhFB9ScC&pg=PA275}}
+*{{cite book |first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |chapter=Traditional Crafts, Technology, and Society in Pre-colonial Peninsular India |editor-first=Rajat |editor-last=Datta |title=Rethinking a Millennium: Perspectives on Indian History from the Eighth to the Eighteenth Century : Essays for Harbans Mukhia |publisher=Aakar Books |location=Delhi |year=2008 |isbn=9788189833367 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2H4PGhFB9ScC&pg=PA275}}
 [[Category:Blacksmith castes]]
 [[Category:Carpenter castes]]
 [[Category:Goldsmith castes]]
-* Misra R.N (1975). Ancient Artists and Art Activity
-* Misra, R.N. (2009).Silpa in the Indian Tradition
-* Sivasankaran, SreeKala (2016).In Conversation with Jan Brouwer,  Sahapedia https://www.sahapedia.org/conversation-jan-brouwer
-* Coomaraswamy, Ananda (1914) Viswakarma: Examples in Indian Architecture, Sculptures, Painting  and Handicraft