Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Mumbai, Bangalore, Mangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hubli-Dharwad | |
| Languages | |
| Konkani | |
| Religion | |
Hinduism
|
Chitrapur Saraswats are a small Konkani-speaking community of Hindu Brahmins in India who trace their genealogy to the Kashmiri Pandits. They call themselves Bhanaps in the Konkani language.[1] Although Kavle Math of Ponda or the Shri Gaudapadacharya Math predates it, and is known as the Adi Math of all Saraswats, the Chitrapur Math, located in the village of Shirali, in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka is the primary autonomous religious institution of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. With its line of Gurus (or Guru Parampara), the Chitrapur Math is a vital link that holds together the widely scattered units of the community. The community members are adherents of Smartism and the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Adi Sankara.