The GSB [Gaudiya Saraswata Brahmins] themselves draw their ancestral origin from Bengalis. They migrated & settled in Konkan cost from the kingdom of Gauda [Bengal], thus have Gauda in name.
They share various religious & cultural similarity with us.
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They share various religious & cultural similarity with us.
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![The GSB [Gaudiya Saraswata Brahmins] themselves draw their ancestral origin from Bengalis. They migr...](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FfP19RUWIAECQJ7.jpg)
● Durga worship:
Historically all of the GSBs were Shaktas who worshiped various forms of Parvati and Shiva. Durga worship is one of the oldest Hindu traditions of Bengal. GSBs worship various avatars of Durga like Shantadurga, Navadurga, Vajayadurga.
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Historically all of the GSBs were Shaktas who worshiped various forms of Parvati and Shiva. Durga worship is one of the oldest Hindu traditions of Bengal. GSBs worship various avatars of Durga like Shantadurga, Navadurga, Vajayadurga.
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Eating fish:
While most Brahmins are pure vegetarians, the Bengali Brahmins and GSBs are well known for eating fish. While some other Pancha Gowda Brahmins like Kashmiri Pandits are non vegetarians, as far as I know fish eating is not prevalent in any other Brahmin sects.
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While most Brahmins are pure vegetarians, the Bengali Brahmins and GSBs are well known for eating fish. While some other Pancha Gowda Brahmins like Kashmiri Pandits are non vegetarians, as far as I know fish eating is not prevalent in any other Brahmin sects.
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The origin of fish eating among Saraswat Brahmins is said to be during the final years of Saraswati river. As the river slowly dried up, farming became impossible to feed all. So those who could not farm were allowed to eat fish to sustain themselves.
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The traditional way of eating fish among GSBs is to break the head and tail part and eat only the body. This has roots in the belief that the head and tail would be joined and a new fish will come to life from it.
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There are multiple accounts as to why GSBs left Bengal and migrated thousands of kilometres away to Konkan. The migration to Konkan did not occur in a single phase but was spread over hundreds of years.
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Gaudiya Saraswata Brahmins founded their first Math in Keloshi, Goa in 780 A.D. So the earliest GSBs had arrived in Konkan by eighth century.
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The first large scale migration of GSBs to Konkan was by the invitation of Shilaharas in the second half of eight century. 66 clans/families of Saraswat Brahmins from Bengal migrated to Konkan and brought their deities with them. The 66 families settled in one village each.
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Sashti is the Konkani name of this region. Sashti comes from the Sanskrit word for 66, Shatshasti. Till the Portuguese arrived, Sashti was the cultural center of Konkanis. 30 more families arrived later and settled in Tiswadi.
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