Daivadnya

The Daivadnyas, (also known as Daivadnya Brahmins or Konkanastha Rathakara), are a Konkani Gold-smith community, who claim to have descended from Vishwakarma, Hindu architect god and part of larger Vishwakarma community. They are native to the Konkan and are mainly found in the states of Goa and Damaon, Canara (coastal Karnataka), coastal Maharashtra, and Kerala. Daivadnya Brahmins in Maharashtra, belonging to upper the caste . Those with the highest status in the caste were the Devangas, and, under the Peshwas, they had claimed to be Daivadnya Brahmins, because of their intimate association with temple worship. Though this claim is recognized by the Poona Government in the eighteenth century, the Bombay Sonars persisted with it, and were encouraged by the prestige of their leader, Jagannath Shankarshet. Their name has many alternative spellings, including Daivajna, Daivajnya, Daiwadnya, and Daivadnea. It is pronounced d̪aivaɡna in Karnataka and d̪əivaʝɲa in Goa and Maharashtra. Daivadnyas are commonly known as Shet. This appellation comes from their guild organisations, during the medieval ages. European documents mentions them as "Chatim" or "Xette", which is corruption of Konkani Shett, or Shetty. The guild or members of the guilds of traders, merchants, and their employees who were mainly artisans, craftsmen, and husband-men in ancient Goa like elsewhere in ancient India, were called Shreni, and the head of the guilds were called Shrestha or Shresthi, which meant His Excellency. Of all the trade guilds, the Daivadnya guild, was highly esteemed in Goa.These guilds enjoyed such a reputation for trustworthiness that people deposited money with these guilds, which served as local banks and also made huge donations to the temples. Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti, a comprehensive work on Goan culture also suggests that they called themselves Sreshtha to distinguish themselves from other groups who were assigned status of Sankra jati or mixed origin in the Shastras.