Komati (caste)

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Castes of India
VYSYA
Classification	Traders, Businessmen
Subdivisions	-
Significant populations in	Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
Languages	Telugu, Kannada, Tamil
Religions	Hinduism

The Vysyas are a Telugu speaking trading caste of South India, primarily from Andhra Pradesh. They are also spread over other parts of South India in Tamil Nadu,Maharashtra and Karnataka as well.

They use the title Setty in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Chetty in Tamil Nadu. In Maharashtra names are suffixed with word WAR, like Gujalwar. Vysyas are said to have originally lived on the banks of the Godavari River, which they called Gomati, corrupted in Telugu to Komati. Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari is the main Goddess or Kula Devatha of Vysyas. The community is an affluent community engaged in business or trade.

[edit] Vasavammas Legacy

Vasavi's life is worth remembering because of her faith in non-violence religious values. She became immortal as she has been mainly responsible for the propagation of reputation of Komatis throughout the world. She is an epitome for Aryan women who sacrificed her life than to intermarry with the black skinned dravidian kings of that time. She represents the strife the Vysya commuinites faced when Gomatis or Komatis moved towards South India where the aboriginal kings lusted for her beauty, and tried to intimidate the Komatis by all their might, yet Vasavi remained a Kanya (virgin) sacrificing her life for the sanctity of her people. Vasavi, who had rejected worldly pleasures, won the minds of Komati's and hence worshipped as an incarnation of god.^{[citation needed]} -

[edit] See also

• Forward Castes