Major Communities

The communities of Kasheli

Kasheli is home to several communities living in long-standing harmony. Each has shaped the cultural, religious, educational and economic life of the village.

Brahmin families

• Bhagvat — descendants of Govind Bhatt Bhagvat, who has performed the daily worship, archana and agnihotra at the Shri Kanakaditya temple for centuries. Their land grant from the Shilahara king Gandaraditya is preserved on a copper plate.

• Paranjape — hereditary priests of the Shri Lakshminarayan temple, whose family deity is Lakshminarayan himself. Originally of Gangkhadi, the family is now settled at Solapur.

• Gurjar & Gurjar-Padhye — old residents of Sawrewadi. The joint family house of Vithal Sitaram Gurjar, Shrikrishna Gurjar-Padhye and Raghunath Damodar Gurjar-Padhye stood here. Members of the family also organised the copper-roof cladding of the Kanakaditya temple. [V.S. Gurjar →](/page/famous-people)

• Kulkarni — families spread across three wadas who manage the Shri Aagbadevi temple.

• Naphade, Thakur, Kashelkar — civic-minded families who have led the village’s schools, panchayat and social work. Bhikajipant Naphade ran private tutoring in Kasheli before 1861; Shri Jagannathrao Thakur donated 2½ acres of his own land for a school.

• Saware — Late Bhaskar Nilkanth Saware and Late Jagannath Vishnu Saware founded a volunteer school at Kasheli Bandh. Late Bhikaji Vishnu Saware supported school construction through the ‘Kasheli Primary Patpedhi.

• Palsule— Palsule family is originally from Kusur. Moved to Kasheli around 1910.

## Kunbi vommunity
The Kunbi Samaj is a prominent agricultural and peasant community native to the Indian subcontinent, primarily concentrated in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Historically, they are the backbone of rural economies and form a massive part of the Marathi-speaking population.

- Key Characteristics & Culture*
- Origins: The term Kunbi derives from the Marathi words Kun (land) and Bi (seed), translating literally to one who sows seeds or cultivates land.
- Social Status: They are classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in states like Maharashtra. Culturally, they are closely associated with the broader Maratha-Kunbi community
- cluster.History: Historically celebrated as the robust, independent agriculturalists of the Deccan, they formed the core of Shivaji Maharaj’s armies. Prominent dynasties like the Gaekwads of Baroda and the Scindias of Gwalior are of Kunbi origin.
- Marriage Customs: The community has strong cultural traditions heavily tied to farming roots, including unique engagement ceremonies and the saddo ritual (cutting the wedding sari).
Main lastnames:
-Tharali
-Bavkar
-Chavhan
-Lad
-Prabhu
-Agavekar
-Mandavkar
-Thukarul
-Gothankar

## Bhandari community
The Bhandari Samaj refers to the Bhandari caste, a traditional seafaring and martial community from India’s western coast, particularly prominent in Maharashtra and Goa. Historically functioning as warriors, navigators, and administrators, they constitute the largest Hindu demographic in Goa and hold significant socio-political influence.
Main lastnames:
- Haldankar
-Patil
-Phodkar
-Manjarekar
-Thakare
-Pendnekar

Vishwakarma (Sutar) community

Kasheli’s carpenter families are celebrated across the Konkan for boat-building, furniture, construction and ironwork. A Vishwakarma community organisation built a school in Sutarwadi; classes 1–5 now run there.

Gurav

Hereditary priestly duties at the Shri Jakhadevi temple have always rested with the Gurav family.

Buddhist community (formerly Harijan)

The Bouddhvadi settlement is an integral part of the village. The community formerly maintained the small “Purukh” shrine; that responsibility has eased since their adoption of Buddhism, but the social compact remains. (V.S. Gurjar’s 1952 essay “Harijan students should get water” spoke openly against caste discrimination at the village well.)