9-598: Semwal is one of the thirty-six subcastes of Sarola Brahmin from Uttarakhand . They are the sole custodians and pandits of the Gangotri temple. The name "Semwal" originates from a place called Sem-Mukhem ( Hindi :सेम-मुखेम) in Uttarakhand , abode to the shrine of Sem-Mukhem Nagraj ( Hindi : सेममुखेम नागराज ) often considered among the locals as the fifth shrine of the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of which
18-594: The Char Dham (Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka) and the 4 High Sees of the Chota Char Dham (Badrinath - Joshimath , Kedarnath - Nanda Devi , Yamunotri, Gangotri) as well as the 12 Jyotrlingas of which Kedarnath is the highest and most sacred due to its proximity to the divine abode of Lord Shiva at Kailasa. The Sarolas and Chauthokis settled as Rajpurohits (grand viziers), Royal Astrologers, High Priests , Ritual Cooks, Royal Gurus , and as Royal Advisors and Ministers. Along with this they were also designated
27-640: The Joshis, Nanda Devi under the Nautiyals, and the highest Hindu ecclesiastical authority in the north: the temple of Badrinath under the Nambudris who bore the dynastic title of 'Shankaracharya' (pontiff) due to their direct descent from Adisankara of the eighth century who established all these great temples in North India. The greatest ecclesiastical seats of Hinduism are the 4 Pontifical Thrones of
36-593: The Semwals are permanent serving priests. Apart from this, the name "Semwal" might also have originated from Sem village in Karnaprayag , Chamoli district . Sarola brahmin Sarola Brahmin , also called Saryul and Serul are the oldest Garhwali Brahmins from Uttarakhand , India . These families were founded in the 6th and 7th centuries by scions of multiple Brahmin magnate clans to rule as
45-768: The Sixth Century) or the Rajpurohit Gaur Nautiyals (hereditary prime ministers in Garhwal) or the Maithil Uniyals (in Garhwal) held a higher ducal status as Taluqdars or Thakurs and were themselves descendants of royal and leading Brahmin ducal houses from the pre-medieval kingdoms of their origins such as the Nautiyals of Malwa , Joshis of the Carnatic or Uniyals of Magadha . The Uniyals , Bahugunas , Dobhals, and Dangwals were
54-571: The high lords in Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli Garhwal . These Brahmin houses maintained vast interests in landholding, finance and hereditary ministerial positions along with custodianship of the great temples of North India as hereditary 'Ravals' (high priests or archbishops) such as Yamunotri under the Uniyals, Gangotri under the Semwals, Kedarnath under the Dimris, Joshimath under
63-655: The oldest Gangari Brahmins founded in the 8th century after the first Sarola families, but due to their ancient lineage from classical dynasties of the Gangetic Plains of Bihar, Bengal and Ayodhya, they were afforded the same high status as the Sarola Houses and formed the class of Chauthoki aristocrats. The Chauthoki houses were pre-eminent nobility in Tehri Garhwal as counterpart to the Sarolas being
72-625: The sacerdotal aristocracy of the Himalayan Kingdoms. The Sarolas originally were 12 ancient houses: Nautiyals , Maitwanas, Khanduras, Raturis, Thapliyals , Chamolis, Semwals , Lakheras, Semaltis, Gairolas , Kothiyals and Dimris. However, the oldest families, often exclusively Sarola and with the most illustrious lineages, such as the Kanyakubja Joshis (the oldest of the leading Satkuli or 7 Brahmin lineages of Kumaon where they served as hereditary prime ministers since
81-604: The task of cooking ritual temple offerings on auspicious occasions and also on royal occasions by the King of Garhwal, thus named "Sarola" ( Garhwali for cooking offerings) due to the ritual purity of the Sarola Brahmins which meant only their hand could prepare the oblations. Rajpurohit Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
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