Kharwa caste

The Kharwa also spelled as Kharva is a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India.

History and origin

The Kharva community is distributed throughout the coastal areas of Saurashtra and in Mandvi, Mundra, and Ghandhidham, which are Kutch's Coastal region. It is believed that the Kharwa originated from Rajasthan and migrated to the coast during the tenth century, where they took up fishing as well, and imported and exported goods on ships. They are a royal family in Rajput.There are two castes in kharva, mainly raghuvanshi and suryavanshi. Raghuvanshi kharvas are the one who washed Lord Rams feet before letting him sit in his boat before crossing the river.

Present circumstances

Importing and exporting goods by ship remains the traditional occupation of the community. They trade in many countries, including Oman, U.A.E, Somalia, and also other parts of Africa. Many Kharwa now have their own ships for exporting goods and have set up different cooperative societies. The community is Hindu.