Shringarpure
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka | |
| Languages | |
| Marathi | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism |
Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) is an ethno-religious clan of South Asia. It is part of the broader Kayastha community. Traditionally, the CKPs have been granted the upper caste status, which allowed them to study the Vedas and perform religious rites along with Brahmins.
The CKPs are today concentrated primarily in western Maharashtra, southern Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh (Indore region).
They CKP consider themselves descendants of Chandrasen, an ancient kshatriya king of Ayodhya and of the Haiyaya family of the lunar Kshatriya Dynasty "Kayastha-mitra"(Volume 1, No.9. Dec 1930) gives a list of north Indian princely families that belonged to the CKP caste.
The name Chandraseniya may be a corruption of the word "Chandrashreniya", meaning from the valley of the Chenab River (also known as "Chandra"). This theory states that the word "Kayastha" originates from the term "Kaya Desha", an ancient name for the region around Ayodhya.
The CKPs have traditionally been placed in the Kshatriya varna, next only to the Brahmins, and also followed the Brahmin rituals, like the sacred thread ceremony.
According to American Indologist and scholar of Religious Studies and South Asian Studies Christian Lee Novetzke:
The book 'Prabhu Kul Deepika' gives the gotras (rishi name) and pravaras etc. of the CKP caste.
According to a letter written by the Shankaracharya of the Shingeri Math in the 1800's, who confirmed the 'vedadhikar' of the CKPs, the title 'Prabhu' must have been given to the CKPs by the Shilahar kings of Konkan.
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