Agharia History

The Agharia people of India are primarily agricultural communities of Odia and
Chhattisgarh, tracing their origins to a group of Rajput Kshatriyas who migrated
from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, around 1550 CE after a conflict with Sultan Muhammad
Adil Shah Suri. They settled in the Chhattisgarh and Odisha regions, becoming
cultivators under the patronage of local Gajapati kings and eventually adopting
farming and cultivation as their primary occupations. 

Origins and Migration

Chandravanshi Tomar Rajputs: 
The Agharias are believed to have originated from the Chandravanshi Tomar

Rajputs, initially known as Agarwal Rajputs and descendants of Vidura of the
Mahabharata. 

Uttar Pradesh: 
They traced their initial migration from the region of Agra in present-day Uttar
Pradesh. 

Delhi Sultanate Conflict: 
According to oral traditions, they were soldiers for the Delhi Sultan Muhammad
Adil Shah Suri but refused to bow to him. 

Migration to Chhattisgarh and Odisha: 
Fleeing the Sultan's wrath, they migrated to present-day Chhattisgarh and then
to Odisha. 

Settlement and Occupation
Gajapati Kings: 
Upon arrival in Odisha, the Maharaja of Puri introduced them to local kings, who
encouraged them to adopt cultivation as their profession. 

Cultivators: 
Over time, they became skilled cultivators and adopted farming as their main
occupation, a tradition they maintain today. 
Social Structure and Customs 

Gotras: 
The caste consists of various gotras, some resembling Brahmin gotras and
others resembling Rajput septs.

(Kamandal, Narad, Batu shyam, Atreya, Angira, Kapil, Kumbhaja, Sagara,
Vedvyasa, Jamdhar, Shankar, Jamuna, Gaj keshar, Jantrika, Maheshwar,
Ahilya, Gaya ghat, Kaushik, Karsuli, Gayadhar, Bhujbal, Kashyapa)

Vansh: The caste consists of various Vansh.

(Nag, Cheehan, Bhoj, Albela, Singha, Karmulee, Baliyar, Dheeraj, Dharam,
Baghel, Jatu, Singha, Haree, Meri, Baniyar, Jangannath, Hareen, Narayan, Nag,
Devan, Jayal, Lakhan, Jadeva, Deval)

Marriage Customs: 
Marriage is exogamous (between different gotras), and while some areas allow
marriage between a sister's son and a brother's daughter, child marriage was
historically prevalent.
 

Religious Beliefs: 
They are religious by nature and worship Dulha Deo. Each family has a spiritual
guide whom they consult.
 

Funerary Rites: 
Agharias traditionally burn the dead and scatter the ashes into a river.