Though their history is obscure, Daivadnyas claim to have descended from Davidnya or Vishvadnya the younger son of
Vishwakarma, the Hindu architect god. Shets or Daivadnyas also claim Brahmin varna status, however, this is not accepted by local Brahmins and other communities of the region. There is also a claim that Daivdnyas are descent from the Vedic
Rathakara as mentioned in
Taittiriya Brahmana of
Yajurveda, and
Smritis, however Daivadnya community deny this. Hindu doctrines
Hiraṇyakeśisutra,
Bṛhajjātiviveka,
Jātiviveka,
Saṅkha smṛti, and
Añjabila mention different types of Rathakaras. Most of them can be called Saṅkara Jāti or mixed caste, and their social status varies from those with high social status, who are ritually pure and have the right to perform "strata-smarta" rituals and to those considered fallen or degraded. Daivadnyas (during the conflicts that arose in the 19th century) refuted this claim, which called them Rathakaras of impure descent, on the basis of
Shastra Medieval and modern history Migrations Author Vithal Raghavendra Mitragotri says, The
Bhojas are well-known sculptures and have migrated to various regions of India. Therefore, the Sthapatis who themselves claim to be Brahmins may have been descendants of Bhojas. The gold-smiths claim themselves to be Daivadnya Brahmins. According to Viṭhṭhala Mitragotrī, the migration to Goa dates back to the early 4th to 6th century CE, with the Bhoja dynasty. Several families from western India had settled down in
Kashi since the late 13th century. In 1510 the Portuguese invaded Goa. King
John III of Portugal issued a decree threatening expulsion or execution of non-believers in Christianity in 1559 AD; the Daivadnyas refused conversion and had to decamp. Thousands of Daivadnya families fled to the interior of Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka. About 12,000 families from the Sāsaṣṭī region of Goa (from
Raia,
Cuncolim,
Loutolim,
Verṇa and other places), mostly of the Śeṇavīs and the Shetṭs, including
Vaishya Vani,
Kudumbi, and others, departed by ship to the southern ports of Honnāvara to Kozhikode. A considerable number of the Sheṭts from Goa settled in
Ratnagiri and the
Thane district of Maharashtra, especially the
Tansa River valley, after the Portuguese conquest of Goa.
Portuguese period Daivajnas and Christianity The Portuguese imposed heavy restrictions on all Goan Hindus, but the Shetṭs were granted exemption from certain obligations or liabilities. It is rare to find a Christian Goan Shetṭ, while all the other castes find some representation in the convert society; this is because the economic power the Śeṭs wielded in the sixteenth century enabled them to live and work in Goa on their own terms or emigrate with their religion intact. The very few who converted were assigned the caste of
Bamonn among the
Goan Catholics. According to the gazetteer of Goa state they are called Catholic Śeṭs, but no such distinction is found amongst
Goan Catholics. A detailed study of
Comunidades shows that Whether Hindu or Catholic, the community always enjoyed their social status, and were permitted to remain in Christianised parts of Goa, provided they kept a low profile, observed certain disciplines, and paid a tax of three
xeraphims of (gold
mohor) annually to the Portuguese. A few Daivadnya families who converted to Catholicism migrated to
Mangalore due to attacks by the
Marathas in Goa during the late 17th and early 18th century.
Relationships with other communities The trade in Goa was mainly in the hands of three communities classes, being the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, the Vanis and the Sets. Conflict between Daivadnyas and Vaishyas, in 1348 in
Khaṇḍepar or
Khaṭegrama, is mentioned in Khaṇḍepar copperplate. This issue was solved in
Gaṇanātha temple in Khāṇḍepār, its antecedents are not known. Another conflict in the 17th century, between Shenvi Brahmins and Shets of Goa, these over social status was evidenced in arguments about use of traditional emblems like
Suryapan, parasol etc. during religious rituals, functions and festivals. The hatred was so severe until the 19th century that only fear of the police kept the peace. Later, the Portuguese banned the use of Hindu symbols and wedding festival processions. These Daivadnya families had migrated from
Ratnagiri, to Pune during the reign of
Baji Rao I, who always upheld their claims against the
Vyavahare Brahmans or the
Puna Joshis. The opponent Brahmins were against the Daivadnyas administering
Vedokta Karmas or Vedic rituals, studying and teaching Vedas, wearing dhoti, folding hands in
Namaskar. They urged the Peshwas, and later, the British to impose legal sanctions, such as heavy fines to implement non-observance of Vedokta Karmas, though the later had been always observing the Vedic rites. The Joshis denied their Brahmin claim, allegedly argued that they are not even entitled to Upabrāhmaṇa status which are mentioned in the
Śaivāgama. Thus they claimed that latter were not entitled to Vedokta Karmas and should follow only
Puraṇokta rites The British also issued orders to the Daivadnyas by which the Vedas not be applied for an improper purpose, the purity of the
Brahmin caste be preserved and were ordered to appoint the priests of only their own
Jāti and not priests of any other caste as per the tradition. It is during these disputes Daivadnya Pundits came up with extensive literature like versions of
Sahyadrikhanda of Skandapurana, to clear their maligned image by the Pune Brahmins. In 1849, the king of
Kolhapur,
Shahu Maharaj, provided land grants to the Daivadnyas who had migrated to
princely states of Kolhapur and
Satara and helped them build their hostels for the students pursuing education. Many families like the Murkuṭes, the Paṭaṇkars, the Seṭs of Karvara and Bhaṭkala kept their tradition alive and excelled in trade, playing a major role in socio-cultural development of the major metropolis of India such as
Bombay. The Daivadnya priests who officiated at the Gokarṇa Mahabaleswara temple were prosecuted in 1927 by the
Havyakas of Gokarṇa, who thought they would take over the
puja authority at the temple. The case reached the Bombay High Court, which ruled in favour of the Seṭs.
Modern period Some Goan Daivadnya families migrated to
Pune and overseas. The Akhīla Bharatiya Daivajña Samajonnati Pariṣat has existed since 1908 for their betterment. Many families have migrated to Mumbai and have founded organisations such as the Kanara Daivajna Association, and Daivajna Shikṣṇa Maṇḍala. The
Shimoga,
Chikkamagaluru,
Koḍagu,
Davangere, and
Hubli-
Dharwad districts of Karnataka now have a considerable Daivadnya population. and have been migrating overseas in pursuit of higher education and employment for number of years, notably to the US and UK. and a few live in Karachi, Lahore Pakistan, but most of them have settled as refugees in
Ulhasnagar after partition. ==Religion==