Pathare Prabhu
Pathare Prabhu is one of the Hindu communities in the city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). Introduction. The Pathare Prabhus and the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus (CKPs) are considered sister communities, both being part of the 'Prabhu castes'. However, the Pathare Prabhu followed the Smartha tradition of Hinduism whereas the CKP followed the Advaita Vedanta tradition propounded by Adi Shankara, the first Shankaracharya. Along with all the Maharashtrian Brahmin castes and the CKP, they are considered one of the 'high' or 'elite' castes of Maharashtra. The Pathare Prabhu, in the 19th century would to refer to Bombay as  'Desh' (country). They formed the "Kshatriya Union Club" under which were the five primary collectives of Girgaon, Mazagaon, Parel, Mahim and Worli. In 1887, they held a meeting at the "Desh" level in which it was decided to stop inviting "naikins" (dancers) to sing at the Upanayana (thread ceremonies or "munja") and marriage celebrations. Historians cite an incident where a Pathare Prabhu member who broke this rule two years later was socially outcast by the community. He sued for defamation but the British Court ruled against him.