| Caste Name: | Sarola\Saryul\Serul |
| Classification: | Brahmin |
| Populated States: | Uttarakhand, India |
| Languages: | Garhwali, Hindi[1] |
| Related: | Garhwali people |
| Religions: | Hinduism |
Sarola Brahmin, also called Saryul and Serul are Garhwali Brahmins from Uttarakhand, India.[2] Sarola Brahmins were the earliest authenticated and ritually most prestigious Brahmin baronial families in the then small Garhwal Kingdom 1400 years ago and among the highest and oldest noble lineages from across North India. The capital of this kingdom was Chandpur Garhi and twelve castes of Brahmins settled in twelve fiefs surrounding the capital. Their twelve ancestral lands were collectively known as "Bara Than" meaning "Barah Sthan", and the Brahmins who owned these estates were known as "Sarola" Brahmins. Over time, the High Brahmins (Sarolas of Garhwal and Satkulis of Kumaon) spread their holdings and came to hold vast swathes of the Himalayan Kingdoms as the major landowning class.[3]
The Sarolas originally were 12 ancient houses: Nautiyals, Maitwanas, Khanduras, Raturis, Thapliyals, Chamolis, Semwals, Lakheras, Semaltis, Gairolas, Kothiyals and Dimris[4] with the last of the Sarola Houses arriving in 1060 CE.[5] The Brahmin families including those of non-Sarola heritage formed a class of ancient baronial houses and served as the ruling class of Zamindars and Jagirdars alongside their Rajput feudal vassals in the Himalayan Kingdoms: Garhwal, Nepal, Kashmir and Kumaon. [6] However the oldest families, often exclusively Sarola and with the most illustrious lineages, such as the Kanyakubja Joshis (the oldest of the leading Satkuli or 7 Brahmin lineages of Kumaon with the Joshis dating back to the sixth century) or the Rajpurohit Gaur Nautiyals (in Garhwal) or the Maithil Uniyals (in Garhwal) held a higher ducal status as Taluqdars or Thakurs and were themselves descendants of royal and leading Brahmin ducal houses from the pre-medieval kingdoms of their origins such as the Nautiyals of Malwa, Joshis of the Carnatic or Uniyals of Magadha.[7] [8] The purity of their lineage afforded them such high office in the Himalayan Kingdoms as the ruling and landholding aristocracy - the ducal houses held the custodianship of the great temples (Uniyals & Semwals & Dimris & Nambudris & Dobhals) and hereditary ministerial positions (Nautiyals & Joshis & Bahugunas & Thapliyals & Pandes) in Kumaon and Garhwal though the highest ducal families often held temples and ministerial positions both.[9]
The Uniyals, Bahugunas, Dobhals, and Dangwals were the oldest Gangari Brahmins arriving after the first Sarola families, but due to their ancient lineage from classical dynasties of the Gangetic Plains of Bihar, Bengal and Ayodhya, they were afforded the same high status as the Sarola Houses and formed the class of Chauthoki aristocrats. The Chauthoki houses were pre-eminent nobility in Tehri Garhwal as counterpart to the Sarolas being the high lords in Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli Garhwal.[10] Each of these Brahmin clans had their own family patron god - Kuladevata or Kuladevi.
These Brahmin houses maintained vast interests in landholding, finance and hereditary ministerial positions along with custodianship of the great temples of North India as hereditary 'Ravals' (high priests or archbishops) such as Yamunotri under the Uniyals, Gangotri under the Semwals, Kedarnath under the Dimris, Joshimath under the Joshis, Nanda Devi under the Nautiyals, and the highest Hindu ecclesiastical authority in the north: the temple of Badrinath under the Nambudris who bore the dynastic title of 'Shankaracharya' (pontiff) due to their direct descent from Adisankara of the eighth century who established all these great temples in North India.[11] The greatest ecclesiastical seats of Hinduism are the 4 Pontifical Thrones of the Char Dham (Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka) and the 4 High Sees of the Chota Char Dham (Badrinath - Joshimath, Kedarnath - Nanda Devi, Yamunotri, Gangotri) as well as the 12 Jyotrlingas of which Kedarnath is the highest and most sacred due to its proximity to the divine abode of Lord Shiva at Kailasa. [12] [13]
The Sarolas and Chauthokis settled as Rajpurohits (grand viziers), Royal Astrologers, High Priests, Ritual Cooks, Royal Gurus, and as Royal Advisors and Ministers. Along with this they were also designated the task of cooking ritual temple offerings on auspicious occasions and also on royal occasions by the King of Garhwal, thus named "Sarola" (Garhwali for cooking offerings) due to the ritual purity of the Sarola Brahmins which meant only their hand could prepare the oblations.[14] Their prestige in the Himalayan Kingdoms was paramount due to their legendary status as descendants of the leading Brahmin lineages of the Seven Great Saints from across India. [15]