| Caste Name: | Suthar/Sutar |
| Kula Daivat: | Vishwakarma |
| Region: | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Pakistan |
| Religions: | Hinduism,[1] Islam[2] |
Suthar (or Sutar) is a caste within the Vishwakarma community found primarily in India and Pakistan.[3] [4] Its traditional occupation is mostly carpentry.[5] Suthar community predominantly found in Gujarat and Rajasthan is a mixture of various castes.
The origins of the Suthar community traces back to the construction of the Rudra Mahalaya Temple, commissioned by King Mularaja of Chaulukya dynasty (now Gujarat and southern Rajasthan) [6] . Ancient Indian temple construction required a blend of skill-set ranging from astronomy and geometry to architecture, Vastu shastra and engineering [7] . The king invited VishwaBrahmin with such skill-set from northern India to design the temple and undertake this project. After designing the temple as per King's requirements, the VishwaBrahmins assembled a massive workforce of skilled artisans of different ethnicity and converted them into Brahmin varna through the Hindu ritual purification, to maintain the sanctity of the temple. After the temple's completion, King Mularaja urged the original VishwaBrahmins to settle in his kingdom. To facilitate the resettlement, the king suggested forming a new community that combined the converted workers and the original Brahmins . This proposal led to the creation of the Suthar community in the Chaulakya kingdom (now Gujarat and southern Rajasthan), a unique blend of Brahmins, Kshatriyas and artisans.
King Mulraja later invited additional learned Brahmins from northern India to join the Suthar community and serve as the priests of the Rudra Mahalaya Temple.[8] The migrant Brahmins who did not join the newly formed Suthar community and served as the priests of the temple, are now known as the Audichya Brahmins.
The Suthar community of Gujarat and Rajasthan community comprises a diverse mix of subcommunities and ethnic groups, resulting in a rich demographic tapestry despite its relatively small population. Currently, the community is divided into several subcastes, each associated with distinct occupations, varnas, and ethnic identities. Notable subcastes include Vanshaj Suthar, Vaishya Suthar, Mewada Suthar, Gurjar Suthar, Jangid-Brahmin Suthar, Mistri, Mistri Suthar, Luhar Suthar.
Each subcaste practices different faiths, yet they share a common heritage and a reverence for deities such as Lord Vishwakarma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva, with a predominant adherence to Vaishnavism. Common surnames within this community include Suthar, Gajjar, Sharma, Acharya, Rathore, Pancholi, Mistri, Jangid, Panchal[9]
Some subcastes of Suthar are classified as OBC in states like Rajasthan,[10] Haryana,[11] Gujarat.[12] Some subcastes of Suthar community, like Suthars of Brahmin varna, either do not take or get reservation or are willingly demanding to give up their reservation status.[13]