{{Short description|Central Indian merchant community}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2016}} '''Gahoi''' is a merchant a Vaishya-Bania community in central India. <ref>[https://www.bhaskar.com/news/MP-CHHT-MAT-latest-chhatarpur-news-022005-3896437-NOR.html गहोई समाज ने मनाया होली मिलन समारोह, Bhaskar News Network, Mar 30, 2016],</ref><ref>[http://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/jalaun/Jalaun-139202-39 अखिल भारतीय गहोई वैश्य महासभा के शताब्दी समारोह में समाज के मेधावी छात्र-छात्राओं को सम्मानित किया गया, Amar Ujala, 26 जून 2013]</ref>
Gahois are divided into 12 gotras, each gotra is divided into six ''all''s.<ref>Vasudevasharan Agraval, "Sahitya sadan ki yatra", in Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Granth, Ed. Agravaal Vaasudevasharana, 1959, Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Committee Calcutta, p. 78.</ref> They have traditionally interdined with the Parwar Jain community of Bundelkhand.<ref>[Siddhantacharya Phulachandra Shastri, Parwar Jain Samaj ka Itihas, 1990, Jabalpur, pp. 175–188 ]</ref>
The "Grahapati" family mentioned in the Grahapati Kokkala inscription is believed to be from the same community that is now known as Gahoi.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri |author2=Indian History Congress |title=A Comprehensive History of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEwwAQAAIAAJ |date=1959 |publisher=Orient Longmans |isbn=978-81-7304-561-5|language=en}}</ref> This inscription at Khajuraho, dated Vikram Samvat 1056, Kartika (1000–1001 AD), is the earliest known reference to the Grahapati family.<ref>Svasti Śrī: Dr. B.Ch. Chhabra felicitation volume, K. V. Ramesh, Agam Prasad, S. P. Tewari, p. 139</ref> Unlike all other Chandella-era Grahapati inscriptions which are Jain, this refers to a Shiva temple,<ref>Lalit kalā, Issue 10, Lalit Kala Akademi,1961, p. 64</ref> although Verse 3 suggests that the builder also worshipped Jinas. An inscription is of Vikram samvat 1011 mentioning Pahilla, regarded to have been a Grahapati, who built a Jain temple during the reign of Dhanga at Khajuraho. This temple is among those that still exist at Khajuraho.<ref>Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001, pp. 14–17</ref><ref>H.V. Trivedi, "Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor Dynasties", part 2 of the 3-part Vol III of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, 1974 (published in 1991).</ref><ref>[Inscriptions of the Chandellas of Jejakbhukti, Ed. H.V. Trivedi, 1989, p. 456.]</ref>
A bronze Jain Altarpiece with Parshvanatha, Shantinatha, and Vasupujiya is preserved in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.<ref>[https://collections.lacma.org/node/241195 Jain Altarpiece with Parshvanatha, Shantinatha, and Vasupujiya, dated 1121]</ref> It was installed by Sadhu Sandhan, son of Kuntha, of Grahapati family in Vikram 1121 (1178 AD).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-fvKVDxcJoUC&q=grahapati&pg=PA312 Indian Sculpture: 700-1800, Volume 2 of Indian Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection, Pratapaditya Pal, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, University of California Press, 1988 p. 306]</ref>
==Notable people== * Maithili Sharan Gupt,<ref>Risi Jaimini Kaushik Barua, "Kankane Vansh ki Vrtiddhi, "Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Granth, Ed. Agravaal Vaasudevasharana, 1959, Raashhtarkavi Maithiliisharana Gupt Abhinandan Committee Calcutta, p. 138.</ref> a Hindi poet * Ashutosh Rana,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://gahoimumbai.com/entertainment/celebrity-information-about-actor-ashutosh-rana-ji-and-his-biography-filmography-and-awards/ | title=Celebrity: Information about actor Ashutosh Rana ji and his biography, filmography and awards! – GAHOIMUMBAI }}</ref> Bollywood Actor
==See also== * Beejamandal *Golapurva
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh Category:Indian castes Category:Social groups of Madhya Pradesh Category:Bania communities