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Suthar
Two Sutar men from Baroda State, 1911
Kuladevta (male)	Vishwakarma
Religions	Hinduism, Islam
Region	Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Pakistan

Suthar is a community within the Vishwakarma community found primarily in India and Pakistan. Its traditional occupation is mostly carpentry. Suthar community predominantly found in Gujarat and Rajasthan is a mixture of various castes.

Origins

Ancient Indian temple construction required a blend of skill-set ranging from astronomy and geometry to architecture, Vastu shastra and engineering.

Current Demography

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.

Caste Reservations

Some subcastes of Suthar are classified as OBC in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat. 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.

References

1. Raj Kumar (2008). Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern. Kalpaz Publications. ISBN 978-81-7835-664-8. Suthar Tarkhans , though Hindus , are in fact more closely allied with the Multani lohars than with the Khatis...
2. Abida Samiuddin, R. Khanam (2008). Global Encyclopaedic Ethnography of Indian Muslim. Global Vision Publishing House. p. 453. ISBN 978-81-8220-299-3. According to Rose ( 1919 ) , the tradition runs that the Suthars , who are now Muslims , were originally Hindu Tarkhans of the Suthar tribe and that Akbar took 12,000 of them from Jodhpur to Delhi...
3. SP Aggrawal, JC Aggrawal (1991). Educational and Social Uplift of Backward Classes. Concept Publishing Company. p. 160. ISBN 978-81-7022-339-9.
4. Ashwani Kumar, R. B. Bhagat, ed. (2021). Migrants, Mobility and Citizenship in India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-00-037987-7. Hindus from the border villages belonging to the Bhil, Meghwal, Lohar and Suthar community had now become nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan...
5. AM Shah, ed. (2012). The Structure of Indian Society. Taylor&Francis. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-136-19770-3.
6. George Michell (1988). The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-53230-1.
7. "History of Jangid Brahmin Samaj,Shree Vishwakarma,Jangid Community,Samaj Group Jaipur".
8. "Backward Classes in Rajasthan". Government of Rajasthan. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
9. "List of Backward Classes". Directorate of Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
10. "List of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Gujarat State". Government of Gujarat.
11. "Sutar community wants to give up reservations, demands to be included in general category". 29 September 2021.

• Indian castes
• Social groups of Maharashtra
• Social groups of Gujarat
• Social groups of Rajasthan
• Social groups of Pakistan
• Social groups of Haryana