Posted on: 1 October 2010

Portrait of a Brahmin of the Carnatic, Bombay - 1867.

Portrait of a Brahmin of the Carnatic seated beside low table laid out with various religious objects, by Hurrichund Chintamon the 1860s. This photograph, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections, was part of the Paris Exhibition of 1867.

This is one of a series of ethnographical photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the late 19th century in order to record the tribes, races and castes on the sub-continent. The Brahmins or Priests, are highest of the four Hindu castes.

Source : British Library


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This is wonderful.

rare photo.

its good to see this pic...at the time...when brahmin bashing has become a fashion..

60 years is not enough for the class based reservations. The Brahmins compared (less than 8-10%) to the larger population have contributed immensely to India economy, science, engineering, sports, politics and to Hindu Dharma. The Brahmins and the Kshatriyas have also reformed the Dharma, such as the Sikhism, Buddhism etc. It's time they get due respect and are reclassified as the real minority and given equal job and educational opportunities in India

a pencil sketch of this photo appears in "India illustrated" by rev. w.urwick (revised edition of 1891), page 83, captioned "brahman prepared for prayers". makes one wonder how many of the pencil sketches in that and other 19th c. travelogues in india are based on photographs - (how much did the authors really travel, etc...) !

Ramakanth : You are right. Many never visited India. That is the reason most plates (lithographs) in books printed between 1800-1850 are directly inspired (copies) by the original works of Daniells, Solvyns and others.

This looks like a Tengalai Iyengar doing TiruvAraadhanam. Very Good Pic. But the comment by British Lib hasn't annotated it fully.

I am not too sure I appreciate the ' discipline' of Ethnology specially as practiced by the British or Europeans in the 19th century. Too many straitjackets and too many prejudices along with something of the gaze of a visitor at a zoo.

Mahadeva, I too guessed him as an Iyengar Vaishnava from the nama. GSB (Saraswaths) have the same. I tell all my friends and relatives, hold your head high and be proud that you are a Brahman, the keeper of the traditions and a long lineage of accomplished individuals in the community. Sometimes I wonder, if it would be better if the Brahmans declare a separate religion and move away from the ritualistic Hindu dharma and establish a community which supports each other. Right now there is no one to help us and face discrimination everyday in India with the Government mandated reservations for others and denial of rights to many. If you look at it, the Brahmans are really a small minority, no doubt the most progressive but that has resulted in reverse discrimination.