[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='30 May 2011 - 07:34 AM' timestamp='1306720583' post='111734']
2011 Intel Science Talent of 40 finalists, 9 are Hindus
1 Arora ( Khatri )
1 Atolia ( what caste ? )
1 Mahajan ( Maharashtrian Brahmin )
1 Saha ( bengali kayastha )
[/quote]
Atolia - an ancient Marwari gotra - are found both among Marwari brahmins as well as marwari vaishya
Arora - mostly punjabi khattris, but some are also Jats (to distinguish they now write Aroria)
Mahajan - while in Maharashtra it is a brahmin surname (as in Pramod Mahajan's family), but in Punjab "Mahajan" is a rather common vaishya surname. One should check if the candidate is Maharashtiya or Punjabi.
Saha - not kayastha but bengali vaishya.
[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='02 June 2011 - 06:07 PM' timestamp='1307017786' post='111769']
Anahita Iyer - Iyer
Mashad Arora - Khatri ( His fathers name is Raj, despite the semi-islamic name of Mashad )
[/quote]
Depends whether "Mashad" is pronounced "Mazad" or "Mash'had". The latter is quite Islamic (shiite), but the former is the avestan grand deity not altogether foreigner to the Hindus. Not unlike the name of the above Iyer student, after Anahita or Anaida, the avestan Goddess (once) popular in Iran, corresponding somehwat to Sarasvati among Hindus. note that the khattri-s have very old connection with Iran (mihr-s / meharas).
2011 Intel Science Talent of 40 finalists, 9 are Hindus
1 Arora ( Khatri )
1 Atolia ( what caste ? )
1 Mahajan ( Maharashtrian Brahmin )
1 Saha ( bengali kayastha )
[/quote]
Atolia - an ancient Marwari gotra - are found both among Marwari brahmins as well as marwari vaishya
Arora - mostly punjabi khattris, but some are also Jats (to distinguish they now write Aroria)
Mahajan - while in Maharashtra it is a brahmin surname (as in Pramod Mahajan's family), but in Punjab "Mahajan" is a rather common vaishya surname. One should check if the candidate is Maharashtiya or Punjabi.
Saha - not kayastha but bengali vaishya.
[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='02 June 2011 - 06:07 PM' timestamp='1307017786' post='111769']
Anahita Iyer - Iyer
Mashad Arora - Khatri ( His fathers name is Raj, despite the semi-islamic name of Mashad )
[/quote]
Depends whether "Mashad" is pronounced "Mazad" or "Mash'had". The latter is quite Islamic (shiite), but the former is the avestan grand deity not altogether foreigner to the Hindus. Not unlike the name of the above Iyer student, after Anahita or Anaida, the avestan Goddess (once) popular in Iran, corresponding somehwat to Sarasvati among Hindus. note that the khattri-s have very old connection with Iran (mihr-s / meharas).