Gandhi (was: Re: Hindu names for Muslims )

[Yashwant]

Gandhi certainly means a perfumer. Families in several trading
communities can have this name, including Oswal and Khandelwal.
Mahatma Gandhi was a Modh.

There is a Rajasthani community (Bijavargi) that has had
selling perfumes etc as the main occupation. Some of them
also have the family name Gandhi.

>>Could we derive the surname Gandhi from the word 'gandhika'(perfumers)
>>which occurs in the inscriptions of the early centuries BC/AD ?
>>D.N.Jha

>Gaandhi could come from Gandhi, but I remember reading somewhere that the
>word meant grocer.
>rajesh kochhar

The common term for grocer is Modi.

Regarding circumcision, I think it was never practiced by ancient
Hindus. It probably originated from the Egyptians. In India the
practice is uniquely associated with the Muslims. However some
Hindus in Rajasthan practice it (due to Muslim influence).

Yashwant