[4][8] However, Oliver Godsmark, a researcher on late colonial and early postcolonial South Asia, considers them a subcaste of the Brahmins that were originally from the coastal regions of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.

[16] Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti, a comprehensive work on Goan culture also suggests that they called themselves Sreshtha to distinguish themselves from other groups who were assigned status of Sankra jati or mixed origin in the Shastras.

[19] Though their history is obscure, Daivadnyas claim to have descended from Davidnya or Vishvadnya the younger son of Vishwakarma, the Hindu architect god.

[21][22] There is also a claim that Daivdnyas are descent from the Vedic Rathakara as mentioned in Taittiriya Brahmana of Yajurveda, and Smritis, however Daivadnya community deny this.

King John III of Portugal issued a decree threatening expulsion or execution of non-believers in Christianity in 1559 AD; the Daivadnyas refused conversion and had to decamp.

[32] About 12,000 families from the Sāsaṣṭī region of Goa (from Raia, Cuncolim, Loutolim, Verṇa and other places), mostly of the Śeṇavīs and the Shetṭs, including Vaishya Vani, Kudumbi, and others, departed by ship to the southern ports of Honnāvara to Kozhikode.

A detailed study of Comunidades[h] shows that Whether Hindu or Catholic, the community always enjoyed their social status, and were permitted to remain in Christianised parts of Goa, provided they kept a low profile, observed certain disciplines, and paid a tax of three xeraphims of (gold mohor) annually to the Portuguese.

A few Daivadnya families who converted to Catholicism migrated to Mangalore due to attacks by the Marathas in Goa during the late 17th and early 18th century.

[41][42][full citation needed] Another conflict in the 17th century, between Shenvi Brahmins and Shets of Goa, these over social status was evidenced in arguments about use of traditional emblems like Suryapan, parasol etc.

[46] These Daivadnya families had migrated from Ratnagiri, to Pune during the reign of Baji Rao I, who always upheld their claims against the Vyavahare Brahmans or the Puna Joshis.

[47] The opponent Brahmins were against the Daivadnyas administering Vedokta Karmas or Vedic rituals, studying and teaching Vedas, wearing dhoti, folding hands in Namaskar.

They urged the Peshwas, and later, the British to impose legal sanctions, such as heavy fines to implement non-observance of Vedokta Karmas, though the later had been always observing the Vedic rites.

[52] It is during these disputes Daivadnya Pundits came up with extensive literature like versions of Sahyadrikhanda of Skandapurana, to clear their maligned image by the Pune Brahmins.

They are found in the Arab countries[60] and have been migrating overseas in pursuit of higher education and employment for number of years, notably to the US and UK.

[58] A small number have Portuguese[60] or Kenyan citizenship,[61] and a few live in Karachi, Lahore[62] Pakistan, but most of them have settled as refugees in Ulhasnagar after partition.

[58] Their earliest religious beliefs could have been based on a mixture of Brahmanism, Bhagavata religion, sun worship and Shaivism, though it cannot be ascertained to a particular period of time or geographical region.

[19][68][69] Other Ishta-devata of Daivadnyas include Rama, Dattatreya[10] Hanuman,[10] Vithoba of Pandharpur, Hayagriva of Udupi, Mahalakshmi, Krishna, Gayatri, Durgā Parameśvarī, Lakshmi-narayan, Mañjunātha of Dharmasthala and Gokarṇa Mahābaleśvara.

[80] There are no prominent distinctions found in Maharashtra, but there are mentions of groups of Śeṭs of Goa, especially from Sāsaṣṭī, Bārdes, Tīsvāḍī, landing in places like Ṭhāṇe,[34] Sāvantvāḍī, Ratnagiri, Khārepāṭaṇ, Mālvaṇ, Kudāl etc.

[83] The emigration of Goan Shetṭs to Kerala dates from the early 13th century,[84][full citation needed] when most of them settled in the port of Cochin.

Ceremonies like the first outing or Niṣkrāmaṇa, Jāval or cūdākarṃa i.e. cutting child's hair for first time, Vidyāraṃbha or commencement of studies, are performed as per caste rules.

[64] All other sacraments related to it, like Keśānta or the first shave, Vedarambha or, Samāvartana or Soḍ Munj are performed as a part of thread ceremony nowadays.

[64]Sīmāntapujā, Kanyādāna, Kaṅkaṇa-bandhana, Maṅgalasutra-bandhana, Saptapadi, Lājahoma, Aṣmārohaṇa, Vāyanadāna form the actual parts of the wedding ceremony.

Ceremonies like Gṛhapraveśa, changing the maiden name of the bride, and the puja are followed by some games to be played by the newly wed couple, and the visit to the family deity temple.Pancpartavaṇ or a feast is organised five days after marriage.

[87] Their dead are cremated according to the vedic rights, and various Śhrāddhas श्राद्ध and other Kriyās, Tarpaṇas are performed by the son or any other paternal relative, or in some cases by the son-in-law of the deceased.

[83] Other festivals and Vratas observed by them are — Saṃvatsarāraṃbha, Saṃvatsar Pāḍvo or Yugādi, Vaṭa Paurṇimā, Vadāpunav, Ṛk Śrāvaṇi, Sūtāpunav, Gokulashtami, Āditya pujan, Āytārā puja, Haritālikā Tṛtiyā, Tay or Tayī, Navratri, Lalita Panchami, Dasaro, Āvatāñcī pujā, Bhaubeej, Tulaśī Lagna, Ekadashis like Āṣādhī, Kārtikī, Mālinī Paurṇimā or Mānnī Punav, Makar Sankranti, Shigmo, Holi, Mahashivratri, Veṅkaṭapatī Samarādhanā'[111] Daivajña men traditionally wear Dhotīs called Puḍve or Aṅgavastra, which cover them from waist to foot.

These are made of cotton and sometimes silk on special occasions and wore Judi or Sadro to cover upper part of their bodies, and a piece of cloth called Uparṇe over the shoulders.

[114] Even though they do not have a tradition of folk songs, they have played a significant role in field of Hindustani classical music, drama, arts and literature.

There are no mentions of the Śeṭs practising this occupation in the early history, although they used to make gold and silver images for the temples, which old texts suggest they have inherited this art from the Bhojaks[27] who made idols of the Sun god, hence were also called as Murtikāras.

[116] They were renowned for their skills even in the western world and were the first to introduce exquisite jewellery designs to Europe,[citation needed] and were extensively involved in gold, silver, perfumes, black pepper export[citation needed] and even silk, cotton textiles, tobacco[117] and import of horses during Portuguese and pre-Portuguese era.

Ravala Śeṭī from Caraim who was summoned to Lisbon by the king of Portugal,[121][122] was a collaborator with Afonso de Albuquerque and retained a high office in Goa.