Gopal (caste)

Their traditional occupations include dairy farming, cattle herding, cultivation and carrying palanquins of deities.

[16] Since 1930 during the Sanskritisation of castes in India, The Gopalas started to be incorporated into a newly established Yadav community, along with Ahir, Gops, Goalas, and Sadgops.

[19] Which symbolically refer to their ancestral land of Mathura and Gokul (Gopa) of Uttar Pradesh and Magadha of Bihar.

[21][22] There are minor differences among them, some area of odisha the Gopalas are also known as their other names including: Mahakud, Sholakhandia, Sadgope and Gopal Baishnab[23][24][25] among them.

The Gopalas uses surnames like Behera, Das, Palei, Palai, Pandab, Biswal, Sandha, Hati, Kabi, Bhutia, Mahakul, Mahakhud, Mahakud, Mohapatra, Sasmal, Rout, Parida, Barik , Podh, Jal, Bhujabal,[33] Khilar, Singh, Routray, Pratihari,[34][35][36] Mandei, Senapati, Dalua, Apata, Nayak [37] Bagarti, Pradhan, Khuntia, Bag/Bagh, Hansha, Dalchhatra, Kharsel, Karuan, Nag and Shandh, Banchhor among others.