Brahmins of Bengal

King Adi Sura of 9 th Century invited Brahmins amongst the Pancha Gouda and Pancha Dravida in his time to educate local Sapta Sati(सप्त सति) Brahmins. Sapta Sati(सप्त सति) Brahmins later mixed with Rariya Brahmins.

श्रेणी ब्राह्मण

Vaidika Sreni (वैदिक श्रेणी ब्राह्मण )

Non- Polygamous

1. Paschatya Vaidika(पाश्चात्य )
2. Dakshnatya Vaidika (दक्षिणात्य)

[ By title: Bhattacharyya-भट्ट +आचार्य, Sastri]

Rariya Sreni(राड़ श्रेणी ब्राह्मण)

[By Title: Mukhapadhya- Bandyapadhya-Chattopadhya-Gangopadhya-Ghosal]

Other Titles: Non- Kulin( Putitunda-KanjiLal-Pakrashi-Majumdar-Roy]

Out caste- Pirali(पीर + अलि) [ Example:  Dwaraknat Togare, Prasanna  Kumar Tagore and babu Kali Krishna Tagore – Converted to Islam and then reconverted to Sanatan dharma ]

Sub-division

1. Kulin (कुलीन ब्राह्मण )
2. Bamsaja(वंशज)
3. Suddha Srotrya(शुद्ध सोत्रीय)

Barendra Sreni(बारेंद्र श्रेणी ब्राह्मण)

Non- Polygamous

Titles

1. Chakravarty
2. Lahiri
3. Bhandari
4. Sanyal
5. Maitra
6. Bagchi

They also have peculiar titles such as Majumdar, Joardar, Roy, and Chowdhury.

Madhya Sreni (मध्य श्रेणी ब्राह्मण)

[By Title: Roy, Majumdar]

These people are not prominent and almost illiterate, became the priest of Kaivartas, and also accepted agriculture as a profession.

Apart from above, some Maithili Brahmins are also available in Bengal.

Maithili Brahmins

Maharaja of Darbhanga was the chief patron of Maithili Brahmins .

Popular surnames

1. Mishra( Reader of Mimamsa)
2. Ojha or Jha( Reader of Atharva Veda)
3. Thakoor
4. Pathak ( Reader of Puranas)
5. Upadhya( Assistant teacher)

Varna Brahman (बर्ण ब्राह्मण)

Varna Brahmans are actually not Brahmin as said above, but they were elevated from lower class for the priestly purpose due to their good practice and attitude by the Kings with the approval of Brahminical Council ( ब्राह्मण सभा ). Varna Brahmans use to wear the sacred thread and worship Pancha Devata(सौर-शक्ति-गाणपत्य-वैष्णव-शैव) without  Vaidik Homa (यज्ञ) and without Vaidik Mantra. They use Puranik (पौराणिक) rituals with Puranik Mantra. They can perform Nava Karma (without Marriage), including Sraddha Karma.

They shall not be Bigraha Archaka (बिग्रह अर्चक). Later Vaishnava Acharyas granted them to worship Radha Krishna Archa Bigraha in Vaishnava Temples in Nadiya and Vrindavana. Sree Krishna Chaitanya accepted Rupa and Sanatana( Muslim converted Hindu) as Varna Brahmana and Acharya Advaita approved the same.

Acharya Advaita declared Muslim Haridasa as Brahman and offer him the best food(अग्र भाग )on his Pitri Sraddha(पितृ श्रद्ध)

Now, even, if anybody converts to Sanatan Dharma and adopt good practice and education, they become बर्ण ब्राह्मण immediately.

Examples: 

1. Namo Brahmins
2. Yugi Brahmins
3. Sharma Brahmin
4. Parasar Brahmin (पराशर विप्र)

বারেন্দ্র ব্রাঙ্মণ-বিবরণ – শ্রীনগেন্দ্রনাথ প্রণীত (Barendra Brahman Vivaran)