Gotra

A Gotra is the lineage or clan assigned to a at birth. In most cases, the system is patrilineal and the gotra assigned is the gotra of the person's father. Other names used to refer to it are Vansh, Vanshaj, Bedagu, Purvik, Purvajan, Pitru. An individual may decide to identify his lineage by a different gotra, or combination of gotras. For example Lord was Surya Vansh, also known as Raghu Vansh. This was because Lord Rama's great-grandfather became famous.

The term gotra, itself, according to strict Hindu tradition is used only for the lineages of, Kshatriya and Vysya families. A Gotra relates directly to the original seven or eight Rishis of the Vedas. In this sense, Lord Rama did not have a Gotra, and in rituals his Gotra would be the Gotra of his Brahmin priest. This practice is still common today as it was in ancient times according to earliest Hindu sources. Therefore, Gotra has always been only a Brahmin lineage that descends from seven or eight rishis associated with the seven or eight stars of the as according to original Hindu Vedic system. The word "Gotra" means "ray." In Brahmin tradition, it is the duty of the Brahmin to keep his particular ray alive by doing daily rituals that he may transmit the power of that ray to others for the benefit of mankind. When the "ray" is extinguished, so is that particular beneficial magical stream dead to the human race and that power lost to mankind forever. Hence the importance of a Brahmin's daily.

Recently, the term "gotra" has taken broader meanings to include any lineage, Brahmin or otherwise. Therefore, today, other terms are considered synonymous with gotra and the distinct meaning of the word and the esoteric connotations are lost to many, even within the Brahmin community.

A common mistake is to consider gotra to be synonymous with cult or. A kula is basically a set of people following similar rituals, often worshipping the same God (the Kula-Devata - the God of the cult). Kula has nothing to do with lineage or caste. In fact, it is possible to change one's Kula, based on his faith or ista devtha.

It is common practice in marriage to enquire about the Kula-Gotra meaning Cult-Clan of the bride and bridegroom before approving the marriage. In almost all families,  within the same gotra are prohibited. But marriage within the kula is allowed and even preferred.

Origin of gotra
Gotra is the Sanskrit term for a much older system of tribal clans. The Sanskrit term "Gotra" was initially used by the people for the identification of the lineages. Generally, these lineages mean patrilineal descent from the sages or rishis in Brahmins, warriors and administrators in and ancestral trademen in.

The lineage system, either patrilineal or matrilineal, was followed by the South Asian people. In the present day, Gotra is applied to all the lineage systems. Many Hindu have lineages that do not follow Vedic classification.

Marriages and gotras
Marriages within the gotra ("swagotra" marriages) are banned under the rule of in the traditional matrimonial system. People within the gotra are regarded as and marrying such a person would be thought of as. In some communities, where gotra membership passed from father to children, marriages were allowed between uncle and niece, while such marriages were forbidden in communities, like s and s, where gotra membership was  passed down from the mother. A much more common characteristic of south Indian Hindu society is permission of marriage between s (children of brother and sister). Thus, a man is allowed to marry his mother's brother's daughter or his father's sister's daughter but is not allowed to marry his father's brother's daughter, a, who is treated as a sister.

society not only follows rules of gotra for marriages, but also has many regulations which go beyond the basic definition of gotra.