Sourashtra or “Sourashtras” refer to a community of people who originated from Gujarat and now settled in different parts of Tamilnadu. They are also called as Palkars or in Tamil as Pattunulkarars which refers to the silk thread workers.
Sourashtrians are a glorious community who reside in and around India and speak Sourashtra as their mother tongue. Generally speaking, these people are adepts in Weaving cotton and silk fabrics. Quite a large number of Sourashtrians have gone down in the history of Indian Independence owing to their patriotic fervor.
Reference to Sourashtrians in the ancient epics and puranas of India are legion. The history of the early 56 countries tells us how Sourashtrians have made themselves a glorious community. The “Sourashtrians Raga” has a unique place among the “Mangala Ragas” of Carnatic Music. The names of Sourashtram and Somanathapuram find a distinct place in the history text books of schools, especially in the political maps of the regions of Ashoka, Kanishka, Gupta Harsha, Gajini Mohammed etc.
