Barthwal

Barthwal is surname, rather a sub-caste of Garhwali Brahmins. Most Barthwals are concentrated in Pauri district of Uttarakhand. The deity of Barthwals is 'Bhairav', who rides on dog.

Like many sub-castes of Garhwal, it is said that they are not native to Garhwal. One version (Rahul Sankratayan's) has it that they descended from four brothers, each of which settled in a different location in Pauri district. Another version has it that they all originally belonged to a village 'Bareth' in Dwarikhal Block, near Silogi, in Malla Dhangu 'patti' (a division of block, generally consisting of 25-50 villages). Some Barthwals also live in Udaypur Patti, village Gadmola, Gankya now known as Ganeshpur. From there, their descendants moved to nearby Khand, Balori (near Pauri town) and elsewhere with the passage of time.