View source for Pani

{{About|the Indian surname Pani|other surnames|Pani (surname)|other uses|Pani (disambiguation)|and|Panis (disambiguation)}}
'''Pāṇi''' is a surname used in [[India]], found often in the state of [[Odisha]] (formerly Orissa).<ref>{{cite book |title=People of India: Odisha (2 pts.) |author=Kumar Suresh Singh |year=1992 |page=857 |publisher=[[Anthropological Survey of India]]}}</ref> The surname Pāṇi is widely used in Orissa, [[Madhya Pradesh]], and a large part of eastern and central India. This surname is used by Brahmins whose root is claimed to be traced to [[Ujjain]] of Madhya Pradesh and to the period of [[Kalidasa]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Torch Bearers of Vedic Traditions: Brahmin Sasan Villages in Orissa |author=N. Patnaik |year=2002 |page=20 |isbn=9788170543466 |publisher=Classical Publishing Company}}</ref>
==History==
There are two stories how this surname (or caste name) came about. The first one says the great grammar pundit [[Pāṇini]] is the ancestor of Pāṇis, and the other story is that a king of [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] conferred the title Pāṇi to [[Brahmin]]s who could easily memorize all of the [[Vedas]].{{cn|date=November 2024}}
Pani reached their zenith and were revered as ministers in the period of king [[Vikramaditya]] (1st century AD).<ref>{{cite book |title=Vrajanatha Vadajena |author=Janaki Ballabha Mohanty |year=1991 |page=33 |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |isbn=9788172010607}}</ref>
Pani migrated to Orissa in the 12th century AD after king [[Jajati Keshari]] invited them for a [[yajna]] that was held to honour [[Shiva]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Orissa District Gazetteers: Dhenkanal |author1=Nilamani Senapati |author2=N. K. Sahu |year=1966 |page=111 |publisher=Orissa Government Press}}</ref>
Pani families in [[Purulia district]] have been [[Zamindar]]s (in [[Chakradharpur]], [[Puri]], [[Barabazar]].{{cn|date=November 2024}}
Some Pāṇis migrated inland to the tribal areas of [[Jharkhand]] and settled during the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal period]] (17th century). (The migrants' descendants still identify themselves as residents of Orissa.) There are a few Pāṇis from this migratory group in Jhargram in west bengal and in western Odisha.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
== Notable people ==
Notable people with the surname include:
* [[Baishnaba Pani]] (1882–1956), Indian writer and theatre director
* [[Biswamohan Pani]], former design engineer at Intel
* [[Bhavna Pani]], Indian actress, model, and dancer
* [[Ravi Narayan Pani]], Indian politician
* [[Uday Shankar Pani]], Indian filmmaker
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{portalbar|India|Language}}
[[Category:Surnames]]
[[Category:Surnames of Indian origin]]