ABSTRACT
The married members of this sect form a very important and wide-spread portion of it. They are known in south India under the name of Gosavi, which is a Marathi corruption of the Sanskrit word Goswami, meaning a religious leader, or etymological "a man who has acquired a complete mastery over all the organs of the senses". The position of the community technically known Gosavis in Berar and the Bombay Presidency can be clearly seen from the following account of these people in Poona city. The Gosavis live mostly in Gosavipura, a street called after them, where they own large mansions which they call maths or religious houses. Formerly Gosavis used to travel in armed bands pretending to seek charity, but really to levy contributions, and where they were unsuccessfully resisted, they plundered and committed great enormities. The residence and influence of the leading married Gosavis can be judged from some well-known instances.
