The Chitpavan origin myth conflates foreign castaways with the highest ritual purity

Evidence

Parashurama is said to have burned the bodies of fourteen people who were washed ashore on a funeral pyre, purifying them, and then restored them to life—thus the name chita (pyre) pavan (purified). — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 1081

Categorization

• DEFINE: Etymology of ‘Chitpavan’ given: chita (pyre) pavan (purified).
• XREF: connects to: Many peoples credited strangers with special magical powers requiring ritual handling
• yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: Many peoples credited strangers with special magical powers requiring ritual handling