Kolekar - Surname

Background
Kolekar is very common surname .It belongs to Brahmin,Shimpi,Warkari,Kumbhar,Dhangar communities. The surname is mainly used by those families who have had some relation or have stayed at a place called Kole which is located in Maharashtra.

[edit] Primary Occupations
[edit] Shepherds
This was the prime occupation of Dhangar Kolekars. The word Dhangar is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Dhenu' i.e. Cow. They are called by different synonyms like Dhangar, Dhangad and Dhanpal. Dhang also means a hill or a mountain. During the times of hardship some Kshatriyas went to the mountains and hills with their sheep and cows and stayed in the forests: these people are called Dhangars.

[edit] Merchants
Crafting Zari sarees, being the primary livelihood, the craftsmen would carry their merchandise to various towns and villages for sale. Typically, since sale of merchandise was the only means of Income, it often meant lot of hardships, as in ancient India, rich-buyers were hard to come by, and sale would often involve extensive travel.

[edit] Money-Lenders
A lot of Kolekars' were in the business of lending money, and land-lords who would live off rent collected from tenants.

[edit] Fishermen
As time progressed, a few Kolekars also got involved in fishing as a primary source of livelihood, especially those close to coastal areas. The name Kolekar is not to be confused with Koli a generic term associated with fishermen in Maharashtra.

[edit] Kolekars in Public Office
SD Kolekar - Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Revenue Department
Bhausaheb P Kolekar - Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC:E Ward
L J Kolekar - Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thane
A.M.Kolekar - Tax Assistant, Central Excise, Pune
Shivaji Kolekar - Mumbai's Superstar Cop, Encounter Specialist
Milan Kolekar - Police Sub-Inspector, Agripada
Dr. Swapnali Kolekar - Medical Office, Buldhana Civil Hospital