Sourashtra or "Patnulkarar" refers to a community of people who speak the Saurashtra language. They had their original homes in Gujarat and migrated to Madurai and other places of Tamil Nadu. The origin of the name date backs to the time when the ancestors of these people inhabited the kingdom of Sourashtra in Gujarat State. The Tamil name by which these people is known in Southern India is Patnulkarar, that is silk-thread workers or weavers who speak "Pattunuli" or "Khatri", a dialect of Gujarati. The details about Sourashtra community is discussed by A.J. Saunders. The Bhagavata calls the Abhiras as Saurastra. The Bhagavata calls the Abhiras as saurastra and Avantyas rulers (Saurastra-Avantya-Abhira) and the Vishnu treats the Abhiras as occupying the Saurastra and Avantil provinces. Sourashtra-Patnulkarar wear the sacred thread and are Brahmins but belong to linguistic minorities. Sourashtra people are brahmins. They are north Indians.