The Kandu or Kanu are a Hindu Bania caste in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They traditionally provided parched grains and are one of the Bania castes in the Vaishya varna. In India and eastern zone the caste often use Maddhesia or Gupta as a surname. In Nepal, the caste is known as Kanu (Nepali: कानू), and Kandu elsewhere. Saints from this community include Sant Paltu Prasad from Nagpurjalalpur (near Ayodhya), who composed the Bhajnavali (Book of Devotion.) Famous person belong to Kandu Bania (Gupta)- Jai Shanker Prasad, Maithlisharan Gupt,
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Chankya.Shiv shankar gupta(CEO and Founder of swawlamban india ltd.) Kanhai lal Nawada founder Kanhai lal college and school and dharmshal Dwaraka prasad Patna Dwaraka college Patna Raja rai bahadur tunki sah Muzaffarpur - Darbhanga Bihar Proff Gyan saha(1928 bihar yubak sangh Sachiv ) start 14 April as first youth day bhukh hatayiye k prati sahanbhuti dikhlayo raksha kosh hetu chanda doetc 8-4-1928 Rai bahadur Dwarkanath Sahid Ramawtar shah P. C. Bihar Shree kutaee shahu Sahid purniya jila 27-8-1947 Shree Drub Kumar kandu(kundu) shree Bihari Shah. Shree Munshi Shah. They are involved in katihar freedom moments of india Another are Tarni prasad shah Hazipur me shree ganga prasad gupta
Origin
The caste has sub-castes Maddhesia, Maghaiya, Bantaria, Kanaujia, Gour, Koranch, Dhuria, Rawani, Ballamitra, and Thathera (distinct from the Thathera caste). In Nepal they are found in the Terai from Jhapa district in the southeast corner west to Banke as well as in Kathmandu.
Present circumstances
The community is endogamous but practices village and clan exogamy. They have abandoned their traditional occupation of grain parching. Now they are mainly traders, village shop keepers and money lenders in villages. Urban Kandu follow various other occupations.
People in Uttar Pradesh
In Gorakhpur,Kushinagar,Maharajganj, Deoria,Ayodhya,Varanasi. approx. 210000 (survey Report) population.
People in Rajasthan
Jaipur, Bharatpur, Alwar, Ganganagar etc.