Social organization
The Mahabrahmin are the traditional funeral priests of North India. They are said to derive their name from the Hindi word pind-kattana, which means to cut the flour balls, an important ritual in Hindu funerals. Little is known about the origin of this community, and their status as Brahmin is barely recognized by other Brahmin grouping. The Kattaha are found throughout Uttar Pradesh, with special concentrations in the districts of Sitapur, Hardoi, and Unnao in Awadh, and the districts of Shahjahanpur and Bareilly in Rohilkhand. They speak various dialects of Hindi, such as Awadhi.
Present circumstances
The khatta are strictly endogamous, and like Brahmin castes, practice clan exogamy. Their three main clans or gotras are the Kashyap, Bharadwaj and Sandilya.They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy their own quarters.