What is "sundhi"

Sundhi, also known as Sundi, is a caste in the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal. The word Sundhi is said to be derived from the Sanskrit Shaundik, a spirit-seller.

As per Mandal commission report the Sundhi are included in the category of Other Backward Classes (O.B.C.) in many Indian states and included in Creamy layer.

This caste is also found in the northeast districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh where they are also known as Sondi and as Baniya/Sundi in Assam or Sudi/Vaish Baniya in the rest of India. They also live in some parts of West Bengal and other parts of the country. There are more than six lakhs of Sundhi or Suri resident in western Bengal, Bihār and Orissa.