Vaidya
Vaidya (Sanskrit: वैद्य), or vaid is a Sanskrit word meaning "traditional practitioner of Ayurveda", an indigenous Indian system of alternative medicine. Senior practitioners or teachers were called Vaidyarāja ("physician-king") as a mark of respect. Some practitioners who had complete knowledge of the texts and were excellent at their practices were known as Pranaacharya. Some royal families in India had a personal vaidya in attendance and these people were referred to as Rāja Vaidya ("the king's physician"). In Maharashtra, like many other last names, the last name "Vaidya" is linked to the profession that the family followed.
Vaidya as a surname
As a last name in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, Vaidya is usually found in several communities like the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu, Billava as well as Sonar (goldsmith).
Notables
- Lakshman Jagannath Vaidya
- Narayan Jagannath Vaidya
- Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya
- Bhai Vaidya
- Arun Shridhar Vaidya
- Jalabala Vaidya
- Omi Vaidya
- Kaajal Oza Vaidya
- Rahul Vaidya
- Prahalad Chunnilal Vaidya