The word ‘Naagar’ has become a synonmn for personality, love for knowledge, diplomacy, witty nature, sophistication, colourful approach, pomp and self-respect. The Naagar are a branch of Brahmin community. But they have evolved a specific character. They are attractive in looks especially the Naagar women are known for their beautiful features and fari complexion. The Naagar gentlemen are practical, clever and intelligent. Their behavior is impressive. The simplicity of their approach is backed by calculative of their approach is backed by calculative sense and depth of thinking. The love for knowledge and art are more or less hereditary for them. Verbal expression is something for which they need not received any systematic training. Self-respect is an inherent part of their personality. Naagar are thus something more that merely a community.
       There is no unanimity about the origin of the Naagar. It is believed that Naagar community came to India form the south Europe or the north Asia and settled in various parts of the country. According to some references, the Naagar community came to Gujarat in 3^rd century A.D.  
       Vishaldeo Chauhan founded Visnagar town during 1020 to 1050 A.D. He performed a yagna at that time. He had invited the Naagar community to participate in that ceremony. The Naagar gentlemen accepted the invitation with a condition that they would participate in the ceremony, recite the veidc verses, but would not accept the alms. The kind did not like such a condition. But he resisted from hunting their self-respect. Instead, he first offered them paan and with that he gifted them with villages. Those Naagar gentlemen, who accepted the paan unknowingly, were called Naagar grihastha since then. The Naagar Brahmins accepted the latter as their ceremonial hosts.  
        Naagar community is devided into six sub-communities. They are: the Vadnagara, the Visnagara, the Krishnodara, the Chitoda and the Prashnora. The Naagar community has not given much importance to the study of scriptures and religious books and they are not very much inclined to the religious rituals. Their intelligence and learning helped them enter into the field or rule and authority. The history testifies that the Naagar gentlemen were the de facto rulers during the Rajput era in Gujarat and Saurashtra. The dictums used for Naagars mean that they at a height in knowledge, literature, food-habits and war strategies.  
        The Naagar community had developed some peculiar styles during those days. Fair complexion, pompous movement, pure and clear pronunciations were the specific characteristics of the Naagars. They used to wear the silky pitambar at the time of dinner, Laddu were invariably made of mild, they never touched onion and garlic, would never eat the food prepared by someone who was not a Naagar and would strictly follow the rituals and religious ceremonies. During those days, the Naagar gentlemen used to wear dhoti, shirts and a turban. Their names were lengthy and classical.  
       The Naagar community believes in hundred percent educations. Even the Naagar women have never been deprived of education. The women play a key role in the day-to-day family affairs. They do not follow the traditions of dowry. The Naagar gentlemen would hardly plunge into any business. Most of them are government servants.  
       The Naagars are basically luxurious in nature. They are cultured too. A Naagar gentleman would never like to allow his son to marry until he is not self-sufficient.  
      The Naagar community is perhaps credited with the largest contribution in the Cultural development of Gujarat. The pioneering poet Narsinh Mehta, the last representative of medieval poets Dayaram, the pioneer of modern Nandshankar, Mahipatram, Ramanbhai, Nilkanth, Bholanath and Narsinhrao Divetiya, R.V.Desai, Jyotindra Dave, Lallubhai Shamaldas were all from the Naagar community. The politicians and diplomats like Amarji Diwan, Mansukhram Tripathi, Gaga Oza, Prabhashankar Pattani, V.C.Dhebar, Hitendra Desai, the administrators and industrialists like Ranchhodlal and the dramatic genious like Ranchhodlal Udayram also hailed from this commuity. Zandu Bhattji was a great name in Ayurved.  Many such names are found in the field of history, education, politics, art etc. the traditions of music have been preserved and nourished by Avinash Vyas, Ninu Mazmudar, Kadmudi Munshi, Sudha and Kshemu Divetiya as well as Vibha and Rasbihari Desai. Atul Desai has lived with the tradition of pandit Omkarnath Thakur in classical music. Vindo Mukad was a great name in the field of sport and Dolarrai Mankad in education.  
        It is also belived that the Devnaagari script was first developed and used by the Naagar pundits of Vadnagar. The great music maestro sisters Tana and Riri were the Naagar girls of Vadnagar. They are all still remembered with a reverence through a music festival every year at Vadnagar.  
       The Naagar community has thus lived with the culture and history of Gujarat. Their contribution itself is a separate history.