-By Atul Yadava.

We Yadavas are spread throughout India in the manes of various sects. The term Yadav (or sometimes Yadava) has been interpreted to mean a descendant of Yadu, who is a mythological king.

The lineage of several rulers of ancient and medieval India is traced to Yadu. These include Lord Shri Krishna, as well as historical rulers such as King Porus, who fought Alexander the Great in the Battle of the Hydaspes River.

The kings who ruled southern India and Southern Maharashtra till the 13th century were from our community.

The Yadavas are dynamic people with a capacity for assimilation and absorption, a quality to which their survival after the Mahabharata war may well be attributed. As members of this community, we all have great responsibility to carry on the legacy.

Our forefathers have contributed in the fields of arts & culture, politics, economics, architecture, history, science, astronomy, martial & military excellence and spirituality.

We are very much proud of our glorious past and our 'steeped in tradition' roots. Even today we find great pride in carrying forth the values and tradition taught to us by our forefathers.

• Our community has 423 different types of surname.
• The national symbol of India (Four Lions) and the Ashoka Chakra is the contribution of a King from our community.
• 22nd Thirthankar of Jains- Neminath took his birth in Yadav dynasty.
• The Delhi's Iron pillar was erected by a Yadav King & till date its matter of scientific research.
• The Nalanda & Vikramshila Universities were contribution of Yadav's (Gupta Dynasty) & flourished under other Yadav rulers of Pal dynasty of Bengal.
• The famous caves of Ajanta and Ellora are the contribution of a King from our community. The greatest Sanskrit poet Kalidas too was from our community.
• The contribution of the Yadavas to the composite culture of India is immense. For example, the nomadic art forms, the Abhira language (Apabhramsa), the Raslla and certain ragas like Ahir-Bhairav, Abhirika, Gopika and Kannadagula.