Sonars, also known as Daivanja Brahmin, is a Hindu caste referring to people who work as goldsmiths. Their forefathers, like the other Konkani speaking communities in Kochi fled Portuguese inquisition and settled in Kochi. In Kochi they were granted religious and occupational freedom. As time passed on, they became an integral part of the society. This integration was facilitated, among other reasons, by the demand for exceptionally crafted gold ornaments, at which they were skilled at. They made ornaments for all irrespective of caste and religious differences. The knowledge that the older generations of Sonars possessed was immense and their designs, which bear a stamp of their artistry, are non-replicable.
Despite serious intermingling with the other communities, Sonars in Kochi still retain their cultural uniqueness. The history of the community, and the excruciating pain that their forefather were subjected to in Goa during the Portuguese inquisition is preserved and transmitted through folklores. Even their surnames bears the semblances of their lost motherland, often indicating the places where they originated from