Kanu orKandu is acaste that has been historically associated with trading activities,confectionery (sweet-making), shop-keeping,grain-parching, etc. in India andNepal.^[1][2] One of their notable business activities is confectionery.

Sub-castes include, Madhya-deshiye, madheshiya halwai and kanoujia / Kanaujiya, to name a few. A few surnames used by the community include, Sah,Shaw, Gupta, Gupt,sahuwan.Prasad,shah etc..

They have been associated with the statesBihar,Jharkhand,West Bengal,Uttar Pradesh, Purvanchal area of Uttar pradesh andNepal (Madhesi region).^{[citation needed]}

The community has been given the status ofOBC at the all India level and BC-I in the state of Bihar forreservation purposes.

Their population in Bihar (as per the caste survey of 2023) is around 2.21%.^[3] When it comes to political representation in Bihar and elsewhere, the community is not adequately represented. Given their population size and social standing, the community has been demanding political representation on a large scale.

IN NORTH INDIA:Baba Purushottamanathji Maharaj (बाबा पुरुषोत्तमनाथजी महाराज) is revered as the revered kuldevta (family deity) of the Kanu community. He was a renowned Kulaadhidev, imbued with divine qualities. Born into the Kannoujia Kanu community, his fame spread far and wide across northern India and also worldwide.

In the rich cultural heritage of the Kanu community, Baba Purushottamanathji Maharaj (बाबा पुरुषोत्तमनाथजी महाराज) is fondly remembered alongside kuldevi (family goddess) Maya Bandi/ Bandi Bhagwati. As the kuladhipati (head of the family) of the Kanus, his legacy is cherished through numerous stories, songs, and folklore, which are lovingly recounted and sung by the community.Palwaiya in theVaishali district of Bihar is considered to be a sacred place for the Kandu as it is the birthplace ofSaint Ganinath,^[4][5] thekulguru of the community.

As per the Varna system, Kandus belong to theVaishyavarna in theIndian subcontinent. They are part of theBania community in the eastern parts ofIndia.

The community has been able to maintain its distinct identity by being a somewhatendogamous community.

TheCentral Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Kandu (called Kanu in the Nepal census) as a subgroup within the broader social group ofMadheshi Other Caste.^[6] At the time of the2011 Nepal census, 125,184 people (0.5% of the population of Nepal) were Kandu. The frequency of Kandus by province was as follows:

• Madhesh Province (2.2%)
• Lumbini Province (0.1%)
• Bagmati Province (0.0%)
• Gandaki Province (0.0%)
• Koshi Province (0.0%)
• Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)
• Karnali Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Kandus was higher than national average (0.5%) in the following districts:^[7]

• Parsa (5.8%)
• Bara (4.8%)
• Rautahat (4.5%)
• Sarlahi (1.3%)
• Mahottari (1.1%)
• Banke (0.7%)