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Regions with significant populations | |
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Indian state of Karnataka | |
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Havyaka Kannada, Sanskrit | |
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Hinduism |
Havyaka Brahmin, originally called Havika Brahmana, is a Hindu Brahmin community native to the districts of Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, coastal Karnataka and the Kasaragod district of Kerala. Havyakas fall under the Pancha-Dravida Brahmin category; they are the followers of Yajurveda. Some of them follows Rigveda and Samaveda Shakas also. They follow the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya.
The words as attested by linguists Sediyapu Krishna Bhat is a derivation from Ahichatra[ spelling? ]Brahmana. It is changed to Ahika and then Havika and is agreed upon by scholars like Sediyapu and Nadahalli Ranganatha Sharma. The word Ahichatra Brahmana is mentioned in inscriptions. Another etymology that is popular for Havyaka is argued to have derived from the Sanskrit word havya which means "sacred oblation". Thus, Havyaka could mean "performer of Havana rituals". However, according to Shri Sediyapu Krishna Bhat, the word "Havyaka" is a Sanskritization of Ahika-Havika. They are referred to as "Haviga" in colonial-era documents by British ethnographers. Some variations of this name are "Haiga" and "Havika"; "Haiga" is also the name of the region that is centred around Gokarna and is bounded by Tulu Nadu to the south; this region is also called Parashuramakshethra, Gorastradesha or Gokarnamandala. Sanskrit scholar Mahamahopadhyaya Nadahalli Ranganatha Sharma rejects the Havya+kavya derivation as grammatically incorrect. The word Havyaka was not used in official records until 1928, including in mathas.
Havyakas are descended from Brahmins brought from Northern India by King Mayurasharman who founded the Kadamba dynasty. These Brahmins were originally from the Ahichchatra kingdom near the modern-day Ramnagar village in the modern-day Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh. They were brought in order to perform Vedic rituals and were originally housed at Banavasi, which is 24 kilometers from Sirsi. From there, they spread out in the nearby regions primarily following areas which were suitable for areca nut plantations, which they have historically been involved in.
According to findings, the Havyakas were originally from the Banavasi region and had migrated to Ahichachtra (in the present state of Uttar Pradesh) due to the threat of non-Vedic sects at that time. Centuries ago, Kadambara Mayuravarman, who established Karnataka's first royal family, found it difficult to carry out his religious rituals due to the lack of Brahmins in those days, so he invited Havyaka families from Ahichachtra to perform homa-havans and provided shelter to some villages and facilitated them to settle down. When the Havyakas were concerned about their protection when they came to the Kadamba kingdom, the Kadamba king gave the Haigunda region of the Sharavati shore, which is an island in the midst of the sharavati river, to the Havyakas so as not to disturb the Vedic works. In recent times, Haigunda temple was under the administration of Sri Ramachandrapura Mutt, one of the most famous gurupeeths, renovated under the guidance of Sri Sri Raghaveshwar Bharati Swami and religious programs were performed on special occasions like Navratri.
Havyakas are native to the Uttara Kannada and the Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka and the Kasaragod district of Kerala. A smaller percentage can also be found in the Sagara, Soraba, Hosanagara, Shivamogga and Thirthahalli taluks in Shivamogga, Chikmagalur and Kodagu districts. They are found in Sirsi, Siddapura, Yellapura, Kumta and Honnavar in Uttara Kannada; in Puttur and Sullia in Dakshina Kannada in Maravanthe; in Udupi and in the northern parts of the Kasaragod district such as Kumbla.
Men undergo the Upanayana when they turn seven years old to initiate their Vedic studies. [1] It is also known as Brahmopadesha. The key ritual during the Upanayana is that of putting a sacred thread called yajnopavitha or janivaara consisting of three cotton strands across the left shoulder of the boy. The initiate is called a dvija "twice-born" and is expected to perform the Sandhyavandana at least twice daily. Yajnopavitha has a special knot in it which is called as "Brahma Gantu". Havyaka Brahmins also undergo the Upakarma, where the sacred thread is changed.
In old Vedas, it is mentioned that after Upanayana, he enters the stage of Brahmacharya ashrama, leading a celibate and austere life of a student in his teacher's home and eating from handouts given by the neighbours. When he has accomplished his studies of the Vedas, he enters the Grahastha ashram, a married man becoming head of his household. During the wedding, the groom wears two janivaaras at the same time to signify his marriage.
The Havyakas are united by their language, known as Havigannada, which is a dialect of Kannada. There are two distinct dialects of the Havyaka language. One in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga districts and another in Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragodu districts. The dialect differs from mainstream Kannada, non-Havyakas who understand and speak Kannada cannot understand Havigannada.
Most Havyakas also understand mainstream Kannada (particularly, the Havyakas living in Bangalore, who speak Bangalore Kannada outdoors and Havigannada at home); the Havyakas who are native to Dakshina Kannada also understand Tulu and those from Kasaragod speak Havigannada at home and Malayalam outdoors. Havyakas who are settled in Goa and Karwar understand and speak Konkani. Apart from this, many of them, especially those living in metropolitan cities, can speak Hindi and English.
The Havyakas follow a lacto-vegetarian diet. Compared to the cuisines of other communities of South India, Havyaka cuisine is milder and less spicy. Rice, curds, buttermilk and vegetables are the staples used in Havyaka cuisine. Coconut is used in a lot of dishes. Some popular Havyaka dishes include:
Curries are prepared from unripe jackfruits, the ripe jackfruit is used to cook items such as dosas and halvas.
Uttara Kannada is a fifth largest district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belagavi districts to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shivamogga District, and Udupi District to the south, and the Laccadive Sea to the west. Karwar is the district headquarters, Kumta and Sirsi are the major commercial centers in the district. The district's agroclimatic divisions include the coastal plain consisting of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honnavar Bhatkal taluks and Malenadu consisting of Sirsi, Siddapur, Yellapur, Haliyal, Dandeli, Joida, Mundgod taluks.
Kanara or Canara, also known as Karavali, is the historically significant stretch of land situated by the southwestern Konkan coast of India, alongside the Arabian Sea in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka. The subregion comprises three civil districts, namely: Uttara Kannada, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada. Kasaragod was included prior to the States Reorganisation Act.
Yakshagana is a traditional theatre, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form. It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during the period of the Bhakti movement. It is sometimes simply called "Aata" or āṭa. This theatre style is mainly found in coastal regions of Karnataka in various forms. Towards the south from Dakshina Kannada to Kasaragod of Tulu Nadu region, the form of Yakshagana is called Thenku thittu and towards the north from Udupi up to Uttara Kannada it is called Badaga thittu. Both of these forms are equally played all over the region. Yakshagana is traditionally presented from dusk to dawn. Its stories are drawn from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and other epics from both Hindu and Jain and other ancient Indic traditions.
The Kadambas were an ancient royal family from modern Karnataka, India, that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada district in India. The kingdom was founded by Mayurasharma in c. 345, and at later times showed the potential of developing into imperial proportions. An indication of their imperial ambitions is provided by the titles and epithets assumed by its rulers, and the marital relations they kept with other kingdoms and empires, such as the Vakatakas and Guptas of northern India. Mayurasharma defeated the armies of the Pallavas of Kanchi possibly with the help of some native tribes and claimed sovereignty. The Kadamba power reached its peak during the rule of Kakusthavarma.
Tigalari or Tulu script is a Southern Brahmic script which was used to write Tulu, Kannada, and Sanskrit languages. It was primarily used for writing Vedic texts in Sanskrit. It evolved from the Grantha script.
Hegde or Heggade Pergade is a common surname found primarily in the Kanara, Tulu Nadu and Konkan regions of India. It is prevalent among various Hindu communities in these regions, including the Kuruba Gowda, Bunt, Saraswat Brahmins, Kannada Jain, Havyaka Brahmin, and Vokkaliga communities of Karnataka.
Udupi district is an administrative subdivision in the Karnataka state of India, with the district headquarters in the city of Udupi. It is situated in the Canara old north Malabar coastal region. There are seven taluks, 233 villages and 21 towns in Udupi district. The three northern tehsils of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala, were partitioned from Dakshina Kannada district to form Udupi district on 25 August 1997. Moodabidri was officially declared as new tehsil (taluk) in 2018.
The Shivalli Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin community in Karnataka. They are divided into two groups, the first of who follow the Dvaita philosophy founded by the Vaishnava saint Madhvacharya of Udupi are called Shivalli Madhva Brahmins, and the second of who follow the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankara are known as Shivalli Smartha Brahmins. Majority of Shivalli Brahmins are Madhvas and only a few of them are Smarthas.
Sirsi is a city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state in India. It was also known as "Kalyana Pattana" during the Sonda Dynasty. It is a tourist destination with evergreen forest and waterfalls and is also a commercial centre. The main businesses around the city are mostly subsistence and agriculture-based. Areca nut or betel nut, locally known as Adike, is the primary crop grown in the nearby villages, making it one of the major trading centres for areca nut. The region is also known for spices such as cardamom, pepper, betel leaves, and vanilla. The major food crop is paddy.
Mayurasharma or Mayuravarma, a native of Talagunda, was the founder of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka, India. Before the rise of the Kadambas, the centres of power ruling the land were outside the Karnataka region; thus the Kadambas' ascent to power as an independent geo-political entity, with Kannada, the language of the soil as a major regional language, is a landmark event in the history of modern Karnataka with Mayurasharma as an important historical figure. The earliest Kannada language inscriptions are attributed to the Kadambas of Banavasi.
The Alupa dynasty was an Indian dynasty that ruled from 200 to 1444 A.D. in Southern India. The kingdom they ruled was known as Alvakheda Arusasira and its territory spanned the coastal districts of the modern Indian state known as Karnataka.
Devadiga also known as Moily, Sherigar is a Hindu Community or Caste. Devadigas were traditionally temple servants and musicians in Hindu temples. Devadigas are originally from the land stretching between Karwar in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala and some parts of Maharashtra in west-coast of India up to the Chandragiri River and Many People live in Shivamogga and Chikmagalur too. Devadigas are quite distinct from the Ambalavasi(Semi-Brahmin)(temple servants) found elsewhere. It is believed that their two divisions, namely Kannada Devadiga (Moily) and Tulu Devadiga (Moily); were endogamous in the past.
Sri Idagunji Mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali, Keremane (R)(Kannada: ಇಡಗುಂಜಿ ಮಹಾಗಣಪತಿ ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ ಮಂಡಳಿ)or simply the Keremane Yakshagana Troupe is a Yakshagana troupe based in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India. It was started by Keremane Shivarama Hegde in 1934. He is an exponent of this art form and is the first Yakshagana artist to win the Rashtrapati Award, an award handed out by the President of India to people who excel in various fields. The troupe has survived three generations, with his children Shambu Hegde, Mahabala Hegde and Gajanana Hegde and his grand son Shivananda Hegde also being exponents of Yakshagana. Keremane Shivananda Hegde is the current director of the troupe and the institution.
Talagunda is a village in the Shikaripura taluk of Shivamogga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Many inscriptions found here have provided insights into the rise of the Kadamba Dynasty.
Havigannada, also called as Havyaka Bhaashe and Havyaka Kannada, is the dialect of Kannada spoken by Havyaka Brahmins in Malenadu and coastal region of Karnataka and Kasargod district of Kerala.
Tulu Nadu State movement is aimed at increasing Tulu Nadu's influence and political power through the formation of separate Tulu Nadu state from Karnataka and Kerala. Tulu Nadu is a region on the south-western coast of India. It consists of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and Kasargod district up to the Chandragiri river in Kerala. The Chandragiri River has traditionally been considered a boundary between Tulu Nadu and Kerala from the fourth century AD onwards. The first call for a separate Tulu Nadu state was made just after the Quit India Movement in 1942 by Srinivas Updhyaya Paniyadi, a banker and a press owner from Udupi. Mangalore is the largest and the chief city of Tulu Nadu. Tulu activists have been demanding a separate Tulu Nadu state since the late 2000s, considering language and culture as the basis for their demand.
Cukkemane or Kukkemane or Cuckemane is surname or a family name belonging to members of the Havyaka Brahmin Community. They belong to the Gautama gotra; they originate from and are mainly based in Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka, a state in South India. They are from Kukke which was part of Amara Sulya district, formerly in the old kingdom of Kodagu.
Shri Gangadharendra Saraswati, officially Shreemajjagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Gangadharendra Saraswati Swamij, is pontiff (Guru) of Shri Sonda Swarnavalli Mutt, Sirsi, Karnataka, India. He is the 54th Guru of this mutt. He took sannyasa and ordination from Shri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji of Kanchi Matha which is known as Kanchi kamakoti Peetham. He is a follower of Advaita Vedanta.
Haigunda is a village located in an island in Sharavathi river, Honnavara taluk, Karnataka.
Ramachandrapura Math (monastery) is a Hindu monastery located in Hosanagara taluk of Shimoga, Karnataka. The Matha is followed mainly by the Havyaka Brahmins in Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala. It was established by Adi Shankaracharya originally near Gokarna, a holy town on the west coast of India. The matha was initially known as Raghuthama Matha. The Swami of the matha is a celibate (brahmacharya) and a Havyaka by birth. He adds the title Bharati to his name. The present guru is Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Raghaveshwara Bharathi MahaSwamiji. He was initiated sanyasa by his guru Jagadguru Shankaracharya shri Ragavendra Bharati mahaswamiji the 35th Pontiff of Shri Ramachandrapura Mutt.