– by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD
The ancient Tulu nadu extended from Gokarna in the north, all along coastal Karnataka up to Kasargod in the south. This included both coastal Uttara Kannada district as well as all of Dakshina Kannada district. Over many centuries the principal language of Tulu nadu was Tulu. Today Tulu is spoken only south of River Kalyanpur in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. This is the heartland of Tulu nadu today. While Udupi is the religious center of Tulu nadu, Mangalore is the commercial hub. Innumerable smaller towns and villages comprise of a green landscape within the mountainous range of the Western Ghats as well as along the coastal Karnataka with access to Arabian Sea. Here Tulu language, one of the five main Dravidian languages of the South, with its extinct script is spoken. For historical purposes the regions settled by Brahmins are three in number. Haige or Haive (Uttara Kannada), Taulava (Dakshina Kannada) and Kerala.
Grama Paddhati :
The origins of Tuluva Brahmins are recorded in the manuscript, Grama Paddhati. There are various recensions of the document. It is believed that the documents were re-written in its current form sometime in the 15th century, although additions could have been made in the ensuing centuries. Grama Paddhati can be divided into three different sections for the purposes of studying it. It is the only document that contains the history of Tuluva Brahmins.
The first deals with the legend of Parashurama, who created coastal Tulu nadu by reclaiming land from the sea. When Parashurama’s father sage Jamadagni and his wife were heckled by Kshatriya Kartaveeryarjuna, who also stole their precious cattle, Parashurama defeated the Kshatriya and vowed to annihilate the Kshatriya tribes. Later when he repented for his actions, he handed the newly reclaimed land over to sage Kashyap as penance for destroying twenty-one successive generations of Kshatriyas.
When Parashurama found no Brahmins in the land, he is said to have elevated the fishermen class to the upper class of Brahmins. After giving them all the amenities, Parashurama went to the Meru Mountains for his meditations but not before promising the new Brahmins to summon him if they needed any help. Soon after, the Brahmins wanted to test the veracity of Parashurama and summoned him without a valid reason. An angered Parashurama immediately stripped the Brahmins of their upper class status.
The second part of Gram Paddhati deals with the story of settlement of Tulu nadu by Brahmins. The Kadamba king Mayuravarma facilitated this migration. On the advice of sages, Mayuravarma invited Brahmins to the area from Ahichhatra. Sixteen families were settled in Haige in Uttara Kannada, thirty-two Brahmin families in Tulu nadu and sixty-four in Kerala. Ahichhatra (Ahiksetra?) was located on the banks of River Godavari. This new migration in the 7th or 8th century created skirmishes between the new comers and the Brahmins who were already there (Parashurama’s Brahmins?). To appease the rioters, Mayuravarma donated land to them.
Kadamba’s history is also touched upon in this section of the document. A son was born to Parameshvara and Parvati under a Kadamba tree. The baby Kadamba was given a boon that he would be a ruler of a kingdom. His son Vasu Chakravarti followed King Kadamba. He had a daughter named Susheela. Hemanga from Suryavamsha married Susheela and adopted Kadamba name. Their son Mayuravarma is our hero, who invited Brahmins to settle in the land created by Parashurama. He not only donated land and villages to the thirty-two Brahmin families in Tulu nadu but also arranged for servants for them called Nayars.
When his son Chandrangada was born, Mayuravarma renounced his throne and went to the forest for contemplative meditation. All the Brahmins now left Tulu nadu and returned to Ahicchatra. After Chandrangada became the ruler he saw the deficiencies of a society without Brahmins and invited them back again, enticing them with more facilities and land. After his death, a Shudra king Hubbasiga started hectoring the Brahmins and some of them left Tulu nadu again. Chandrangada’s son Lokaditya, with the help of a Chandasena from Gokarna, used craftiness and intrigue to murder Hubbasiga. Lokaditya went back to Ahichhatra to escort the Brahmins back to Tulu nadu following the riddance of the menace of Hubbasiga.
The third part of Grama Paddhati deals with naming the various villages and districts and the names of the families settled there. The thirty-two villages with the names of the Brahmin family that usually bore the name of the villages are named.
The Migration :
Thirty-two Brahmin families, purified by twelve thousand agnihotras, were said to have been brought and settled in Talagunda and Kuppatturu, both in Shimoga district (this effort of procurement is credited to a Mukkanna Kadamba). From here, during the rule of the Alupas in Tulu nadu, certain batches of Brahmins migrated to Alvakheda (ancient name for Tulu nadu) and Haive (current Uttara Kannada). Talagunda agrahara however was in existence in the 3rd century. Mayuravarma may have influenced Ahicchatra Brahmins to migrate here, who then migrated to the various agraharas in Dakshina Kannada.
The earliest Brahmin presence mentioned in Dakshina Kannada was in the seventh century (Grama Paddhati). They are the migrants from Ahichhatra invited by Mayuravarma. Later, Brahmins from different agraharas may have come to Tulu nadu at different times. In the 11th century another migration occurred after the destruction of the agraharas in Talagunda and Kuppagadde in Shimoga district, by the Chola kings. This might have provided a major impetus for the Ahichhatra Brahmins to migrate to Tulu nadu and settle in Haive, Shivalli, Kota, Koteshvara, and Kandavara etc. The migration from Mysore was a more continuous process that occurred many centuries into the medieval times.
The Tulu nadu Brahmins settled in different places and developed their own individual characteristics. By virtue of their settlements in various regions, five such groups came to be recognized in the Tulu nadu. They are Shivalli, Kota, Koteshvara, Kandavaras and the Panchagramis. However, it is likely that there were only two settlements in Shivalli and Kota, both villages in Udupi district. Later, religious differences may have resulted in schism, thus the other three may have split off from the original two to form their own settlements.
Grama Paddhati does not differentiate between the Shivalli, Kota or Kandavara Brahmins, all of who claim to be Ahicchatra Brahmins.
Very informative.
appreciate the team behind the web site.
Dear Sir,
The information presented mind boggling, and interesting. Please provide more information about “panchagramis” . Their kuladevthe is Sri Shankara Narayana. The temple is situated at Shankaranarayana, Kundapura Taluk.
Yours’ sincerely, With regards.
Jayachandra Rao
The following dissertations contain valuable information related to Shivalli brahmins.
1. Padmanabha K. Shivalli Brahmin Kulanamagalu- Ondu Adyayana M A dissertaion, University of Madras 1982
2. Rao Nagendra, The Historical tradition of South Canara and the brahminical groups: A Study of Grama Paddhati and Sahyadrikanda. M Phil thesis, Mangalore University, 1995
Appreciate receiving more recent references of thesis/ dissertations submitted to Universities
1. If Mayuravarma was a brahmin,why did he bring brahmins from out side.
2. He was highly impressed by Tamil temple culture,which he introduced in the Kadamba dynasty.
3. So why did he brinng north Indian brahmins, insted of Tami brahmins.
4. What was Mayuravarmas sons name (a) Kangavarma or (b) lChandragada mentioned in this article.
youurs sicerly,
Balagopal Nair.
(Publisher Encyclopedia of Kerala)
dont publish stupid article.Tulu nadu not extended from Gokarna. its only dakshina kannada udupi. what is proof Mayura verma was a brahamin
@Balagopal Nair & Jk
Where in the post did they mention that Mayura verma was a brahmin? What made you assume that? Or did I miss that info?
@Balagopal Nair & Jk
Where in the post did they mention that Mayura verma was a brahmin? What made you assume that? Or did I miss that info?
I have often seen that many shivlli brahmins and the so called researchers conveniently avoid their connection to Shankaracharya, Adwaita, Lord Anantheshwara etc.. But the fact is that entire shivallis were of shankaracharya folowers and were Smartha brahmins wearing veebuthi but worshipping both Shiva and Vishnu. Only in 13th century that there has been conversion(many were forced) to Dwaitha (madhwa), and vicious campaign started against shakaracharya in order to get oneupmanship . While majoriry shvalli brahmins in the Tulu regeon got conveted , the rest in the kundapur region were not perturbed by this new phylosophy of Madhwa. They continue to subsribe to Sringeri and worship Ananteshwara, Chadreshwara, Vishnumurti, Devi, Ganesh etc….
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these ariticles are incomplete. Please read Late Dr. Padooru Gururaj Bhat’s TULUNADU Book. He was a noble hisoriyan from Old dakshina kannada District. The book is now available in market.
Pl provide the address where the copies of
research paper is available to me by
e mail:murari_cmd@hotmail.com.
Cheers
Murari
Mayurasharma hailed from talagunda region of Shivamogga district, originally belong to pure Kannada speaking Brahmins of Hoysala Karnataka/babburu kamme community where this community can be seen around sagar, shivamogga and theerthahalli.Even today the famous people from this community are Master Hirannayya, Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan, former supreme court judge Rama Jois, Anil kumble etc.Therefore Mayura Sharma does not belong to shivalli/Havyaka Brahmins.
ಮಯೂರಶರ್ಮ ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಶಿಕಾರಿಪುರ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ ತಾಳಗುಂದದಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದವನು.ಇವನ ಮೂಲ ಅಚ್ಚ ಕನ್ನಡ ಪಂಗಡಗಳಾದ ಸ್ಮಾರ್ಥ ಶೈವ ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ-ಬಬ್ಬುರು ಕಮ್ಮೆ ಪಂಗಡಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದವನು.ಇವನ ಕುಲ ಬಂದವರು ಈಗಲೂ ಕೂಡ ಸಾಗರ,ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ಹಾಗು ತೀರ್ಥಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇವರ ಪಂಗಡದ ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ವಾಗ್ಮಿಗಳು, ನಟರು ಮಾಸ್ಟರ್ ಹಿರಣ್ಣಯ್ಯ ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನ್ ,ಪುಟ್ಟಣ್ಣ ಕಣಗಾಲ್, ನಿವೃತ್ತ ಸುಪ್ರೀಂಕೋರ್ಟ್ ನ್ಯಾಯಾಧೀಶ ರಾಮ ಜೋಯಿಸ್ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರರು.ಇವರ ಬಹುತೇಕ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಹೆಸರುಗಳು ಶರ್ಮ, ಜೋಯಿಸ ಅಂತ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ.ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಮಯೂರಶರ್ಮನು ಶಿವಳ್ಳಿ ಹಾಗು ಹವ್ಯಕ ಪಂಗಡಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಪಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
Dear Sir,
I compliment to all of those people who
have taken the pains to develope the details
A wonderful job done
Cheers
Sananguly Murari
#411,Rainbow Dive Layout
Bangalore-560035
Land Mark:Near Canara Bank on Sarjapur
Road
SL No:257 Angirasa Ghothra
Home diety:Srinvasa
Former Chairman Cum Managing Director
Kudremukh Iron Ore Limited
Govt of India Enterprise
Under Minstry of Steel
Sir;
Please do refer ‘Tulu nadu’ by Padoor gururaj bhat and also ‘Ancient karnataka’ and ‘Sthanikas and their historical importance’ by B.A. Salaetore It contains more valuable information of tulu nadu. There were presence of Brahmins in tulu nadu right from386 B.C. They are called as Sthanika tulu brahmins .They did the consecreation of all temples in parashurama kshetra.They were the main priests in all temples tillthe end of 18 ‘th century. Since they fought against the british in freedom movement they were being removed from their valuable posts and their properties confisticated.Other brahmins got upper hand by this.Other brahmins got this as an opportunity to sideline them and spread false rumours about sthanika brahmins and malign them .In this article facts are being not disclosed properly .Please do correct it for information of future generation.
Thanks.
Ahichitra is in UP , capital of Panchala kindom. nowhere near river godavari . Those who say pravara angirasa n haritasa gotra were from there only . Some brahmins in shimoga use tigalari lipi and we are haritasa gotra . Please do add more contents to article. Thank you
People of tulunadu and Kerala share a common inheritance
It is of utmost importance to take note of the fact both Shivalli Brahmins and the Nambudri Brahmins share the same resources of a common pool. After all were not Samudra and Sagara group of Brahmins supposed to have come from Tuluva?
Readers may kindly peruse with profit the book Malayala Brahmin Autochthon Theory written by Onomastician cum Lawyer Jayaprakash Mallay, the first imprint published from Manjeri in the year 1995.
Neria Harish Hebbar avare, thanks for the wonderful wealth of information. It would be great if you could remove some colonial constructs in the article. Some examples are – the varNa and jaati system are not hierarchical. They are merely a division of duties and responsibilities of our society (based on guNas and karmas, as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita). Therefore, using “upper class Brahmins” and “elevation to “upper class”, is to bring in the European class hierarchy and Portuguese/Spanish “casta” and apply it to Indians. Also, the term “medieval times” applies more to Europe and their implied barbaric, uncivilized ways, than to India. Bharat was civilized thousands of years before the arrival of the imperialists. Please accept my gratitude for the fantastic article.
Would like to know more.
Would like to know more. What are the names of the 32 villages that bore Brahmins names
@JRN , why does it bring you joy to argue that we shivalli brahmins previously were followers of Shri Adi shankaracharya .And we dont have anything against Shankaracharya .
If I know correctly, Ahikshetra is in Uttar pradesh.
Maybe there was another on the banks of Godavari, kindly give some cotation if possible.
Ahichatra is false. According to recent research they moved from north west India to south canara.