The
Billava, or
Ilava people make up one of the largest
HinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
communities of the
TuluThe Tuluva -Geographic Distribution :Though most of the Tuluva population is found in the Tulu Nadu region, migrant poplulations are found the world over. In recent times, the first period of migration started at the beginning of the 20th century to places such as Mumbai and Chennai and other...
ethnic group in India. They are also found in the Kannada-speaking
Kundapura-Languages and culture :The town mainly consists of Kannadigas who speak Kundagannada, Konkanis and Tuluvas. The Goud Saraswat Brahmins who fled Goa during the Portuguese arrival in the 16th century arrived by Boat in Basrur and some settled in Kundapura and surrounding villages. These people and...
region of
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and some parts of
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, including
Kasaragod districtKasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
. The Billava were primarily engaged in martial arts (
garadi) and practised
AyurvedaAyurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
; the community was reformed under
Narayana GuruSri Nārāyana Guru , also known as Sree Nārāyana Guru Swami, was a Hindu saint, sadhuand social reformer of India. The Guru was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from backward communities like the Ezhavas faced much social injustices in the caste-ridden Kerala society...
's teachings.
Etymology
It is believed that
billava and
ilava are derived from a proto-Dravidian word, variations of
villavar "archers" – a warrior caste of the Dravidians who ruled most of India in ancient times. Villavars founded the
Chera dynastyChera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
and the Chera king was addressed as
Villavar Kōn. The word
birɯ,
billɯ means "bow" in modern Tulu.
Martial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
academies of the Billavar are known as
garadi. Reading, writing and instruction in archery and the martial arts were the main activities of garadi – similar to
KalarippayattuKalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
, which is practised by the
ĪḻavarThe Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...
community in
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Language
TuluThe Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
is the main language spoken by the Billavas. In some areas of
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Billavas also speak Kannada and identify themselves as "Kannada Billavas". The dialect spoken by the Billava people is known as "common
TuluThe Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
". There are also subgroups within the Billavas (the
Thiyyabillas or
Malaylali Billavas in the South Canara district) who are considered part of the Malayalee community.
Garadi
The coastal regions of
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
had a very active martial-arts tradition, and many Billava families still continue this tradition. This helped them develop a community identity. They built
Garadis similar to the
KalariThe word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil and translates as "threshing floor" or "battlefield" in Malayalam. Training for Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is traditionally done inside the Kalari....
s of Kerala in honour of their folk heroes
Koti and ChennayyaKoti and Chennayya are legendary twin heroes characterized in the Tulu epic of the same name, which is considered one of the two truly long epics of the Tuluva. The story of these heroes may be taken to roughly five hundred years back, when reference to Ballads were made in the Tulu Padana...
. The Tulu term
Garadi is derived from the Kannada word
Garodi "gymnasium". These
garadis became major religious and martial-arts centres of the Billavas throughout the coastal areas of Karnataka. Though this tradition was common to their equivalent caste in Kerala, due to rigid caste rules they lost their independent religious/martial-arts traditions. Malayali Billavas speak Malayalam and their kuladevata is
BhagavathiBhagavathi or Bhagavati is the general way people refer to the Hindu goddesses in Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra states of India. It can be used to refer any of the Hindu goddesses like Durga, Kannaki, Parvati, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Kali...
. The Billavas believe in
veneration of the deadVeneration of the dead is based on the belief that the deceased, often family members, have a continued existence and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living...
.
Nema
Like the
TheyyamTheyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
in
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Tulu regions have
Nema (a type of spirit worship), and the Billavas are important part of this native worship. The twin warriors
Koti and ChennayyaKoti and Chennayya are legendary twin heroes characterized in the Tulu epic of the same name, which is considered one of the two truly long epics of the Tuluva. The story of these heroes may be taken to roughly five hundred years back, when reference to Ballads were made in the Tulu Padana...
, Kanthbare and Budhabare, Jarandaya, Koraga Thaniya and Bobbariya are the most common
daiva (gods) worshiped by the community.
Tuluva paddanas
Tuluva paddanas are sung narratives which are part of several closely related singing traditions, similar to
Vadakkan Pattukal (Northern ballads) of northern
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and which may be considered ballads, epics or ritual songs (depending on the context or purpose for which they are sung). The community has special occasions in which it is traditional to sing
paddanas. They will sing the
Paddana of Koti-Chennaya during a ceremony on the eve of a marriage. Women who sing the song in the fields will sing those verses appropriate for the young heroes.
Aliya Kattu
The Billavas have a
matrilinealMatrilineal succession is a form of hereditary succession or other inheritance through which the subject's female relatives are traced back in a matrilineal line.-Systems:...
system and a highly centralised community. Marrying one's sister's daughter is strictly prohibited, except for a few cases among the Belthangady Billawas.
Aliya Kattu (nephew lineage) is a system of property inheritance and other associated traditions practiced among Tulu/Malayalee Billavas in coastal
KarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Yakshagana
Yakshagana (Tulu/Kannada: ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ, yakṣagāna) is a dance drama popular in coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka. It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre, and was taught in Billava
garadis. Shri Anada Kuthpady (pen name Yakshananda Kuthpady), from the Billava community, was awarded the "Yaksha Kavya" State Level Award for his contributions to Yakshagana in 2000. Among prominent Billava
Yakshagana performers are Shri Sanjiva Suvarna of Yakshagana Kendra, MGM College, Udupi, the traditional
badagu thittu artist Shri Airody Govindappa, the
hasya kalavida (comedian) Shri Seetaram Kumar Kaleelu, the
tenku thittu bhagavatha Shri Ravichandra Kannadikatte (Served to Mangaladevi Mela & now with Hosangara Mela) and Tonse Jayant Kumar.
Subgroups
The Billava community has several subgroups, based on language and culture. People involved in
nagaradhana are known as
Baidya, and those involved in spiritual worship (
Nema) are
Poojary. These subgroups are part of two major groups known as
Malayali and
Tulu Billava. Malayali Billavas are also called
Thiyya Billavas (or
Belchadas).
Poojari
Poojary (sometimes spelled
Poojari) means "worshipper". In the past the Poojary played an important role in
Bhuta Kola (
Nema), a practice seen amongst tribal communities in Tulunadu. This subgroup is responsible for building temples and other places of worship, and their worship is known as
poojas.
Malayali Billava
These are the indigenous inhabitants concentrated in an area between north of the
ChandragiriChandragiri , is a suburb of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recently it is included under Municipal Corporation limits of Tirupati...
in
Kasaragod districtKasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
, south of the
KalyanpuraKalyanpura is a village situated in Udupi district in the state of Karnataka.The village is on the banks of Swarna river which supplies water to nearby town of Udupi.Santekatte on NH 17 is a locality of Kalyanpur.The name is derived because of weekly market held on the road side of NH-17.The...
(in Hejamamdi) and – from west to east – between the
Arabian SeaThe Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
and the
SulliaSullia is a taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is a small town, surrounded with evergreen wooded mountains in the Western Ghats range in South India. Sullia has plantations of rubber, areca nut, coconut, cashew nut, black pepper and banana...
region. There are 18 important
Bhagavathi Kshetras, in addition to many
TharavaduTharavad is a system of joint family practised by people in Kerala, especially Nairs. Tharavadu was a legal entity like a Hindu Undivided Family as per Indian Income Tax laws, and was entitled to own properties. The others, like Namboothriris, Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims also now refer to...
shrines throughout the Kasaragod,
MangaloreMangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
and
Udupi districts. Although the ruling deity of the community is Bhagavathi, there are also temples dedicated to
Vishnumurti,
Wayandu Daiva and
Korathi; the latter two are believed to be incarnations of
ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and
ShaktiShakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
, respectively.
Chaitanyas such as
Kallurutti,
Panjurli,
Guliga and
Naagadevan are forms of worship in the community, and
Kola,
Thamblia,
Kaliyatha and so forth are performed regularly to invoke the gods' blessings. The community is divided into eight
illamIllam is a malayalee lineage system used for classification and identification of castes in Kerala, South India. The House of Namboothiries are also called the Brahmaalayam or Mana...
s; they trace their origins to Amruthamani (who was born out of Shiva's grace) and seven others born to the
Saptamathas through the Lord's divine blessings. This means that
Thiyas are the progeny of Shiva. Marriage within the same illam (
sagotraIn the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
) is
tabooA taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
.
Surnames
Common surnames in the Billavan community are Amin, Anchan, Baidya, Baishya, Banan, Bangera, Gujran, Jathann (or Jathanna), Karkera, Kirodian, Kotian, Kukian (or Kukiyan), Kunder, Palan, Poojari (or Poojary/Pujari), Salian, Sanil, Shriyan, Suvarna, Talwar, Thonse and Upiyan.
"Billava" is used as a surname only in Kundapura Taluk. In maximum cases Poojary & Billava are the common surnames in Kundapura. Originally you can’t find Karkera/Suvarna or the others surname ends with 'an' (palan/kotian/salian etc.) in Kundapura, Bali (bari) system is there, people find similarity between bali/bari with tulu surnames. Today because of matrimonial relationships with tulu & kannada speaking billavas would lead to some similarities in surname in current generation for the certain extent.
Narayana Guru
Narayana GuruSri Nārāyana Guru , also known as Sree Nārāyana Guru Swami, was a Hindu saint, sadhuand social reformer of India. The Guru was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from backward communities like the Ezhavas faced much social injustices in the caste-ridden Kerala society...
(1856–1928), a philosopher and social reformer, was born to a religious Billava family. He improved Billavan life by preaching a message of self-help, self-improvement, and self-esteem. He exhorted people to educate themselves and to improve themselves through industry and thrift; most of all, he preached the dignity of the individual.
He did not attack Hinduism itself, and never advocated hatred for any faith or its priests. "No matter what the religion, man must improve", he said. He believed that the core
VedantaVedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
teachings were eternal, truthful and universal; however, the social inequalities which had attached themselves to those philosophies could (and should) be excised. He established an order of monks known as the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP). The SNDP Yogam has become popular for nurturing the material and spiritual welfare of the community at large.
He visited all regions of Kerala, South Canara, Srilanka and Tamil Nadu, built temples for the Billava community, and laid the foundation for community progress. When he established his own temples, he was challenged by the Brahmins. When challenged about his right to consecrate a Shiva image, he replied that it was Billava
ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
which he had consecrated and
BrahminBrahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s had no right to question it.
Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara Temple
The Billava community was suppressed by the Brahmins in some regions, and at that time the community found a leader in Sree Narayana Guru. He is regarded as an uplifter of the downtrodden and a visionary social servant.
Learning about the work undertaken by Sree Narayana Guru in establishing social equality through his temple in
SivagiriJawaharlal Nehru"I am happy and privileged to come here and pay my tribute to a great man whose message is as vital and essential today as it was when he gave it"...
,
Keralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Sahukar Koragappa (a prominent Billava leader from
MangaloreMangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
) visited the guru with other community leaders in 1908. The delegation apprised Sree Narayana Guru of the problems faced by the Billavas. Sree Narayana Guru visited Mangalore in response to an invitation from the group, and learned the severity of the situation. After his visit, Sree Narayana Guru selected a site in Kudroli; he advised community elders of the suitable location for the temple, and work began under his direction. Elders such as Sahukar Koragappa took the initiative in ensuring smooth progress in the temple's construction.
Sree Narayana Guru consecrated the temple in February 1912 with the installation of the sacred
ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
linga, brought by him, and named it "Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Kshethra". He advocated that all God's creation had the right to worship the Almighty and preached that people (regardless of caste or creed) should worship one divine force, which is known by different names. In accordance with the Guru's advice, idols of Lord Ganapathy, Lord Subramanya, Goddess Annapoorneshwari, Lord Bhairava, the Nava Grihas (Lords of nine planets), Lord Shanishwara and Lord Shri Krishna has been installed at the Kshethra. This has helped devotees worship at all these sannidanams (abodes) and seek blessings and solace for their needs. Sahukar Koragappa donated the land needed for the Kshethra, and was its first administrative head.
Social conditions and status
Once a thriving community, the Billavas endured social restrictions after the arraival of
BrahminBrahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s from the northand faced many hardships before Sree Narayana Guru's social reforms in the early twentieth century. After the construction of the Kudroli Gokarnanatheshwara Temple at
MangaloreMangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, he asked community leaders to work together for mutual progress by organising schools and industrial establishments; in accordance with his wishes, many Sree Narayana organizations have sprung up in the community.
Under the leadership of Sree Narayana organizations and by their own efforts, Billavas are gaining strength economically, culturally, spiritually and politically. Many Billavas have settled in the Persian Gulf and in Indian cities such as
MumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
,
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and
BangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Known for their work as distillers, they have contributed to community development.
Notable people
The Billavas make up one of the largest communities in the South Canara and Udupi districts.
- Janardhana Poojary
B. Janardhana Poojary is a senior politician from Indian National Congress party. He was a former Union Minister and Karnataka's Congress President. During the Prime Ministership of Smt...
, Former Union Minister of State for Finance, Sr. Member of Congress I Party
- B.K. Hariprasad, (Congress MP),GEN SECRETARY AICC
- Dr.Rajkumar, actor and singer in the Kannada film industry
- Jayamala, Kannada film actress
- Puneet Rajkumar
Puneeth Rajkumar is an Indian film actor who acts in Kannada films and the youngest son of Kannada superstar Dr Rajkumar and the younger brother of leading KFI star Shivaraj Kumar. As a child artist, he appeared in 12 films...
, Kannada film actor
- Raghavendra Rajkumar
Raghavendra Rajkumar is an actor in the Kannada film Industry. He is the second son of the legendary Kannada matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar. After starring in lead roles in many Kannada films, he is now actively involved in production - including the recent blockbuster Jackie starring his brother,...
, Kannada film actor
- Shivraj Kumar
Shivaraj Kumar is a Kannada film actor. He is the son of Kannada thespian Dr. Rajkumar. After graduating in B.Sc...
, aka. Hatrick Hero, Kannada film actor
- Vijay Raghavendra
Vijay Raghavendra is an Indian Kannada actor who won a National Award as a child for acting in a film called Chinnari Mutha .He is the son of famous producer of Kannada cinema S.A.Chinne Gowda...
, Kannada film actor
- Mangalore Suman Talwar
Suman is a South Indian Telugu film actor. He played action hero and romantic hero in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films during the 1980s. After a long while away from cinema, he returned to acting in Tamil films in 2007, starring in S. Shankar's Sivaji: The Boss with Rajinikanth. He has also...
, hero in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films
- Sheetal Mallar
Sheetal Mallar is an Indian model from Mumbai. She won the Femina Look of the Year in 1994 beating Madhu Sapre and Elite Look of the Year, also in 1994.-Early life:...
, Model
- Ria
A ria is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Typically, rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they can be straight and without significant branches. This pattern is inherited from the...
, Dubai based TV anchor in ZEE TV and an actress in Malayalam Movie Casanova With Mr Mohanlal
- Vinay Kumar Sorake, former Congress MP,secretary AICC
- S Bangarappa,Ex CM of Karnataka
- see notables of ezhava community(billavas from kerala)
See also
- Goud
The Goud are caste found mostly in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Maharastra. Gouds were involved in soma development in ancient days.-Origin:...
(a TeluguThe Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
community)
- Ediga (or Idiga
Idiga or Ediga is a Hindu community of people concentrated in south central areas of Karnataka. Idigas are involved in soma and Ayurvedic medicine developers in ancient days who are classified as Somavanshi Kshatriyas. In some parts of Karanataka they also called deevaru which means islanders...
– a Kannada community. Also called Deevaru)
- Iluvar
The Illuvar are a caste of people from Tamil Nadu or Kerala. They are also known as Iluvar, Ezhuvar, Ezhuva, Izhuva, Illathar...
(a TamilTamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
community from Tamil Nadu)
- Nalavar
Nalavar also Nalava is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste of traditional agriculturalists and toddy tapers. But today they are found in all aspects of the society. They are part of a new amalgamation of castes in Jaffna peninsula called as Panchamar or Fives...
(a Tamil community in Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, not found in Tamil Nadu)
- Durave (a Sinhala-speaking community in Sri Lanka)
- Poojary
Poojary also known as Poojari or Pujary or Pujari, is a sub-sect of the Billava community of Tulu Nadu region of southern Indian state. The mother tongue of Poojary community is mainly Tulu but in Kundapura taluk these people speak Kannada...
(a TuluThe Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
-speaking community in Dakshina Kannada- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
)
- Namadhari (a caste in Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
)
- Bhandari caste
This Marathi speaking community is mainly found in the state of Maharashtra in India. They are of similar race to that of Ezhavas of Kerala, edigas and billavas of Karanataka. They are basically into toddy shopping, brewing arrack etc. However they were warriors of many kingdoms in central...
(a MarathiThe Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
community)
- Caste system in Kerala
The caste system in Kerala differed from that found in the rest of India. While the Indian caste system generally modelled the four-fold division of society into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Shudras, in Kerala the Nambudiri Brahmins formed the priestly class and only rarely recognized anyone...