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Shivalli Brahmins

Shivalli Brahmins

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{{Ethnic group
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{{Ethnic group
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{{Ethnic group
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|caption=Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...

‎{{•}}Vishvesha Tirtha
Vishvesha Tirtha
Sri Vishvesha Tirtha is the current Swami, or pontiff, of the Pejavara matha, one of the ashta mathas belonging to the Dvaita school of philosophy, founded by Sri Madhvacharya. Sri Vishvesha Tirtha is the 32nd pontiff in the lineage of the Pejavara matha, starting from Sri Adhokshaja Tirtha, who...


K. K. Hebbar
Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar
Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar better known as K.K. Hebbar was a celebrated artist known for his India themed artworks.-Early life:Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar was born in 1911 in Kattingeri near Udupi, India in a Tulu speaking Brahmin family. Hebbar was inclined towards art from his childhood, because...

{{•}}Vidyabhushana
Vidyabhushana
Sri Vidyabhushana is a vocalist from Karnataka. He sings devotional songs, chiefly Haridasa compositions, and carnatic classical music. He has hundreds of albums to his credit, mainly devotional songs in Kannada, and has given many concerts all over the world. His first album was the extremely...


|group= Shivalli Brahmin
{{lang-tcy|ಶಿವಳ್ಳಿ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರು}}
|poptime=2006: (approx) 200,000{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}
|popplace=Udupi District
Udupi district
Udupi district , ಉಡುಪಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ) in the Karnataka state of India was created in August 1997. The three northern taluks, Udupi, Kundapur and Karkal, were separated from Dakshina Kannada District to form Udupi district. Udupi district is surrounded by Uttara Kannada district in north, Dakshina Kannada...

, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , 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...

: xxxx
Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka:xxxx
Kasaragod District
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...

, Kerala
Kerala
or 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....

:xxxx
Shimoga District
Shimoga District
Shimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga District lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, a hilly area known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, and as the source of many of the area's rivers. Shimoga City is the administrative centre...

, Karnataka:xxxx
|langs= Tulu language
Tulu language
The 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...

, Kannada

English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 used for professional purposes, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 used for religious purposes.
|rels=Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

  • Divisions based on sect:
    • Smarthism
    • Madhwas
      Madhwas
      The Madhwa are one community of Brahmins of India, whose members follow the doctrine of Dvaita or Dualism as codified by Madhwa Acharya ....

  • Divisions based on Veda:
    • Rigveda
      Rigveda
      The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...

    • Yajur Veda

}}
The Śivaḷḷi Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

s
({{lang-tcy|ಶಿವಳ್ಳಿ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರು}}) are a Hindu community in Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu
Tulu Nadu is a Tulu-speaking region spread over to parts of present Karnataka and Kerala States of India. It consists of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and the northern parts of the Kasaragod district of Kerala up to the Payaswini River...

. They are divided into two groups, the first of which follows the Dvaita
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....

 philosophy founded by the Vaishnava
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....

 saint Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...

 of Udupi and the second of which follow the Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...

 philosophy of Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

 and are known as Smartha
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...

 or Sthanika Brahmins.

Udupi cuisine


{{Main|Udupi cuisine}}
Shivalli brahmins are famous for Udupi hotels (vegetarian restaurants) known for serving typical south Indian dishes like idli, vada
Vada
Vada ; also known as wada or vade or vadai , is a savoury fritter-type snack from South India.-Description:Vada can vary in shape and size, but are usually either doughnut- or disc-shaped and are about between 5 and 8 cm across. They are made from dal, lentil, gram flour or potato.Vada is a...

, dosa
Dosa
Dosa or Dhosai is a fermented crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. It is indigenous to and is a staple dish in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, as well as being popular in Sri Lanka...

, shira and upma
Upma
Upma is a popular Indian breakfast dish originating in South India.-Etymology:The general name of the dish in most languages is formed from two words : salt and flour...

 etc. Shivalli brahmins have a unique style of cooking, serving and eating meals. The meal is served on a plantain (banana) leaf and is usually eaten by hand, seated in a squatting position on the floor. The meal is wholesome and elaborate in preparation, serving and eating.

Rituals



Shivalli Brahmin males undergo the Upanayana
Upanayana
Upanayana is the initiation ritual by which initiates are invested with a sacred thread, to symbolize the transference of spiritual knowledge .- Significance of the sacred thread :...

 when they turn seven years old to initiate them into Vedic studies. The key ritual during the Upanayana is that of putting a sacred thread consisting of three cotton strands across the left shoulder of the boy. The initiate is called a dvija
Dvija
Dvija is one of the members of the first three varnas in Hindu Dharma. Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are included in Dvija.The first birth is physical. The second occurs when one uptakes fulfilling a role in society...

"twice-born" and is expected to perform the sandhyavandanam
Sandhyavandanam
Sandhyavandanam is a religious practice performed by Hindu men initiated into the rite by the ceremony of Upanayanam, and instructed in its execution by a Guru . Sandhyavandanam consists of excerpts from the Great Vedas that are to be recited thrice daily...

 at least twice daily. Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins also undergo the Upakarma
Upakarma
Upakarma called Veda Upaakarma or Avani Avittam or Jannivarada Hunnime is one of the ancient Vedic rituals practiced to date. The event is conducted once a year, in the month of Shraavana and all the Brahmins follow it...

, where the sacred thread is changed and mudradharana is done. Mudradharana is a ritual where Vaishnavite symbols
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...

 like the conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....

 or the wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...

 are etched on bodies as a ritual of purification... Currently, the prevalent practice is to paint the symbols using gopichandana paste.

Marriage


Present day marriages of Shivalli Madhva brahmins are a three day ceremony, sometimes condensed to a single day due to the fast pace of today's life. In the three day ritual, the process of marriage starts with Naandi ( literally meaning start ). During Naandi, which takes place in the groom's and bride's homes separately, but at the same time, a ceremony is performed where the bride and groom have coconut oil and turmeric applied to them and are bathed in hot water followed by other rituals. Marriage ( Madimae in Tulu ) takes place at a temple, hall or auditorium followed by lunch. All the ceremonies are held as per horoscopes of bride and groom at a particular time called muhurtha. Generally the day after marriage, a ceremony called as the Bigara authana (a sort of reception) is held at the groom's place and consists of the Satyanarayana puja and other rituals followed by lunch. The bigara authana is an equivalent of the marriage reception.

Festivals


Shivalli Brahmins celebrate all major Hindu festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha also called Vinayagar in Tamil Nadu, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival...

, Deepavali, Navaratri, Sankranti
Sankranti
Sankranthi means transmigration of Sun from one Rāshi to the other. Hence there are 12 such Sankrantis in all.* Makara Sankaranti: or Sankranti or Sankranthi marks the transition of...

, Madhwanavami, Janmashtami, Bisu Parba(Tulu New Year), Ramanavami, Hanuman Jayanthi etc. They also believe in nagaradhane
Nagaradhane
Nagaradhane is a form of snake worship which, along with Bhuta Kola, is one of the unique traditions prevalent in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Kasaragod alternatively known as Tulu Nadu- Origin of Nagaradhane :...

 and rituals of Bhuta Kola.

Gotras


Every shivalli brahmins belong to a particular gotra
Gotra
In 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"...

 , essentially a clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...

. Gotras are named for rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...

s, Hindu poet-sages. Marriage is not allowed between members of the same gotra(sagotra in Tulu). However,those belonging to Angirasa gotra don't have this restriction. Tulu brahmins belong to the following gotras:.
  • Bhargava
    Bhargava
    Bhargava is a common surname in Northern India and Maharashtra, mainly around Nashik. In Maharashtra, it is pronounced as Bhargave instead of Bhargava. It is also used as a first name in parts of southern India....

  • Jamadagni
  • Vishwamitra
  • Bhardwaja
  • Vashista
  • Aangirasa
  • Kashyapa
  • Koundanya
  • Haritsa
  • Agastya

Shivalli Tulu Brahmins of Kerala


Shivalli Brahmins of Kerala are an ethnic group in Kerala
Kerala ethnic groups
This article gives an overview of the ethnic groups in Kerala, with links to articles that provide more detail. A coastal state, the Malayali people of the Indian state of Kerala have been in contact with Jewish, Syrian and Arab traders and missionaries for over two thousand years...

, part of the larger Tulu Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

 subsect primarily found in the Indian state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , 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 the Kasaragod district
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...

 of Northern Kerala. Their mother tongue is the Tulu language
Tulu language
The 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...

. Since the ancient times they have been spread through the northern Kasaragod
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...

, Dakshina Kannada
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...

 and Udupi districts of Karnataka. Today, there is a sizeable Tulu Brahmin population in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...

 and elsewhere in the state, where they have migrated.

Restricted diet


While maintaining a vegetarian diet, Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins are expected to avoid eating the following vegetables and fruits:
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Potato (sweet potato
    Sweet potato
    The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...

     or kelang is allowed)
  • Papaya
  • Brinjal (a variety of brinjal called Matti Gulla, and Perampalli Gulla available around Udupi, are allowed)
  • French beans (cluster beans or alasande are permitted)
  • Carrot
  • Beet root
  • Radish
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Drum sticks
  • Bottle gourd
  • Water melon

Today, these restrictions are mostly followed only in the Ashta Mathas of Udupi
Ashta Mathas of Udupi
The Tulu Ashta Mathas of Udupi are a group of eight mathas or monasteries established by Sri Madhvacharya the preceptor of the Dvaita school of Hindu thought. For each of the eight mathas, Sri Madhvacharya also appointed one of his direct disciples to be the first Swamiji...

 and some temples of South Canara
South Canara
South Canara was a district under the British empire, located at . It was bifurcated in 1859 from Canara district. It was the undivided Dakshina Kannada district...

apart from orthodox Shivalli households. These vegetables and fruits are not considered to be origin of Parashurama
Parashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...

 kshetra and are tamasic
Tamas (philosophy)
In the Samkhya school of philosophy, tamas is one of the three gunas , the other two being rajas and sattva or purity). Tamas is the template for inertia or resistance to action...

 foods{{Clarify|date=November 2009}}. For example, tomatoes, potatoes, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...

 are from the New World and not native to India. Besides Shivalli brahmins, a number of other Hindu communities across India avoid Onion and garlic for being tamasic
Tamas (philosophy)
In the Samkhya school of philosophy, tamas is one of the three gunas , the other two being rajas and sattva or purity). Tamas is the template for inertia or resistance to action...

.Shivalli brahmins are not supposed to eat puffed rice
Puffed rice
Puffed rice is a type of puffed grain made from rice; usually made by heating rice kernels under high pressure in the presence of steam, though the method of manufacture varies widely.-Origin:Pori has been mentioned in various Tamil...

, para-boiled rice.

See also

  • Dvaita
    Dvaita
    Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....

  • Ahichatra
    Ahichatra
    Ahichatra was the ancient capital of Northern Panchala, a northern Indo-Aryan kingdom mentioned in Mahabharata. The remains of this city has been discovered near Ramnagar village in Aonla tehsil of Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh state. The excavations have brought to life a brick fortification...

  • Nambudiri
  • Krishnapura matha
    Krishnapura matha
    The Krishnapura Matha is a Madhwa Vaishnava monastery. It is one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi founded by Dvaita philosopher Madhvacharya of Udupi. Krishnapura Monastery is currently headed by Vidyasagara Thirta.. The first swami of this monastery was Janardhana Thirta, who was one of the direct...

  • Paryaya
    Paryaya
    "Paryaya" in Sanskrit means "alternative". It can be loosely meant as "Another".-Paryaya ritual at Udupi:Paryaya is a religious ritual which takes place every alternate year in Krishna Matha of Udupi...

  • Surnames of Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins
    Surnames of Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins
    This is list of surnames of Shivalli Brahmins. This list is incomplete. There are nearly 500 surnames.# Acharya/Achar# Adiga# Aggithaya# Anginthaya# Aithal / Aithala / Ithal# Ammannaya# Asranna# Aralithaya# Analithaya# Badya# Ballal# Baipadithaya...

  • Shivalli Smarta Brahmins
    Shivalli Smarta Brahmins
    Shivalli Smartha Brahmins follow shankaracharyaya's Advaitha Philosophy. They are the disciples of Balekudru Shreematha historically which is a branch of Sringeri Math....