Havyaka Brahmins

Havyaka Brahmin, originally calledHavika Brahmana, is aHinduBrahmincommunity native to the districts ofShivamogga,Uttara Kannada,Dakshina Kannada,Kodagu / Coorg,coastal Karnatakaand theKasaragoddistrict ofKerala.Havyakas fall under thePancha-DravidaBrahmin category. They are primarily followers ofYajurveda, but some of them followRigvedaandSamaveda Shakasas well. They follow theAdvaita philosophyofAdi Shankaracharya.
The word as attested by linguist Sediyapu Krishna Bhat is derived fromAhichchatraBrāhmaṇa. It was changed toAhikaand thenHavika, and was agreed upon by scholars like Sediyapu and Nadahalli Ranganatha Sharma. The wordAhichatra Brāhmaṇais 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,Havyakacould mean "performer of Havana rituals". However, according to Shri Sediyapu Krishna Bhat, the word "Havyaka" is aSanskritizationof 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 centered around Gokarna and is bounded byTulu Naduto the south; this region is also calledParashuramakshethra,GorastradeshaorGokarnamandala. Sanskrit scholar Mahamahopadhyaya Nadahalli Ranganatha Sharma rejects theHavya+kavyaderivation as grammatically incorrect. The wordHavyakawas not used in official records until 1928, including mathas.
Havyakas are descended from Brahmins brought from Ahichchatra by KingMayurasharmanwho founded theKadamba dynastyinKuntala. These Brahmins were originally from the Ahichchatra kingdom near the modern-dayRamnagarvillage in the modern-dayBareilly districtinUttar Pradesh. They were brought in order to performVedic ritualsespecially theAshwamedhaand were originally housed inTalagunda AgraharanearSorabaandShiralakoppatowns where the inscription attesting to this fact is found.Banavasi, which is 24 kilometers fromSirsiwas the capital but Mayuraverma was born in the Talagunda Agrahara. 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 inThimmappa Kalasi, Vidwan (2012).Havyakara Itihasa[The history of Havyakas] (in Kannada).
Some claims suggest that the Havyakas originated from the Banavasi region and migrated to Ahichachtra (present-day Uttar Pradesh) in response to the threat posed by non-Vedic sects. Centuries ago, Kadambara Mayuravarman, the founder of Karnataka's first royal family, struggled to carry out his religious rituals due to the lack of Brahmins in those days. Therefore, he invited Havyaka families from Ahichachtra to perform Ashwamedha, provided shelter to some villages, and facilitated their settlement. 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. Sri Ramachandrapura Mutt, one of the most famous gurupeeths, has recently taken charge of Haigunda temple, renovated it under the guidance of Sri Sri Raghaveshwar Bharati Swami, and performs religious programs on special occasions like Navratri.
Havyakas are native to theSoraba(ancient town of Surabhipura), Sagara inShimoga,Uttara Kannadaand theDakshina Kannadadistricts of Karnataka and theKasaragod districtof Kerala. A smaller percentage can also be found in the Hosanagara, Shivamogga and Thirthahalli taluks inShivamogga,ChikmagalurandKodagudistricts. They are found in Sirsi, Siddapura, Yellapura, Kumta and Honnavar inUttara Kannada; inPutturandSulliain Dakshina Kannada inMaravanthe; inUdupiand in the northern parts of the Kasaragod district such as KumblaThimmappa Kalasi, Vidwan (2012).Havyakara Itihasa[The history of Havyakas] (in Kannada)..
Males undergo the Upanayana when they turn seven years old to initiate their Vedic studies.It is also known asBrahmopadesha. The key ritual during Upanayana is that of putting a sacred thread calledyajnopavithaorjanivaaraconsisting of three cotton strands across the left shoulder to the right waist 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, the boy 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, as 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 ofKannada. There are two distinct dialects of the Havyaka language. One inUttara KannadaandShivamoggadistricts and another inDakshina KannadaandKasaragodudistricts. The dialect differs from mainstream Kannada; non-Havyakas who understand and speak Kannada cannot usually understand Havigannada.
Most Havyakas also understand mainstreamKannada(particularly, the Havyakas living in Bangalore, who speakBangalore Kannadaoutdoors and Havigannada at home); the Havyakas who are native toDakshina Kannadaalso understandTuluand those from Kasaragod speak Havigannada at home andMalayalamoutdoors. 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 alacto-vegetariandiet. Compared to the cuisines of other communities ofSouth India, Havyaka cuisine is milder and less spicy.Rice,curds,buttermilkandvegetablesare the staples used in Havyaka cuisine.Coconutis 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.