| Group: | Havyaka Brahmins |
| Popplace: | Indian state of Karnataka |
| Langs: | Havyaka Kannada, a dialect of Kannada, Sanskrit |
| Rels: | Hinduism |
Havyaka Brahmins, originally called Havika Brahmana, are 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 followers of mostly Yajurveda and some Rigveda and Samaveda Shakas. They follow the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya.
The words as attested by linguists Sediyapu Krishna Bhat is a derivation from Ahichatra Brahmana. Its change to Ahika and then Havika is agreed upon by scholars 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 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.
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 & 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 them into 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.
See main article: Havigannada dialect. The Havyakas are united by their language, known as Havigannada, which is a dialect of Kannada with a slight resemblance to the language of Malayalam south of the Malabar Coast. 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.