Ediga

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Edigas or Idigas are a community of people living mainly in south central areas of Karnataka. In coastal areas of Karnataka they are known as billava or thiyya. In Some parts of karanataka they also called deevaru means islanders.Their main profession were toddy tapping, brewing arrack etc, but now not many people do their traditional job. It is one of the progressive communities of Karnataka.

Contents

[edit] Myths and Theories of Origin

The origin of the word Edigas is hotly disputed. According to one theory, the etymology of the word Edigas is 'people of Eda' or ida being an ancient Kannada name for Sri Lanka. they also called deevaru. The word deevaru might had come from the sanskrit word dweep means island which again points to Srilanka.

Another theory is that the word Eda or Ida is derived from archaic kannada word ira for Toddy. Interestingly Edigas or Idigas were into toddy shopping business.

[edit] Edigas today

Edigas are the group based in karnataka, traditionally involved in Toddy Tapping, Liquor sales, Ayurveda doctors and Farming.Due to their hard-work and sheer determination, now they are fast improving, spiritual, gaining strength economically, culturally and politically.

[edit] Population and religious belief

Their population is about 3,000,000(excluding billava and ezhava(thiyya) communities). They mainly live in Bangalore, Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Hassan and Tumkur districts. Their subgroups are Mudde Idiga, Swaswe Idiga and Arya Idiga -- based on their past occupations. Their traditional occupation is toddy tapping. And some also engaged in agriculture. They consider Yellamma as their community deity.

[edit] Popular Leaders

There are many popular Edigas like Dr Rajkumar, S.Bangarappa, Shivaraj Kumar,Vittal Mallya,Vijay mallya , Janardhan Poojari , Ramachandra Khoday.

[edit] Kagodu Satyagraha

Kagodu Satyagraha was an agrarian movement launched in parts of Sagar taluk of Shimoga district in the early Fifties, was a spontaneous protest against the exploitation and oppression of poor tenants and by the Idiga .The movement was in support of the poor and oppressed tenants. People from the Deevaru (Idiga) community participated in it in large numbers.The protest, which started on a small scale, gained momentum with the active participation of veteran socialists such as Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan and Gopala Gowda. It was said that social impact of the movement was such that it resulted in the enactment of the Land Reforms Act in the early Seventies by the then Chief Minister, D. Devaraj Urs, which proclaimed that "the tiller is the owner of the land.

[edit] Other Names

Halepaik,deewaru,Eliga and Iliga.

[edit] In Neighboring States

In ANDHRA PRADESH, the Idigas or Edigas live in the Rayalaseema area. They are also called Gowda, Goundala and Kalali in the Telangana area, and Gowda, Gamalia and Setti Balija in the rest of Andhra Pradesh. They consider gangamma as their community deity. In TAMIL NADU, the Idiga are also known as iluvar, Naidu, Vadugan, Ediga Balija and Gavara. They use Naidu as their title. Naidu, Vadugan, Ediga Balija and Gavara migrated from Andhra Pradesh, while iluvars are indigenous or kerala origin. They have a village council headed by a leader from the Mudaliar community in the area. In Kerala they are called ezhava or Thiyya or Billava (Kasarkode District).In Srilanka they are called Nalavar or Durava.Jaiswal community in North India also is similar caste.

Ezhavas, Iluvars , Graminis, Gouds, Idigas, Edigas, Thiyyas, Billavas, Swarnis, Poojaris,Shanars, Nalavars, Duravas are the names(According to local language influence) given to same community in different areas.

[edit] Sri Narayana Guru

Narayana Guru (1856-1928), who was born into a religious Ediga or Billava family, was a great sage and social reformer of India.He is a great saint and social reformer who preached a message of self-help, self-improvement, and self-esteem. A devout Saivite monk and Sanskrit scholar, the Guru's goal was not to destroy Hinduism, but to purify it and improve it; he suggested to all that they appropriate Hinduism: that it was theirs, too -- Hinduism belongs to all.

During Guru's time, he exhorted people to educate themselves and to improve themselves through industry and thrift; but most of all, he preached the dignity of the individual: a universal message for our troubled times.

The Guru established his own temples. When challenged about His right to consecrate a Shiva image, he replied, that it was his Shiva that he had consecrated! He established schools and colleges, open to any one. With the help of wealthy patrons, he encouraged the development of cottage industries.

But never once did the Guru attack Hinduism. He never advocated hatred for any faith or its priests.'No matter what the religion, man must improve,' he said. He personally believed the core of the Vedanta teachings was eternal and truthful and universal. The social excrescences that had attached themselves to those sublime philosophies could and would be excised.

An order of monks called the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) was established by Guru. The SNDP Yogam has gained immense popularity as one which nurtures the material and spiritual welfare of the community at large.

[edit] See also

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