Ganiga
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Ganiga is a subcaste of the Vaishya caste in the Hindu caste system in India.
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[edit] Origin
From ancient time in India, vegetable oils were obtained by crushing oilseeds in village , using an oil-press - or ghana. A ganiga is a person who extracts oil using a ghana.
In Sanskrit literature of about 500 BC there is a specific reference to an oil-press, or Ghanis , although it was never described (by Monier-Williams, M. 1899. A Sanskrit-English dictionary, Delhi, India, Motilal Banarsidass. Reprinted 1963).
[edit] The Ganiga Caste today
Ganiga People speak Kannada,, Tulu, or Telugu as their mother tongue.
Ganiga people mainly live in different parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In South Karnataka Ganiga people mainly speak Tulu. Ganiga people are living the following districts of Karnataka, India - Belgaum, Bangalore, Bhadravati,Chikmaglur,Chintamani, Gulbarga, Hassan, Haveri, KGF, Kolar, Mulbagal, Mandya, Mysore, Shimoga, Tumkur, Tiptur Udupi, Uttara Kannada.
Besides Karnataka, Ganiga community settled in some parts of Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi,Goa, Hyderabad and many other cities in India.
In oveseas countries members of Ganiga Community have settled in the USA, Canada and UAE.
A majority of Ganiga community continue to remain backward economically due to mechanisation of oil crushing which slowly took away their livelihood in the 1950s. Deprived of this age old profession continued for generations, Ganiga community found their way in business such as setting up of shops, hotels etc. Enterprising Ganiga entrepreneurs set up many Udupi Hotels in Bangaloreand other promiment cities in Karnataka. Others took up odd jobs to meet both the ends. Having been remained econmically backward even after 60 years of independence due represenations were made from time to time to the successive Governments.
Govt.of Karnataka, Social Welfare Department, on 30th March 2002 issued Order No. SWD 225 BCA 2000 dated notifying Ganiga community as an Economically Backward Class under Category - II (A) Sl. No. 78. Castes listed under this category are (a) Ganiga, (b) Teli.
CASTE LIST, Govt.of Karnataka. Social Welfare Department, Government Order No. SWD 225 BCA 2000,Dated:30th March 2002. CATEGORY- II (A) Sl. No. 78 Listed Castes are (a) Ganiga, (b) Teli
In Maharashtra Ganiga community has been granted OBC (Other Backward Caste) Certification by the Govt. of Maharashtra in 2005.
[edit] Ganiga Samaj, Mumbai-India
In Mumbai Ganiga Samaj was formed in 1996 to bring together Ganiga community living in and around Mumbai under the leadership of N.S. Balimane (Founder President). The Ganiga Samaj Mumbai will be completing 10 years this September 2006. Office Bearers of Ganiga Samaj Mumbai:
Past Presidents - Ganiga Samaj
- N.S. Balimane
- Krishna Ganiga
Current Office Bearers
- Jagannath Ganiga - President
- B. Vasudeva Rao - Vice President
- Shankar H - Secretary
- Madhav Ganiga - Jt. Secretary
- Chandrashekhar Ganiga - Treasurer
Members, Managing Committee:
- K. Ramachandra
- M. Bhaskar Ganiga
- Smt. Tara Bhatkal
- Vijayendra Ganiga
- Ramesh Ganiga
- Anant N. Ganiga
- Sanjeev R. Ganiga
- P.N. Ganiga
- Balakrishna Ganiga Tonse
- Vasudeva U.B.
- Harish Tonse
- Sadanand Kallianpur
- Chandrashekar R.Ganiga (Panvel)
- Narasimha Ganiga (Kalamboli)
- Gangadhar N. Ganiga
- Sitaram M.R.
- Mohan N. Rao
Office address:
- Ganiga Samaja Mumbai
34/668 Adarsh Nagar Prahadevi Worli Mumbai 400 030
[edit] Somakshathriya Vaishnava Samaja, Bangalore-India
In Bangalore Ganigas are also known as somakshatriyas and are very actively performing taks of developing the community, the 'Samparka' challenge cup has recently celebrateed the decennial celebrations and Prathiba Sambhrama is organised in November and December where the children from the Ganiga community of Udupi district and those who have settled in Bangalore actively participate in the sports and cultural events
[edit] Ganiga Associations at other locations in Karnataka
- South Kanara District (Udupi) Somakshathriya Samaj, Barkur
- Somakshathriya Ganiga Samaj, Kundapur
- Ganiga Samaj, Shimoga
- Shimoga District Yuva Ganigara Sangha, Shimoga (Youth Wing)
- Ganiga Samaj, Bhadravati
- Somakshathriya Yuvaka Sangha, Gangoli (Youth Wing)
CASTE LIST, Govt.of Karnataka. Social Welfare Department, Government Order No. SWD 225 BCA 2000, Dated:30th March 2002. CATEGORY- II (A) Sl. No. 78 Listed Castes are (a) Ganiga, (b) Teli
[edit] Well known Ganigas
Yakshagana Actors:
- Mr. Haradi Rama Ganiga
- Mr. Haradi Krishna Ganiga,
- Mr. Haradi Narayana Ganiga
- Mr. K.Ananda Ganiga from Udupi region.
- Mr. Birthi Balakrishna
- Mr. Gopala Ganiga, Heranjal
- Mr. Vishwanatha Ganiga, Kodi-Kundapura
- Mr. Sarva Ganiga, Haradi
Leading Maddale player Late Suragikatte Basava Ganiga.
Politicians:
- Mr. Sudarshan, a three-time MLC, belongs to an OBC (Ganiga). He is currently Chairman of the Legislative Council, Karnataka Govt, hailing from Vemgal, KOLAR Dist.
- Mr. N.S. Vishwanathan, Karnataka State Government
- Mr. B.J. Puttaswamy who belongs to the Ganiga caste had been nominated to the Council in 1982 by the then Chief Minister, R.Gundu Rao. also Mr. B.J.Puttaswamy was MLA.
- Mr. Busnur and Mr. Anjutagi belong to the predominant Ganiga community from Bagalkot, District Karnataka. Mr. Anjutagi was defeated in the 1994 Assembly Election.
- Mr. P.C. Gaddigoudar, MP from Bagalkot(LS), Karnataka. also he was a former MLC and the chief of party's Bagalkot district unit. He belongs to Ganiga Caste.
- Mr. B.G. Patil Halasangi, MLC who belong to the Ganiga sub-sect of the Lingayats, 2003.
- Mr. Ganapa Ganiga, Contestant for Legislative Assembly of Karnataka from Baindur, Near Mangalore udupi, in June 1998, Bye-elections.
Business:
- Mr. Venu Vaishya, Vice President, AMD/O, Covansys Inc., IIT Kanpur Graduate
Banking:
- TJA Ganiga Ex. Chairman and Managing Director of the Andra Bank.
Geology:
- Dr. J V Subbaraman , Ex Chief Geologist, BGML
Medicine:
- Dr. Gundmi Praveena Kumara MD General Medicine, Asst Prof. KMC MANIPAL
- Dr. Pradeep Ganiga,Asst. Prof, K V G Medical College, Sullia, Obstetrics & Gynaecology,
- Dr. Manohar Babu KV, MS ortho, MRCSEd Edinburg UK. E mail: manu_babukv@yahoo.com
- Mohan Ganiga, Respiratory Technician, C/o. Kapadia F N. MD, FRCP Consultant Physician & Intensivist, Hinduja National Hospital, Mahim, Mumbai
- Mr. Birthi Radhakrishna, was the Registrar and chief protocol officer of Delhi High Court
- Mr. Praveen Adavesh Ghaniger, Software Engineer for IBM Global Services (started a Yahoo group called Ganiga which is establishing its base and connecting all Ganiga community people around the globe)
- Mr. Pundalika Ganiga . recipient of National Best Teacher Award
Hotel and Restaurant:
- Mr. R.Prabhakar, is rightly called the Darshini Brahma. He started the concept of Darshini and made the cost of food affordable to the general public. He started with Upahara Darshini, later on Dosa camp, Pavithra, Rotigar, cool joint, nammoora hotel, Hallimane and the list keeps growing. Now he has formed an organisation for fighting against adulteration of food in hotels under the banner Hotel Grahakara Sangha