Karanam

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Karanam or Karana is a caste mostly prevalent in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. In Orissa this is spelled as Karana and in Andhra Pradesh it is spelt as Karanam. The surnames of the people from this caste group may be Das,Patnaik, Mohanty, Kanungo, etc in Orissa. In Andhra Pradesh the surname may be Makkuva, Lakshmi Dhara Mahanthi, Raghupatruni, Balivada, Wuriti, Murthy, Donepudi, Sadasivuni, Manipatruni, Chandramahanti, Durgumahanti, etc. In the border district of Orissa (Koraput, Rayagada, Nowrangpur, Ganjam, Paralakhemundi) and Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam, Vizianagram, Srikakulam, Prakasam, Guntur) karana caste people are known as telugu karana or oriya karana or sometimes used interchangeably. Since Patnaik is the most common surname, it is used interchangeably with Karana.

[edit] Culture & Social Living

Karanam Culture, especially in Andhra Pradesh, is associated with Niyogi Brahmins. They have common festivals which were/are celebrated by Brahmins, but Karanams, unlike the rest of the Brahmins, were warriors, administrators, ministers, reformers in pre-independent colonial India i.e. more like the Samurais of Japan. Typically, Niyogi Brahmins take on secular vocations such as the Karanam position, which is a highly esteemed position in villages because Karanams are tantamount to upwardly mobile members of the village i.e. aristocrats. Historically, the Karanam position is patrilineally passed down from father to eldest son and this position stays within the family. But in the early 1980s, N.T. Rama Rao, a prominent actor and politician, mandated that the Karanam position be rescinded. In place of a Karanam, he established a Mandal officer position which is granted based on merit and scholarship, not based on caste thereby giving opportunity to people from any caste to contest for such a position.

[edit] Jobs

Karnams, primarily, had jobs as bureaucrats and government officials before the 1980s.

In the past, they are well educated, wealthy, and good administrators; many people from Niyogi caste were government officers, employees, teachers, professors, principals, lawyers,and doctors in Northern Andhra Pradhesh and Orissa border districts.

Now a these days, many of them are employed as Software professionals, doctors, etc in foreign countries therefore the NRI (Non-resident Indian) population is increasing rapidly.

[edit] Similar Castes

Karuneegar Pillai:

Karuneegar Pillai is the closest related caste to the Karanam / Karnam caste, which exists predominantly in Tamil Nadu and other parts of neighboring states including southern borders of Andhra Pradesh.Karuneegars are considered to be Karnams closest relatives. Karuneegars share same beliefs and have common responsibilities such as white collar jobs as village accountants. Karuneegar Pillai is the subdivision of Pillai. Pillai is not related to Karnam. In the sense, the other communities of Pillai (except Karuneegar), are not related to Karnam. Pillai is just a title name as when started. The other communities of pillai, does NOT share common beliefs and does NOT have primary jobstyle as village accountants. So Karuneegar is the only division which has relationship with Karnam.