Kannada Brahmins

Kannada Brahmins are Brahmins whose mother-tongue is the Kannada language. Nearly all of them hail from the south Indian state of Karnataka.

Three sects

Adi Shankaracharya, founder of the Advaita philosophy chose Sringeri as the site for the first Matha. Ramanuja, founder of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy found sanctuary in Karnataka at a time when the Hoysala empire, ruled by Vishnuvardhana, were at their zenith. Madhvacharya, founder of the Tatva-vada philosophy, was the son of Karnataka.

As such, Karnataka Brahmins belong to any one of three specific sects (schools of philosophy), being:

• the Smartha sect - adherents of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankaracharya.
• the Srivaishnava sect - adherents of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja.
• the Madhwa sect - adherents of the Tatva-vada philosophy propounded by Madhvacharya.

Prominent communities

Each of these sects encompasses several sub-castes of Brahmins. These include:

Kannada Smartha Brahmins

• Kandavara/Shivalli Brahmins from coastal Karnataka
• Babboor Kamme
• Badaganadu
• Hoysala Karnataka
• Kota brahmin - Smartha sect brahmins from the central part of coastal Karnataka
• Halenadu Karnataka Brahmin also known as Mooguru (Muguru) Karnataka Brahmins
• Panchagrama Brahmins
• Sankethi
• Sthanika
• Shukla Yajurvedi Smartha Brahmins
• Sama Vedi Smartha Brahmins
• Havyaka

Kannada Srivaishnava Iyengar Brahmins

• Hebbar Iyengars
• Hemmige Iyengars
• Mandyam Iyengars
• Mysore Iyengars

Kannada Madhva Brahmins

• Madhwa Brahmins
• Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins
• Shukla Yajurvedi Madhva Brahmins
• Deshastha Brahmin Deshastha Brahmins

Notable people

Literature

• S. Srikanta Sastri - historian, Indologist and polyglot
• S. L. Bhyrappa - famous Kannada writer and Saraswati Samman National Award Recipient
• Raja Rao^[1]
• Gopala Krishna Adiga - Famous Writer and pioneer of navya sahitya in Kannada
• G. Venkatasubbaiah - Famous Kannada lexicographer
• K. V. Subbanna - Founder of NINASAM and winner of the renowned Ramon Magsaysay award

Music

• Bhimsen Joshi - Hindustani classical singer^[2]
• C. Aswath - Popular Light Music Singer.
• Shimoga Subbanna - Popular Light Music Singer.
• Raju Ananthaswamy - Popular Light Music Singer.
• Archana Udupa - Popular Light Music Singer.
• Ghatam Giridhar Udupa - Internationally renowned Ghatam artist.
• Bellary M Raghavendra - Carnatic classical singer and brother of singer Vani Sateesh

Politics

• Ramakrishna Hegde (Former chief minister of Karnataka)
• Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri (Ex Primary and Secondary Education Minister of Govt of Karnataka)

Other

• Tagaduru Ramachandra Rao (Veteran freedom fighter, known as Mysore Gandhi and first freedom fighter political prisoner of Mysore State)
• Shakuntala Devi (Human computer fame)
• Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Yoga teacher)

See also

• Konkani Brahmins
• Telugu Brahmins
• Forward Castes

References