Havyaka

 The word Havyaka was transcended from words Havyaga or Haveega which means the one who performs Havana and Homa. These are known as “Havya” and the person who performs them is known as “Havyaka.” The traditional vocation of Havyaka Brahmins was to perform the rituals of Homa-Havana and therefore they came to be known by the name of their profession.

 Other theory have been proposed as well. The name “Haiga” persists in Havyaka lexicon. The word Havyaka might also be derived from the place named Haigunda. It is said that the first few families were settled in Haigunda. Haigunda is a village located in an island in Sharavathi river, Honnavara taluk, Karnataka.

 According to the research, Havyaka’s immigration back to about 1700 years ago i.e.around 4th century, during the reign of King Mayuravarma (345–365)CE.

 An inscription found at Talagunda indicates that 32 Brahmins were relocated from a place called Ahichchhatrato Sthanagundur (Ahichchhatra) by Mukanna (or Trinetra), thereby creating an agrahara. Mukanna was an ancestor of Mayuravarma, the founder of the Kadamba Dynasty. The extensive remains of Ahichhatra, the Capital town of Northern Panchala have been discovered near Ramnagar village of Aonla Tehsil in the district of Bareilly in the state of Uttara Pradesh.

 King Mayuravarma’s act of inviting Havyakas to Banavasi has also been inscribed on a stone slab (Shilashasana) from the period of the Kadambas, which now lies near the village of Varadahalli (Varadapura) in Sagar Taluk of Shimoga district.

 Havyakas profess the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankaracharya.

 Most Havyakas are Yajurvedi Brahmins and follow the Baudhayana Shrauta Sutra (Taittirya Krishna Yujurveda). Some are Samavedi’s and few Havyakas follow Rigveda which is the oldest in Vedas.

 Havyakas derive their last names from the jobs that they perform rather than by their origin. Thus came the names “Hegade (Hegde)” for the head of the village who sponsors the ritualistic activities, “Dixit” for one who is the head of the Yajna, “Bhat”, who actually performs the rituals and so on.

 Till recently Havyakas were primarily engaged in vedic professions like priests or they were in agriculture especially growing betel nut, paddy, banana, coconut etc. A few decades back they also started entering into all other vocations like business, education, employment etc.

 Population of Havyakas all around the world is estimated to be about 11,00,000.

 Havyakas are mainly concentrated in the state of Karnataka. Dakshina Kannada, Uttar Kannada, Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Kodagu, Manglore Districts in Karnataka and Kasarogod in Kerala are the districts where Havyakas live for centuries. They are now spread all over India, especially in metropolitan cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and other Industrial and business centres. Havyakas are also in large numbers in countries like United States of America, United Kingdom and other places outside India.

 Havyakas derive their last names from the jobs that they perform rather than by their origin. Names include Bhat, Hegde, Bhagwat, Joshi, Joisa, Bhadti, Hosmane, Vaidya, Hiregange; Avadhani, , Kamte, Dixit, Gaonkar, Joisa, Karnik, Murthy, Markande, Pandit, Puranik, Rao, Raysad, Sabhahit, Sharma, Vathi, Shastri, Shanbhag, Shastry, Upadhyaya, Upadhya, Adkoli, Baravani, Hebbar, Gayatri, Dhooli, Gadde, Yaji, Pratahkal, Ugru Bhatta, Bailkeri, Shankarlinga, Kalmane etc.

 As Havyakas gained population in Karnataka they became influential in politics and also cultivated fine arts. The Yakshagana folk theatre has been exclusively developed by Havyakas. Music, dance and writing became very attractive to Havyakas. Karki Yakshagana group which toured Maharashtra in the mid-19th century has the credit of inspiring Marathi theatre. In 1842, Karki Mela (group) performed before the Rajasaheb of Sangli (Maharashtra State), who encouraged court artists to learn from the group acting and singing. This laid basis for Marathi Professional theatre.

 The first social play in Kannada was written by Suri Venkataramana Shastri in 1887. The play titled Iggappa Hegade Vivaha Prahasana deals with child marriage and evils of incompatibility. There have been a good number of writers, singers, teachers, doctors, industrialists, scientists, engineers and executives from Havyaka community.

 A good number of youngsters have taken up Hindustani classical music and Karnataka classical music.

 Havyakas are traditionally lacto-vegetarian in their diet, and their cuisine consists of some unique food items including Tellavu (a light type of dosa), Todedev (a wafer-thin sweet preparation), Melara, Balehannu Shavige (A vermicelli preparation using banana), Odappe, Holige, Appehuli, Gensle (sweet which is baked in masala leaf), Halasinakayi huli (very popular in Kalache-Yellapur region of Uttarakannada district), various types of Thambli (buttermilk/yoghurt-based rice accompaniment) including Korskayi Tambli, various types of Gojju (gravy) including Kocheegayi Gojju,Korskayi Gojju,Kai Gojju,Kadle Gojju (famous in Sagar prantya), etc. Other commonly-prepared items include Hagalkai Hashi (a type of salad made from bitter gourd), Kai Rasaa, Karkli, patrode, famous Soppina Tambli-Swarle-kudi, various leaf-based preparations such as Honegone Soppu, Vidangada Soppu, Vasange Soppu, Yelgurge kudi/soppu, Sorle kudi/soppu, Kanchi-soppu and Choand Gte-soppu, Kajale-palya, Huli, Sasame made of mango and Kannekudi katne. Many items are prepared using jack-fruit such as sweet pappads, several types of Thamblis and a variety of Chatni pudis, Sandige and Happala which can be preserved for a long time.

 They are also known for their preparations of banana Halwa, Berati of jack-fruit and Halasina Hannina Kadubu. Havyakas have a unique food system which has intrinsic medicinal values. Some of the ingredients used in food items include wild leaves, roots/herbs and barks of trees, among others. Havyakas typically lived in villages where abundant sources of these were readily available around them, from where they were directly extracted and processed fresh.

 The Havyakas Brahmins follow the gotra system.

• Bharadwaja

• Vashistha

• Angeerasa

• Gautama

• Jamadagni
• Kashyapa
• Vishwamitra