Kota brahmin
Encyclopedia
Kota Brahmins hail from the Kundapur and surrounding areas of Udupi district in Karnataka
, Bantwal and Puttur Taluk in Mangalore District and Kasargod District in Kerala. Originally thought to have been brought to Kota (Udupi Taluk)and surrounding areas from northern India by Parashurama
, they speak a Kannada different from the other regional dialects.
Kota Brahmins who had been originally concentrated in the villages of Kota, Saligrama Koteshwara and Kundapura of Udupi district have apparently spread to other areas also mentioned above.
One of the famous Kota Brahmins is Dr.Shivarama Karantha (Jnanapeetha award winner) who hailed from Kota, of Udupi Taluk.
The Kota Brahmins come originally from a village near Udupi, and did not convert to Vaishnavism
; they remained as bhasma
(ash)-dharis and followers of the Smarta sampradaya. The other sects were influenced by Sri Madhvacharya
to become Vaishnavites, e.g., Koteshwara Brahmins and Madhva Shivalli Brahmins.
, one among the ten incarnations of the Lord Vishnu, to be their Guru. Hence, the deity in Saligrama temple is referred to as Guru Narasimha.
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Bantwal and Puttur Taluk in Mangalore District and Kasargod District in Kerala. Originally thought to have been brought to Kota (Udupi Taluk)and surrounding areas from northern India by Parashurama
Parashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
, they speak a Kannada different from the other regional dialects.
Kota Brahmins who had been originally concentrated in the villages of Kota, Saligrama Koteshwara and Kundapura of Udupi district have apparently spread to other areas also mentioned above.
One of the famous Kota Brahmins is Dr.Shivarama Karantha (Jnanapeetha award winner) who hailed from Kota, of Udupi Taluk.
Origin of Kotas
The origin of Dakshina kannada Brahmins, which includes Kota Brahmins, is given by Mr. Neria Harish Hebbar, MD in his Article.The Kota Brahmins come originally from a village near Udupi, and did not convert to Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
; they remained as bhasma
Bhasma
Bhasma in Ayurveda has been defined as a substance obtained by calcination.Use of both bhasma as well as in pishti form along with appropriate herbs for treatment of critical ailments is a medicinal preparation in Ayurveda and to some extent Unani Bhasma in Ayurveda has been defined as a...
(ash)-dharis and followers of the Smarta sampradaya. The other sects were influenced by Sri Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
to become Vaishnavites, e.g., Koteshwara Brahmins and Madhva Shivalli Brahmins.
Guru Narashima
Kota or Koota Brahmins do not believe in any sort of human guru or religious heads. Instead, they consider the Lord NarasimhaNarasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
, one among the ten incarnations of the Lord Vishnu, to be their Guru. Hence, the deity in Saligrama temple is referred to as Guru Narasimha.
Geographic Distribution
Though originally inhabiting the villages in and around Kota near Brahmavar of the present day Udupi district, various families emigrated to Shivamogga, Chikkamagaloor, South Canara, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other regions in due course of time. Before India's independence, and the subsequent partition of states on linguistic basis, this place was included in the Madras state, and not the adjoining state of Mysore. Hence, many families migrated to Madras State for education, business, and other purposes. A large number of Kota brahmins migrated to Kerala and took up the temple priesthood there in the twntieth century. They are called 'Potty' in South Kerala and Embrandiri in other parts of Kerala. Today, Bangalore has a significant share of Kota Brahmins, where the community thrives in such sectors as hotel/catering business, banking, medicine, life insurance, software and related engineering professions etc. There are villages having predominantly Kota brahmin population in Shimoga and Chikmagalur Districts also.SurNames
- Adhikari
- Adiga
- Aithala or Aithal
- Athri
- Baasri
- Bhat
- BiLiya
- Gota (Koteshwara)
- Hande
- Hathwara (Koteshwara)
- Hebbar (Madhwa, Koteshwara)
- Herle
- Holla
- Ibhat
- Karanth
- Kedlaya or Kedilaya
- Madhyasta
- Maiya or Mayya
- Manja
- Nakshathri
- Navada
- Somayaji
- Thunga
- Udupa (Kandavara)
- Upadhya
- Urala
- Rao
Prominent Members
- K. Shivaram KaranthK. Shivaram KaranthKota Shivaram Karanth was a major Kannada writer, social activist, environmentalist, Yakshagana artist, film maker and thinker. He was described as the "Rabindranath Tagore of Modern India who has been one of the finest novelists-activists since independence" by Ramachandra Guha...
- Jnanapeetha award winner, poet - Ammembela Shankaranryana Navada, Kannada Poet
- B. V. KaranthB. V. KaranthBabukodi Venkataramana Karanth was a renowned film and theatre personality from India...
- Kannada playwright and director - Prema KaranthPrema KaranthPrema Karanth was a well known theatre personality and the first-ever woman film-maker of Kannada cinema. She was the wife of B. V. Karanth and was known for the children's plays that she staged. She became the first ever woman director in Kannada cinema when she directed the film Phaniyamma,...
- wife of B. V. KaranthB. V. KaranthBabukodi Venkataramana Karanth was a renowned film and theatre personality from India...
, theatre personality - Kalinga NavadaKalinga NavadaKalinga Navada - was a major yakshagana bhagavatha . Born in Gundmi village of Udupi district, Karnataka.-Family:...
- Famous Yakshagaana Bhagavatha (Singer) of the Millennium - UpendraUpendraUpendra is a cine actor, director, script writer and singer. Born in a middle class family at Koteshwara near Kundapura, he belongs to Kannada speaking Kota Brahmin community. Upendra started his career off with famous director Kashinath as a writer and an assistant director...
- Famous Kannada film actor and director - G. V. AtriG. V. AtriG.V. Atri was an Indian singer in Kannada language . He was born in Kanakapura and raised in Bangalore city....
- Famous Kannada sugama sangeetha singer - KashinathKashinathKashinath is an actor and a director in the Kannada Film Industry in India, generally known in the industry as a trend setter. He probably started the trend of acting, directing, music directing and the producing of films...
- Kannada film director and actor - Harish HandeHarish HandeHarish Hande is an Indian social entrepreneur, who founded Selco India, a solar electric light company in 1995, which over the years has lit up over 120,000 households, to emerge as India's leading solar technology firm...
- founder of SELCOSELCO (India)The Solar Electric Light Company or SELCO India is a social venture based in Bangalore, India. The main goal of this venture is to provide reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy services to homes and businesses, especially in the rural areas... - Malathi Krishnamurthy HollaMalathi Krishnamurthy HollaMalathi Krishnamurthy Holla is an International para athlete from India. She was awarded Arjuna award and Padma Shri for her achievements.- References :**...
- Noted Sports Woman of International reputation and Paralympic gold medalist - Rekha HandeRekha HandeRekha Hande was crowned the Miss India title in 1983. She was a brilliant contestant who outwitted others in the pageant. She also had won several titles such as Spring Queen, Pond's Queen, May Queen etc...
- former Miss IndiaMiss IndiaMiss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India, one of the most recognized contests to produce international beauty queens in the 90s, which annually selects three winners to compete globally. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co... - H. V. HandeH. V. HandeH. V. Hande is a medical practitioner and Indian politician. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Park Town constituency as a Swatantra Party candidate in 1967, and 1971 elections....
- former health minister of Tamil Nadu and founder of Hande hospital - Aravind AdigaAravind AdigaAravind Adiga is an Indian writer and journalist. His debut novel, The White Tiger, won the 2008 Man Booker Prize.-Early life and education:...
- Booker Prize winner-2008 - VaidehiVaidehi (Kannada writer)Janaki Srinivasa Murthy , popularly known by her pen name as Vaidehi is a well-known writer of modern Kannada language fiction. Vaidehi is one of the most successful woman writer in Kannada and winner of many prestigious national and state level literary awards...
- Famous Kannada writer - MohanMohan (actor)Mohan is a popular Kollywood actor. He hails from the Udupi district of Karnataka. He derived his name Kokila Mohan after debuting in a film called Kokila, which starred Kamal Haasan in the lead role. He considers Balu Mahendra as his mentor...
- 'kokila mohan' famous Tamil movie actor - Vinaya PrasadVinaya PrasadVinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
- Film and television actress - Prakash Bare- technocrat turned Entrepreneur and malayalam Film producer and actor
- Late Subbarao, CPI Minister in left Government in Kerala
- Uday Holla prominant lawyer and former advocate genral of karnataka