Sthanika Brahmins - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sthānika Brāhmins are Smartha Brahmins, and come under the classification of Tuluva Brahmins; The belong to Pancha-Drāvida Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

Community. The Kuladevatha of Sthānika Brahmin's is Subramanya. Hence Sthānika Brahmins are also called Subramanya Sthānika Brāhmins.In the year 1924 Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham had given a notification that ,this sect of Smaratha Brahmins from South Canara can be called as Subramanya Sthānika Brāhmins. Sthānika Brāhmins are followers of Sri Adi Shankaracharya and follow the Advaitha philosophy and are shishya's of Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetham. His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya of Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetham is their Kulaguru. Sthānika's acquired their name owing to their managerial positions. The word Sthānika is purely a sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

word and has meanings such as Governor of the place, Tax collector, One who holds Managerial position, People of Local place etc. The Importance of Sthānika's is also explained in Chānakya's Artha Shastra .

Language

The Sthanika Brahmin's mother tongue is Tulu

Tulu language

The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...

and they speak a dielect of Tulu unique to their community called Brahmin Dielect. The dialect is very similar to that used by Shivalli Brahmins, but the few words are different.
It is believed that the original language of Sthanika Brahmins

Sthanika Brahmins

Sthānika Brāhmins are Smartha Brahmins, and come under the classification of Tuluva Brahmins; The belong to Pancha-Drāvida Brahmin Community. The Kuladevatha of Sthānika Brahmin's is Subramanya...

is Sanskrit

Sanskrit

and they modified Tulu

Tulu language

so that influence of Sanskrit

Sanskrit

was dominant in their dialect of Tulu

Tulu language

. A genuine example for that may be the word Aśana, which means meals. The word is derived from Sanksrit equivalent Aśanam. But other Tuluva

Tuluva

The Tuluva -Geographic Distribution :Though most of the Tuluva population is found in the Tulu Nadu region, migrant poplulations are found the world over. In recent times, the first period of migration started at the beginning of the 20th century to places such as Mumbai and Chennai and other...

s (other than Tulu speaking Brahmins) have an equivalent word for meals as Ũnas.

Surnames

The common surnames are:

Ayya or Aiah (Similar to Iyer (Iyer is plural form of Ayya or Aiah. Eg: Laxminarayanappayya)
Adhikaari (Eg: Ramakrishna adhikaari)
Hebbar (Eg: Ganesh Hebbar,Vasudeva Hebbar),
Oja (Meaning Acharya. Eg: Maroja, Nattoja)
Rao (Eg: Shiva Rao)
Sharma (Eg: Narayana Sharma)
Shastry (Eg: Atmarama Shastry)
Upadyaya (Eg: Venkataramana Upadyaya)
Shanbhag (or Shyanubhoug) (Eg: Madhusoodan Shanbhag)
Bhat (Eg., Niranjan Bhat)

Geographic distribution

The roots of this sect of Brahmins is Coastal Karnataka. In the South Kanara region, majority of the Sthanika Brahmins families have settled in Udupi, Alleoor, in & around Mangalore

Mangalore

Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...

,Belthangady,Vitla, Puttur-Sulia, Yellur

Yellur

Yellur is village in Belgaum district of Karnataka state in India. Situated at the foot of a small hillock locally called Yellurgad , the place is a pittoresque village with multiple temples dedicated to Kamaleshwar, Lakshmi, Dattatreya, Parameshwara, Hanuman and Changaleshwari. The jatra in...

, Bantwala, Karkala, Kundapur, Kabbinale

Kabbinale

Kabbinale, a village at the foot hills of the Western Ghats Agumbe range, is situated in Karkala taluk of the Udupi district of Karnataka state, India. In the Kannada language, kabbinale means "crushing unit of sugarcane ". This small village is around 50 km from UdupiTown, and the nearest...

, Rattady,Katpadi, Kasargod, Pavanje, Saligrama, Bhramavara etc. Nowadays a lot of people belonging to this community have settled outside Karnataka including Maharashtra and various parts of the world.

Population

The population of this community is small (Expected to be around 30,000 - 35,000). Most of the Sthānika Brahmins prefix their native place name in front of their names and many of them have surnames. (Eg "Kabbinale Ganesh Hebbar" where Kabbinale is name of native village)

Sthānika's Today

Although, Brahmins are restricted to their outlook on the material world, Sthanika Brahmins have retained their Smartha traditions and in addition to their earlier occupations, Sthanika's today have diversified into a variety of fields. Sthanika's today are Aggriculturists, Professors, Teachers, Doctors, Engineers, Priests, Businessmen, Entrepreneurs, Government and Bank Employees, Lawyers, CA’s, MBA's, IT professional's. They are also in Udupi Restaurant Business, in Karnataka and mostly in all parts of Maharashtra.

Deities and festivals

Sthānika's perform Panchayatana puja

Panchayatana puja

Panchayatana puja is the system of worship in the Smarta sampradaya of Hinduism. It is said to have been introduced by Adi Shankara, the 8th century CE Hindu philosopher. It consists of the worship of five deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha...

introduced by Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

and celebrate all the festivals of South Canara.As their Kula Devetha is Lord Subramanya, They also believe in Nagaradhane

Nagaradhane

Nagaradhane is a form of snake worship which, along with Bhuta Kola, is one of the unique traditions prevalent in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Kasaragod alternatively known as Tulu Nadu- Origin of Nagaradhane :...

and Bhuta Kola. They believe in Bhootas like, Kodmanthaya, Panjurli, Jumadi

Jumadi

Jumadi, also known as Dhumavathi, is a deity worshiped particularly in the Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka and Kerala in India. Shrines dedicated to Jumadi can be found all over Tulu Nadu and Kerala.-Legend:...

, Bobbarryaa, Kallurti, Kalkuda which is widely followed in South Canara & parts of Kerala.

Temples

Jnanashakti subramanya Temple ,[Padebettu, Near Padubidri],D.K. Karnataka on Padubidri Karkala Road,about 2 k,m off the highway.
Jnanashakthi Subramanya Temple, Pavanje
Pavanje
Pavanje or Pawanje is a village in South Canara district of Karnataka state, India. It is sited on the north bank of the Pavanje River, adjoining national highway 17 between Udupi and Mangalore.Pavanje lies to south of Haleangadi. The Arabian sea is on west of this village...

, Haleangdi, D.K, Karnataka (On NH 17), India
Jnanashakthi Subramanya Temple, Jnanashakthi Nagara, Kodigehalli Post, Vishwaneedum, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

- 560091, Karnataka, India, Ph:28535351.
Sri Sharada Temple, Kunjibettu, Udupi - 576102, Karnataka, India.
Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple, Matanthabettu,, Puttur, D.K., Karnataka.
Sri Vishnumurthi Temple, Battrapadi.D.K., Karnataka.
Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple, Guruvayanakere.D.K., Karnataka.
Sri Trishuluni - Durgaparameshwari Temple, Balapa, D.K. Karnataka.
Sri Laxminarayana Temple, Kabbinale
Kabbinale
Kabbinale, a village at the foot hills of the Western Ghats Agumbe range, is situated in Karkala taluk of the Udupi district of Karnataka state, India. In the Kannada language, kabbinale means "crushing unit of sugarcane ". This small village is around 50 km from UdupiTown, and the nearest...

, D.K., Karnataka.
Sri Shrinivasa Temple, Talleki, Kadaba, D.K.
Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, BaLpa, Sulia Taluk, D.K.
Sri Subrahmanya Temple, Kanthamangala, Ajjavara, Sullia, D.K
Shaalipura Sri Subrahmanya Temple,Kokrady,Belthangady Taluk, D.K
Sri Mahishamardhini Temple, Ajjavara, Sullia, D.K.
Sri Kolpe Shanmukha Subrahmanya Temple, Idkidu, Bantwal Taluk, D.K.
Sri Kutyala Gopalakrishna Temple.Kudlu Kasaragod
Sri Shiva Mangila Sadasmiva Temple Kudlu Kasaragod
Sri Vishnumangila Mahavishnu Temple Kudlu Kasaragod.

Associations

Adwaitha Samithi - an inter communal registered association of pancha Dravida Brahmans has also been formed by the leaders of the community and has its own building Adwaitha Ashrama (Now Belongs to Sringeri Mutt), at Kotekar near Ullal, five miles to the south of Mangalore.
Shri Subramanya Sabha
Shri Subramanya Sabha
Shri Subrahmanya Sabha is a cultural organization formed by the Sthanika Brahmin community in 1908. Its headquarters are located in Mangalore....

, Founded about 99 years back and registered on 1942.
Sthanika Dravida Brahmana Sangha, Kunjibettu, Udupi, Karnataka. - 576101.
Akhila Bharata Sthanika Brahmana Sabha, Jnanashakthi Mantap, Kodigehalli post, Vishwaneedum, Bangalore.
Bangalore Sthanika Brahmana Sabha was founded in 1962-63,with 47 members,which got officially registered in the early 70's.
Shri Jnanashakthi Samskruthika Sabha, 87,Venkatadri, 9th Main, Saraswathipuram, Mysore - founded in 1977.
Sthanika Brahmana Sangha Hoskote (KUNDAPURA)
Shiva Brahmana Sabha Kasaragod

Apart from Mangalore, Udupi, Mysore and Bangalore they have their associations at Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, Nashik, Satara

Satara

Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...

, Karad

Karad

Karad is a town and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies at the confluence of Koyna River and the Krishna River. The two rivers originate at Mahabaleshwar which is around 100 km from Karad. They diverge at their origin and then meet again in...

, Sangli

Sangli

Sangli is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for...

, Belthangady

Belthangady

Belthangady is the headquarters of Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state in India. Belthangady taluk is mostly covered by forests. Western ghats provide scenic beauty, especially during the monsoon season that usually lasts from the month of June to September...

Pune

Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...

, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Kasargod and USA.

Publications

1. Sri Sharada (Kannada Monthly)

2. Sulagna (Kannada Monthly)

3. Sthanika (Kannada Monthly)

4. Sthanika Sampada (Kannada Monthly)

These publications, carries information about the happenings of the Community,like festivals, meetings, Religious programmes etc.

Notable people

Dr. Lalitha Rao - Former Health Minister, Govt.of Maharashtra

N. K. Prabhakar Rao - Former Chief Secretary, Govt.of Karnataka

N. D. Krishna Rao - Former Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Ambalpady Krishna Rao - Former Chairman, Syndicate Bank, Manipal

Padmavathi Vittal Rao - MLC (Ex), Govt.of Karnataka

N. D. Jagannatha Rao - IAS officer

Ananthapura Ishwarayya - Kannada Writer, Journalist, Music Critic, Photo Journalist

M. Vyasa - Kannada Writer

Vidushi Alampady Radha Muralidhar - Well known Carnatic Singer, Kasaragod, Kerala

Sri.Shreekrishnayya Ananthapura - Kannada Poet / Writer

H Subraya Bhat (Hari/Appi Bhat) Haleangadi - Ayurveda Pandith

Late. Aleyur Sham Rao - Satara / Pune, Maharashtra ( Business Man /Hotelier )

Spiritual

H H Swami Brahmananda, Regional Head of Chinmaya Mission of Karnataka http://www.chinmayamission.com

External links

List of teachers of Advaita Vedanta

Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...

Smarta Sampradaya Smartism
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...

Brahmin communities

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