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Similar Kannada Vaishya, Halakki Vokkaliga, Vokkaligara Sangha | ||
Tulu Gowda ((Kannada: ತುಳು ಗೌಡ್ರು) Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu Gowda) communities, as their name indicates, hail mostly from those districts. Tulu Gowdas are Vokkaliga community they are speak tulu in Dakshin Kannada and Are Bhashe in Kodagu places. Originally they are the migrants from Ikkeri (present Shimoga District). They were originally Natha Pantha and Shivaites owing allegiance to Sringeri Matha. Later Emperor Vishnuvardhana's rule they became Vaishnavites and worship 'Tirupati Timmappa' (Balaji of Thirupati) and 'Sabbakka' (Sharada of Sringeri). They are also called Tuluva Gowdas as they spoke Tulu when they came from Ikkeri, later in the Mysore kingdom, and settled the Mangaluru - Udupi (Dakshina Kannada - Udupi) region. They now speak the Are Bhashe or Gowda Kannada dialect of Tulu and Kannada. They are said to have 10 Kutumba and 18 Balis as their primordial root families, from which arose around a Nooru Mane or hundred families. Concerning the Vokkaligas in the district of Dakshina Kannada & Coorg, Rev. G. Richter, in Gazetteer of Coorg (1870) lists them as Tulu Gowdas (Vokkaligas in Dakshin Kannada and Kodagu) who migrated to Coorg (Kodagu) from the Mangaluru-Udupi (Dakshina Kannada-Udupi) region under the Canarese (Kannada) speaking peoples.
Contents
Tulu or Are Bhase Gowdas are a major ethnic group in parts of Dakshina Kannada, like Sullia, Puttur, parts of Bantwal and Belthangady Taluks, and in parts of Kodagu.
Caste & Marriage System
Gowdas believe that people from same Bali or Gotra cannot marry as they have originated from the same base family. However, cousin marriage between children of brother and sister is accepted (but not between children of two brothers or two sisters). Once married, a girl assumes the okka name of her husband. This community following bari (bali or ghotra) system. He was not married same bari. And he was 'Makkala Kattu' system followed.
Gowdas 18 Ghotra or Bari is
Culture
Tulu/Kodagu Gowdas are celebrate Puttari Habba. Puttari means new rice and is the rice harvest festival (also called huttari in Kannada). This takes place in late November or early December.
On the day the whole family, which is decorated with flowers and green mango leaves and banana leaves.Then the eldest member of the family hands a sickle to the head of the family and one of the women leads a procession to the paddy fields with a lit lamp in her hands. The path leading to the field is decorated. Then beginning of the harvest, with chanting of Poli Poli Deva (prosperity) by all present. Then the symbolic harvesting of the crop begins. The rice is cut and stacked and tied in odd numbers and is carried home to be offered to the gods.