Shivalli Brahmins

The Shivalli Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin community in Karnataka. They are divided into two groups, the first of who follow the Dvaita philosophy founded by the Vaishnava saint Madhvacharya of Udupi are called Shivalli Madhva Brahmins, and the second of who follow the Advaita philosophy of Adi Shankara are known as Shivalli Smartha Brahmins. Majority of Shivalli Brahmins (Shivalli Brahmana's) are Madhvas and only a few of them are Smarthas.[1][2]

Shivalli Brahmin
Regions with significant populations
Udupi District, Karnataka
Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka
Kasaragod District, Kerala
Shimoga District, Karnataka
Languages
Tulu , Kannada
Religion
Hinduism
Divisions based on sect:
Smarthism
Madhwas
Divisions based on Veda
Rigveda
Yajur Veda

Udupi cuisine
Main article: Udupi cuisine

Shivalli Brahmins are famous for Udupi hotels (vegetarian restaurants) known for serving typical south Indian dishes like idli, vada, dosa, shira and upma etc.[3] Shivalli Brahmins have a unique style of cooking, serving and eating meals. The meal is served on a plantain (banana) leaf and is usually eaten by hand, seated with padmasana like position on the floor.[4]

Rituals and customs

Rituals
A young Shivalli Brahmin boy during his upanayana

Shivalli Brahmin males undergo the Upanayana when they turn seven years old to initiate them into Vedic studies. It is also known as Brahmopadesham. The key ritual during the Upanayana is that of putting a sacred thread consisting of three cotton strands across the left shoulder of the boy. The initiate is called a dvija "twice-born" and is expected to perform the sandhyavandanam at least twice daily. Dvija has a special knot in it which is called as "Brahma Gantu". Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins also undergo the Upakarma, where the sacred thread is changed and mudradharana is done. Mudradharana is a ritual where Vaishnavite symbols like the conch or the wheel are etched on bodies as a ritual of purification.[5]

Marriage

Present day marriages of Shivalli Madhva Brahmins are a four-day ceremony, sometimes condensed to a single day due to the fast pace of today's life.[6]

Festivals

Shivalli Brahmins celebrate all major Hindu festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Deepavali, Navaratri, Sankranti, Madhwanavami, Janmashtami, Maha Shivaratri, Bisu Parba(Tulu New Year), Ramanavami, Hanuman Jayanthi etc. They also believe in Nagaradhane and rituals of Bhuta Kola.[7]

See also

Notes
  1. B. N. Sri Sathyan (1973). Karnataka State Gazetteer: South Kanara. Director of Print., Stationery and Publications at the Government Press. p. 109. The groups usually styled as Tulu Brahmins are mainly the Shivalli Brahmins whose main centre is Udipi....The Tulu-speaking Brahmins of the present day are largely followers of Madhvacharya. only a small number remaining Smarthas
  2. Krishnendu Ray; Tulasi Srinivas (2012). Curried Cultures: Globalization, Food, and South Asia. University of California Press. p. 97. ISBN 9780520270114.
  3. "Utterly Udipi". thehinduonnet.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "Udupi food holy food". Outlook. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  5. "Upper castes families look to other communities". deccanchronicle.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  6. Milton, Lawrence (29 March 2009). "They-sell-food-spread-hospitality". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  7. "holy days". shivallibrahmins.com. Retrieved 7 January 2010.

References
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