Kodava people ಕೊಡವ
Total population
122,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
India,[2] 122,000
Language(s)
Kodava Takk
Religion(s)
Hinduism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Aryan people, Dravidian people Brahuis Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Yeravas Kurubas Male-Kudiyas Holayas

The Kodava (ಕೊಡವ in Kannada script) are a people of southern India, most of whom trace their orgins to the region of Kodagu. The primary language of the Kodava is Kodava Takk, although they are bilingual in Kannada. Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Kodava Takk, often called Coorgi or Coorg language in English, is the original language of the south Karnataka district of Kodagu. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... The Aryan race is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. ... The Dravidian Race is the name sometimes still given to the peoples of southern and central India and northern Sri Lanka who speak Dravidian languages, the best known of which are Tamil (தமிழ்), Telugu (తెలుగు), Kannada and Malayalam. ... The Brahui people or Brohi people (Urdu: بروہی) are an ethnic group of about 2. ... Kannadiga (Kannada: ಕನ್ನಡಿಗ |masculine|), or Kannadati (Kannada: ಕನ್ನಡತಿ |feminine|) are an ethnic group primarily located in the state of Karnataka in India and neighbouring areas like Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala ,Goa and Maharashtra. ... Languages Malayalam (മലയാളം) Religions Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Malayali or Malayalee(മലയാളി) is a name given to the inhabitants of the state of Kerala. ... Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are a multi-ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Tuluvas (Tulu: ತುಳುವ) are speakers of the Tulu language. ... Kurubas are Hindus concentrated mainly in the southeren states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Location of the Kodagu district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... Kodava Takk, often called Coorgi or Coorg language in English, is the original language of the south Karnataka district of Kodagu. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ...

Demographics and Distribution

The Kodava community numbers about 100,000 in Kodagu district, out of a total population of over 500,000. Bangalore and Mysore together have more than 300,000 Kodava, most of them migrating to these cities for better job prospects. For other uses, see Bangalore (disambiguation). ... , For other uses, see Mysore (disambiguation). ...

History

They are of unknown origin, and are ethnically and culturally distinct from the other people of the area. There are several claims regarding the origin of the Kodavas.

Some historians suggest that the Kodavas might have migrated into their present area in the Coorg district around the 3rd century A.D.

There are different theories about the origin of Kodavas. One view is that the Kodava culture resembles the culture of the ancient trading stock of Arabia (Moeling 1855). Another view is that the Kodavas are descendants of Scythians (Connor 1870, Rice 1878). According to yet another view, the Kodavas belong to the Indo-Scythian race. Kodavas have no resemblance to any other people group of South India since their average cephalic index is 80.6 and the nasal index is 65.2. This may prove that the Kodavas are the descendants of the Brachycephalic stock who entered into the Indus Valley during the Mohenjodaro period and migrated to the Coorg region (Hutton, as quoted in Balakrishnan 1976). These are all theories, and we do not have any definite clue or evidence to prefer one theory over another. ETHNOLINGUISTIC STUDY The Scythians (, also ) or Scyths ([1]; from Greek ), a nation of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who spoke an Iranian language[2], dominated the Pontic steppe throughout Classical Antiquity. ... The Indo-Scythian King of Kings Azes II (c. ... The cephalic index is the ratio of the maximum breadth of the head to its maximum length, sometimes multiplied by 100 for convenience. ...

Customs and Traditions

Kodava ritual includes couple drink of tiger's milk during marriage. Also shows traditional Kodava Costumes.

The names of Kodava people are characteristic and include a clan name. The clan is central to Kodava culture and families trace their lineage through clans. Marriage within a clan is discouraged. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 350 pixelsFull resolution (1007 × 440 pixels, file size: 63 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Kodava Marriage Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is fair because: This movie shot shows a Kodava ritual showing the traditional costumes... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 350 pixelsFull resolution (1007 × 440 pixels, file size: 63 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Kodava Marriage Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is fair because: This movie shot shows a Kodava ritual showing the traditional costumes...

Kodavas have many cultural differences from other communities in southern India. Though they are Hindu, Kodavas do not accept Brahmin priests, preferring that ceremonies are conducted by their own elders. The elders of the community help in organising the ceremonies. The importance of fire god found in most of the Hindu rituals is usually absent in Kodava culture. Usage of slokas and vedic chants is also not present. This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... The term Brahmin denotes both a member of the priestly class in the Hindu varna system, and a member of the highest caste in the caste system of Hindu society. ... This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period; see Dharmic religions for details of contemporary religious practices. ... A chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, either on a single pitch or with a simple notes and often including a great deal of repetition or statis. ...

They have distinctive dresses, the men wearing wraparound robes called the Kupya (now only seen at ceremonial occasions), and the women with a distinctive style of wearing the sari. The Kodava woman wears a sari with the pleats at the back.They have many distinctive practices such as carrying ceremonial knives, and martial war dances. The culture also includes communal gatherings where drink, dance and special meat dishes seasoned with Garcinia are central attractions. They enjoy their marriage. For the city, see Sari, Iran. ... Species Garcinia atroviridis Garcinia benthami Garcinia cambogia - citrin, gambooge Garcinia hanburyi - Hanburys garcinia Garcinia hessii - lemon saptree Garcinia indica Garcinia kola - bitter kola Garcinia lateriflora Garcinia livingstonei - Livingstones garcinia, imbe Garcinia mangostana - mangosteen Garcinia merguensis Garcinia multiflora Garcinia myrtifolia Garcinia portoricensis Garcinia schombucgkiana Garcinia xanthochymus Garcinia is a...

Language

The Kodava language, Kodava takk, itself is related to, and borrows heavily from the neighbouring languages of Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil; a point which has led ethnologists to speculate that their female ancestry is from the surrounding regions of Kodagu. Kodava takk has a lot of similarity in accent and pronunciation with that of Beary bashe, a dilect spoken by Bearys of Tulunadu. Kodava Takk, often called Coorgi or Coorg language in English, is the original language of the south Karnataka district of Kodagu. ... Ethnologyis a genre of cultural anthropology and| anthropological study, involving the systematic comparison of the beliefs and practices of different societies. ... Kinship and descent is one of the major concepts of cultural anthropology. ... Beary bashe or Nakknik baase is a Dravidian language spoken by a religious minority of Muslim community called Bearys in a region known as Tulunadu in the state of Karnataka. ... A beary woman clad in traditional Kuppaya and Tuni The Beary (also known as Byari) (Kannada: ಬ್ಯಾರಿ) is a small, vibrant Muslim community concentrated mostly in coastal South Kanara (Dakshina Kannada) district of Karnataka state in India, having its own unique traditions, and distinct cultural identity. ... Map of Tulu Nadu with respect to the rest of Karnataka. ...

Achievements

Armed forces

Enlistment in the Indian army has been common among the Kodavas. The most famous son of Kodagu is Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa the first Commander-in-Chief (as a general) of the armed forces of free India. General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya, of the same clan as K.M. Cariappa, served as a consecutive Army chief ( as a general ). Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa The first Indian Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947. ... Kodendera Subayya Thimayya was born in Madikeri, the district town of Kodagu, in March 30, 1906. ...

Sports

Hockey

For more details on this topic, see Kodava Hockey Festival.

Kodavas in the have a long history of association with the game of field hockey. The district of Kodagu is considered as the cradle of Indian hockey.^[3][4] More than 50 Kodavas have represented India in international hockey tournaments, out of which 7 have also participated in Olympics.^[3] B P Govinda, M P Ganesh, M M Somaiya and Arjun Halappa are some of the prominent Kodavas who have represented India. The passion for hockey in Kodagu is so much that more than 200 families participate in an annual Kodava Hockey Festival. This festival is recognised as one of the largest field hockey tournaments in the world and has been referred to the Guinness Book of Records.^[3] However it has already found a mention in the Limca Book of Records, which is an Indian variant of the Guinness Book.^[3] Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round disc called a puck, into the opponents net or goal, using a hockey stick. ... The clan of Kodavas in the Indian state of Karnataka have a long history of association with the game of field hockey. ... A game of field hockey in progress Field hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world. ... Location of the Kodagu district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... Olympic Games Summer Olympic Games Medal count Winter Olympic Games Medal count Olympic sports Medal counts Participating NOCs Olympic symbols Olympics WikiProject Olympics Portal Athens 2004 • Beijing 2008 Torino 2006 • Vancouver 2010 ... Location of the Kodagu district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... The clan of Kodavas in the Indian state of Karnataka have a long history of association with the game of field hockey. ... Suresh Joachim, minutes away from breaking the ironing world record at 55 hours and 5 minutes, at Shoppers World, Brampton. ... Coca-Cola India continues to refresh and nourish the pride of Indians with its annual publication, Limca Book of Records. ...

Notable Kodavas

• K M Cariappa, Field Marshal
• K. S. Thimayya, General
• Appachu Kavi, A veteran poet who has contributed for kodava poetry.
• P.I.Belliappa,freedom fighter
• B.D.Ganapathy, noted writer & philosopher
• Ashwini Nachappa, Athlete
• Nikhil Chinappa, MTV VJ & music composer
• Rohan Bopanna, Tennis player
• Robin Uthappa, Cricketer
• Joshna Chinappa, Ace squash player
• Len Aiyappa, Ace hockey player
• Biddu, Kung Fu fighting song fame
• N Ponnappa, cartoonist
• Brinda Somaya, architect and conservationist
• Poonam Bojanna, Athlete
• Prasad Bidapa, fashion designer, choreographer, model trainer.
• N U Nachappa, Codava National Council
• Uma Poonacha, Bharata Natyam performer & Member UN International Dance Council (UNCID)
• Shruthi Medappa Berera, Best Cadet 1996 @National Cadet Corp Held At Mathura UP.
• Jagat and Anita Nanjappa, motor racing champions

Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa OBE (28 January 1899 - 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Chief of Staff and led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947. ... Kodendera Subayya Thimayya was born in Madikeri, the district town of Kodagu, in March 30, 1906. ... Ashwini Nachappa is an accomplished athlete from Karnataka, India. ... Nikhil Chinappa Started off his career as a VJ at MTV India. ... Rohan Bopanna (born 4 March 1980) is an Indian professional tennis player. ... Robin Venu Uthappa (Kodava Takk-Kannada: ರಾಬಿನ್‌ ವೆನು ಉತ್ತಪ್ಪ)   (born 11 November 1985 in Kodagu, Karnataka) is an Indian cricketer. ... Joshna Chinappa Joshna Chinappa (born 1986) is a squash player based in Chennai India. ... Biddu, full name Biddu Appaiah, is a music producer and songwriter. ... A well-known fashion designer, Prasad Bidapa has specialised in training models for the Miss India beauty pageants. ... Jagat and Anita Nanjappa are a well-known couple in the sport of motor racing in India. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• www.kodava.org, "Official Website of Kodava Community"
• Kodava bibliography (www.kodava.org)
• Chicago Kodavas Web Link