Charodi, also referred to as Mestha(Mesta), Achari, Konkani Achari, Khandekar, or ''Nayak'', is a community from

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

state in India. There is no caste called as Charodi in Hindu religion. They are believed to have migrated from

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

in four boats ('char' means four and 'hodi' means boat) which landed in four different places of Karnataka. Charodis were initially known as "Mestha" and after migration, they changed their names based on the location they landed. They are usually called ''Achari'' or ''Charodi'' in North Karnataka and ''Nayak'' or ''Mestha'' in South Karnataka. They as per their tales, they migrated from Goa via a sea route to coastal Karnataka. During the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

they were included among the "

Denotified Tribes Denotified Tribes are the tribes in India that were listed originally under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, as ''Criminal Tribes'' and "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences." Once a tribe became "notified" as criminal ...

" of India. Their traditional work is

carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...

. They are included in

other backward class The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General castes, S ...

communities of Karnataka in post-independent India."Central list of OBCs for the state of Karnataka"
/ref> They are generally followers of

Sringeri Matha Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Śri Śringeri Maṭha (, ; sa, मठ, ) is one amongst the four cardinal Matha, pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by ach ...

. They are also worshippers of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, which is locally also known as

Ravalnath Ravalnath ( knn, रवळनाथ, ), also widely known as Roulu, (रवळू, ) is a popular Hindu deity in Goa and the Sindhudurg district of coastal Maharashtra, in western India. Shrines of Ravalnath are also found in border areas of Belg ...

. Charodi Mestha Samaj had their own temples in Goa, Mangalore, Kundapur, Gangolli, Shiroor, Honnavar, Sirsi, Karwar, Sagar and Shimoga.

References

Social groups of Karnataka Ethnic groups in India Denotified tribes of India Other Backward Classes Hindu communities {{india-ethno-stub