The Panchagrama Brahmins are a Brahmin community that follow the

Smartha The ''Smarta'' tradition ( sa, स्मार्त), also called Smartism, is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Mimamsa, A ...

Sampradaya. They belong to the Indian state of Karnataka, and reside primarily in the districts of Udupi, Shimoga and

Chikmaglur Chikmagalur, known officially as Chikkamagaluru, is a city and the headquarters of Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the foothills of the Mullayanagiri peak of the Western Ghats, the city attracts tourists from ...

Bengaluru Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

and other cities.

Etymology

The words ''Panchagrama Brahmin'' (पंचग्रामब्राह्मण) are from Sanskrit and the term translates as ''one Brahmin from five villages''.

Classification

The Panchagrama Brahmins belong to the group of Pancha Dravida Brahmins in Karnataka. Though the Panchagramis primarily speak Kannada, they are classified as one of the six subdivisions of

Tulu Brahmins Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner * Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Ka ...

, along with other Kannada and Tulu speaking Brahmins of South Canara. This is because

Tulu Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner *Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...

is predominant in the erstwhile

South Canara South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...

district (of which the present Udupi district was a part). Majority of the community stays in Shimoga and Chikamagalur district.

Language

The Panchagrama Brahmins speak Kannada as their first language. The standard dialect is spoken by those in Shimoga and Chikmanglur, whereas in the Kundapura taluka of Udupi district, Kundagannada is in parlance. Additionally, Sanskrit is used for religious rituals.

Family deity

The Shankaranarayana Temple at

Shankaranarayana Shankaranarayana is a village in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district in the state of Karnataka in India.It is situated in midst of coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the o ...

, whose deity is a confluence of both Shankara ( Shiva) and

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...

( Vishnu), houses the family deity of the Panchagramis. The Udbhava Linga, a naturally formed lingam of Lord Shankara and Lord Narayana, is the main deity of this temple. The lingam is a foot below ground, inside the Garbhagudi and only its mirror image can be seen by the devotees. A legend ascribes the founding of the holy place to Maharishi Parashurama as one of seven others. The village is located in a valley near the Sahyadris in Udupi district, at a distance of 25 km from the coast. Shankaranarayana, Subrahmanya, Udupi, Kumbhakaashi, Koteshwara, Kolluru and Gokarna are the seven holy places which constitute the Parashurama Kshetra. At the same time majority of this community who are in Shimoga and Chikamagalur district also worship Lord

Venkateshwara Venkateswara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, located in Tirupati, Sri Balaji District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Etymology Venkatesw ...

of Tirumala as family deity.

Mutt

The Panchagrama Brahmins identify with the Tirthamukthapuri Shri Matha, Tirthamuttur, located in the Thirthahalli taluk of Shimoga district. This Matha came into existence during the period of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is located on the banks of the Tunga river, along with an ancient Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple.

References