Kannada Brahmins

Kannada Brahmins are Brahmins whose mother-tongue is the Kannada language. Nearly all of them hail from the south Indian state of Karnataka. Kannada Brahmins are known to have preserved the purest form of Vedic Hinduism. It is in this region that the rituals and Vedic Chanting are done with great accuracy.

The three sects

Every south Indian Brahmin belongs by birth to one of three specific sects (schools of philosophy), being:
*the Smartha sect - adherents of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Sri Adi Shankaracharya.
*the Srivaishnava sect - adherents of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya.
*the Madhwa sect - adherents of the Dvaita philosophy propounded by Sri Madhvacharya.

Prominent communities

Each of these sects encompasses several castes of Brahmins. These include:

Kannada Smartha Brahmins

*Babboor Kamme
*Ulucha Kamme
*Badaganadu
*Havyaka
*Hoysala Karnataka
*Kota brahmin - Smartha sect brahmins from the central part of coastal Karnataka
*Moogooru Karnataka
*Sankethi
*Devanga Karnataka
*Sthanika Brahmins
*Shivalli Smarta Brahmins
*Shukla Yajurvedi Smartha Brahmins
*Sama Vedi Smartha Brahmins
*Hale Sirinadu

Kannada Srivaishnava Brahmins

*Hebbar Iyengars
*Hemmige Iyengars
*Mandayam Iyengars

Kannada Madhva Brahmins

*Madhva Brahmins
*Shivalli Madhva Brahmins
*Koteswara Magane Brahmins - Madhva brahmins from the central part of coastal Karnataka.
*shashtika Brahmins
*Shukla Yajurvedi Madhva Brahmins

Eminent Kannada Brahmins

*Upendra Movie Actor and Film director
*N.R. Narayana Murthy (Infosys)
*Sudha Murty (Kannada writer and Philanthrophist)
*U.R.Rao (Former Chairman of ISRO)
*Jayalalithaa Jayaram (Part Kannad Brahmin from maternal side) (Chief Minister of TamilNadu)
*Bhimsen Joshi (Singer)
*Shakuntala Devi (Human computer fame)
*K. Shivaram Karanth (Writer)
*U.R.Anantha Murthy (Writer)
*Puttanna Kanagal (Movie Director)
*Anil Kumble (Cricketer)
*Javagal Srinath (Cricketer)
*G.R. Vishwanath (Cricketer)
*B.S. Chandrashekar (Cricketer)
*E.A.S. Prasanna (Cricketer)
*Venkatesh Prasad (Cricketer)
*Sunil Joshi (Cricketer)
*Ramakrishna Hegde (Former chief minister of Karnataka)
*R. Gundu Rao (Former chief minister of Karnataka)
*B. V. Karanth (Playwright artist)
*Ananth Kumar (BJP chief of karnataka)
*Vishnuvardhan (Kannada Films)
*Girish Kasaravalli (Kannada Films)
*C.V.L Shastri (Kannada Films)
*Hunsur Krishnamurthy (Kannada Film writer director)
*Samethanahalli Rama Rao (Kannada writer)
*T P Kailasam (Kannad Playwright)
*Ravi Shastri (Cricketer)
*Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Yoga teacher)

For other eminent people of Kannada Brahmin community please visit Hebbar Iyengars

ee also

*Konkani Brahmins
*Telugu Brahmins
*Forward Castes