Vokkaliga

The Vokkaligas are an Indian caste or social group found mainly in the Old Mysore Region of southern Karnataka state.

Origins

Their main profession is agriculture and is similar to Kurmi caste of North India or Vellalar of Tamil nadu.

"Vokkalathana" in Kannada language means "tilling land" and Vokkaliga means "one who tills land". The agricultural communities of southern karnataka are called Vokkaligas. The Kongu Vellala a Gounder caste of Kongu Nadu share their origin with some sects of the Vokkaligas (Gangatkars) of Western Ganga Dynasty. People belonging to Vokkaliga community are known as Okkalia of Utkala Kingdom. Many more people of different communities use Gowda as surnames.

The Yelahankanadu (14 km from Bangalore) Prabhus were Gowdas or tillers of the Land. They belonged to Morasu Vokkalu sect, the ancestors of which were migrants from Morasunadu near Kanjeepuram ( from Bangalore on the Bangalore-Madras Hwy.). Fourth in succession from Rana Bhairave Gowda, founder of the dynasty of Avati Nadu Prabhus and great grandson of Jaya Gowda, who established separate dynasty, the famous Yelahanka Nadu Prabhus, Kempe Gowda I ruled for 46 years commencing his reign from 1513. Jaya Gowda accepted the sovergnity of the Vijayanagar emperor. There were the Gangadicara Gowdas of other parts of Karnataka. The name Gangadicara, which is derived from the word Gangawadi-kara, meaning the inhabitant of Gangawadi is a relic of Ganga Rule and has since survived in this part of Karnataka. However the MorasuVokkalu sect got assimilated with the other gowdas of Karnataka who are now called Vokkaligas.

Today the Vokkaliga community embraces within its fold the Morasu Vokkaligas, the Gangadicara Vokkaligas, Reddy Vokkaligas, Kunchitiga Vokkaligas, Hallikaru Vokkaligas and so on. Kempe Gowda was a great ruler, was concerned in the welfare of his subjects and spent lavishly in the construction of tanks, agraharas, temples and forts. The Vokkaligas rendered great service in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry and soldiery. He conquered Sivaganga principality, 30 miles from Bangalore on Bangalore-Poona Hwy. Next he annexed Domlur which is on the road from Bangalore to Bangalore Airport. Within this vast forest area he erected a fort and built the Township of Bangalore in 1537.

Kempe Gowda next annexed Ulsoor and Hesaraghatta. Bangalore four main streets Chickpete and Doddapete leading to Ulsoor gate, Sondekoppa gate, Yelahanka gate and Anekal gate were laid. Kempe Gowda shifted his capital from Yelahanka to Bangalore. Emperor Achuta Raya granted Kempe Gowda the neighboring villages of Begur, Jigani, Varthur, Kengeri, Banavara and Kumbalgode, besides many other hamlets yielding a revenue of 30,000 varahas. Kempe Gowda built the cave temple of Gavi Gangadhareswara at Gavipur, the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi, the Kempambudhi Tank and Dharambudhi Tank. His successor Kempe Gowda II built the Ulsoor Tank, the Karanjee Tank, the Sampangi Tank, the Someswara Temple of Ulsoor, the famous four Kempe Gowda Towers and the Ranganatha Temple in Balapete, Bangalore.

There is an inscription dated 1628 in this Ranganatha Temple in old Kannada. The English translation of this is "Be it well, When Rajadhi-Raja-Parameshwara Vira Pratapa Vira-Maha-Deva Maharaya seated in the Jewel throne was ruling the empire of the world: When of the Asannavakula, the Yelahanka Nadu Prabhu Kempanacharya-Gauni's grandson Kempe Gowda' 5 son, Immadi Kempegaunayya was ruling a peaceful kingdom in righteousness with the decline of the Vijayanagar empire, the eclipse of the rule of Yelahanka Nadu Prabhus took place at the dawn of the 17th century.Today the Vokkaliga community embraces within its fold the Morasu Vokkaligas, the Gangadicara Vokkaligas, Reddy Vokkaligas, Kunchitiga Vokkaligas, Hallikaru Vokkaligas and so on. Some surnames used are Gowda, Patil or Reddy. In Tamil nadu they are known as Okkaligar and use Gounder() as a title. [ [http://www.myvpa.org/about.html Vokkaligara Parishat of America (VPA) - About Vokkaligas ] ]

Community today

Mr. K.C. Reddy and Mr. K. Hanumanthaiah prominent among them were the Presidents of Mysore Pradesh Congress and after freedom became the Chief Ministers of Mysore State. Sowcar Channaiah and Mr.Nagaiah Reddy also became Presidents of Mysore Pradesh Congress, Mr. Kadidal Manjappa another freedom fighter also became the Chief Minister of Mysore State for a period of two months until the reorganization of States till Mysore State became of part of Karnataka. The former prime minister of India, H.D. Deve Gowda belongs to this community. The renowned Kannada poet Kuvempu, who advocated the Universal Humanism (Viswamaanava) concept, is a Vokkaliga. The members of the Vokkaliga community have made a mark in all fields. Some famous Vokkaligas are

Prominent members

* Kempe Gowda, founder of Bangalore,
* Kuvempu - poet (Rastra kavi)
* K.C.Reddy- First Chief Minister of Karnataka,(then Mysore State)
* Kengal Hanumanthaiah- Former Chief Minister of Karnataka then Mysore State
* Shantaveri Gopala Gowda- Famous Socialist Leader & Politician
* Kadidal Manjappa- Former Chief Minister of Karnataka then Mysore State
* H.K. Veeranna Gowda - Freedom Fighter, Former Minister, M.P., AICC General Secretary
* H.D. Deve Gowda- Former Prime Minister of India
* S.M. Krishna- Former Chief Minister of Karnataka & Former Governor of Maharastra
* H.D.Kumaraswamy- Former Chief Minister of Karnataka.
* Justice Venkatachala- former Lokayukta.
* Prof.Venkatagiri Gowda- Economist, former Member of Parliament, former President of Vokkaliga Sangha.
* Sagar Brothers(Hema Chandra and Prem Chandra Sagar) The Chairman of Famous Sagar Group of Companies
* Dr. M.H. Mari Gowda (Father of Horticulture in Karnataka and India)
* Chief Justice M.H. Hombe Gowda
* Chief Justice VenuGopal Gowda
* Dr.Javare Gowda - Poet, Writer.
* H.N.Nage Gowda - Poet.
* Peteelu Chowdaiah- Musician.
* Ha Ma Nayak- Writer.
* Poorna Chandra Tejaswi- Writer.
* Dodda Range Gowda (Composer)
* Ambarish- Actor& Politician.
* Vajramuni- Actor.
* Shaktiprasad- Actor.
* B. SarojaDevi- Actress.
* Devraj- Actor.
* Jaggesh- Actor.
* Nagathihalli Chandrashekar- Director.
* [DK Shivakumar prominent politician and congressmen
* [H.D Revanna -Politician/KMF president who made KMF no.2 in country with in 6 years}
* [Dr.M.H Marigowda

References

* Genetic Structure of ..... by R. Rajkumar and V.K. Kashyap, Central forensic laboratory, India [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=515297]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.myvpa.org/ Vokkaligara Parishat of America]
* [http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-535911,prtpage-1.cms The importance of being Vokkaliga]
* [http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/T-Anth/Anth-09-0-000-000-2007-Web/Anth-09-4-000-07-Abst-PDF/Anth-09-4-305-07-399-Sundaramurthy-V-T/Anth-09-4-305-07-399-Sundaramurthy-V-T-Tt.pdf Great Analysis and More details are found in this pdf file about Vokkaliga community]