Havyaka

The Havyaka community is one of the most significant groups of people who reside in the city of Mangalore in Karnataka. The Haviks or the people of the Havyaka group belong to the Brahmin caste and form one of the major groups of people in the southern part of the country.

According to popular belief, the people who belong to the Havyaka community are the descendants of 32 Brahmins who went to the kingdom of Mayursharma. These Brahmin people originally belong to Ahicchatra of North India. These people have a great deal of knowledge of the Vedas and were very efficient in organizing havana to pay homage to important deities. The region where they used to live is called 'Haiva' or 'Haiga'.

These people were well known in the region for performing different types of havanas. The community of Havyakas has become more and more adapted to the socio-cultural life of the region. The Havyakas of Mangalore now speak Kannada.

Culture and Festivals