Babburkamme
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh | |
| Languages | |
| Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit | |
| Religion | |
|
Veda Shakha: Rigveda Yajurveda Sootra: Apasthamba |
The Babburkamme (also spelled Babbur Kamme, Bobburukamme, Babboor Kamme) are a community of Brahmins in India.[1] They belong to Hindu Pancha Dravida Smartha Brahmin. According to one published source, the Kamme community migrated south through Andhra Pradesh over a long period, where one part of the community settled. Those people are today known as Uluchu Kamme and have Telugu as their mother tongue. The other part of the community further migrated through the Vijayanagara kingdom towards southern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and are called Babburkamme.
Babburkammes are largely spread in the Karnataka towns of Bangalore, Holenarasipura, Konanur, Arkalgud, Bellur, Kanakatte, Mirle, Arasikere, Belavadi, Mayasandra, Bettadapura, Davanigere, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Bhadravati.
History
Babburkammes are followers of the Smarta tradition, which is closely associated with the Advaita tradition of Adi Shankara. Kamme is derived from 'Karmin' (Karmigalu in Kannada) meaning those who practice "Vaidhika Dharma".
It appears that the principal profession was priesthood, and the migration pattern reflects the various Hindu kingdoms and economic centres of their times. Over the last 100 years, the local migration appears to be from small-towns to Mysore and Bangalore, and in recent years to other parts of the world. This trend seems to be coherent with migration patterns of other service-providing communities in the region.
Babburkammes place strong emphasis on education that applies to both males and females.
Due to their history, most in the community do not have significant ancestral land or other fixed assets (unlike the business or warrior communities, for example) and therefore formal education is seen as a pathway to success. In addition, and perhaps as a result of advanced education, the community is quite progressive in its outlook. In tradition of marriage, dowry is a concept not practiced or not even recognised (although the inside joke is that the 3 to 5 day elaborate weddings pretty much had the same effect on the bride's parents!).
The founder of the Vijayanaga Empire, Sri Vidyaranya, belonged to the community. It is also believed that he brought many Brahmins from his community to settle in Karnataka. Later, his brothers, Madhavacharya and Sayanacharya, contributed to Hinduism by documenting the Vedas and Upanishads for the first time (hitherto it was spread from guru to shisya by word-of-mouth). Max Muller and Swami Vivekananda applauded the efforts of Sayanacharya in preserving the heritage of the Sanathana dharma.
Geographic distribution
The Babburkamme mainly reside in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. They believe that they originate from Central India. The majority of the community families are spread in Bangalore, Mysore, Holenarasipura, Konanur, Arkalgud, Bellur, Kanakatte, Mirle, Arasikere, Belavadi, Mayasandra, Bettadapura, Davanigere, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Bhadravati towns in Karnataka state.
Many from the community are now settled outside Karnataka, including in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and various parts of the world outside India, such as the United States, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
People
Babburkammes are known for their literary abilities; The earliest known Babburkamme is Vasubhaga Bhatta (8th century AD) who is the author of a version of Sanskrit stories called the Panchatantra, which are popular in the southern hemisphere including Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia etc. Vasubhaga Bhatta calls himself a Bobbooru Kamme Brahmin, as documented by Durgasimha in the 12th century work Karnataka Pancha tantram. It is recorded that the great saint Basaveshwara (founder of the Lingayat community) was from this community. Another poet, Kempoonarayana, (who wrote "Mudra Manjusha" in the Kannada language) is also believed to be from the community
Culture
The mother tongues of Babburkamme Brahmins are Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu. They are vegetarians.
Deities and festivals
The main deity of Babburkammes is dependent on the family deity or Ishta-Deva. Those deities can be Shiva-Shakti or Laxmi-Narayan but, being followers of Advaita Smartism, Babburkammes worship all the major forms of God in Hinduism including Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Gowri, Saraswati, Laxmi, Durga, and Karthikeya.
Babburkamme offer Panchayatana puja worship, introduced by Adi Shankara, and celebrate all the festivals of the Mysore region. They have Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta leanings.
Gotra and pravara
The following gotras and pravaras are found in the community.
| Gotra | Pravara |
|---|---|
| Vishwāmitra | Vaishwāmitra — Devarāta — Oudala |
| Vishwāmitra | Vaishwāmitra — Mādhucchandasa- Dhānanjaya |
| Kāshyapa | Kāshyapa — Avatsāra — Naidhruva |
| Vasista | Vāsista — Indrapramada — Bharadwasu |
| Āngirasa | Āngirasa — Āmbarisha — Youvanāshwa |
| Bharadwaja | Angirasa — Bhāraspatya — Bhāradwaja |
| Bhārgava | Bhargava — Chyavana — Apnavaan |
| Atri | Ātreya — Archanānasa — Shyāvashwa |
Last names
Babbur Kamme Brahmins end their names with similar suffixes which are commonly used by south Indian Brahmins.
- Ayya: equivalent to Iyer of Tamil language which is derived from Arya of Sanskrit
- Upadhyaya: Meaning Teacher of Sanskrit vyakarana and kavya.
- Agnihotri : One who maintains Shroutha agni [ahavaneena, dakshinayana, garhapathya] and does Agnihotra
- Shastry: Who is learned in six vedanga (shiksha, vyakarana, nighantu,jyotisha, kalpa,chandas) Shastras
- Sharma: Who is learned in six darshana (nyaya,vaisheshika,sankhya,yoga,mimamsa,vedanta) shastras
- Bhatta or Bhat:One profecient in bhata kriya i.e. officiating Shrouta/Gruhya yagnas .
- Jyoisa/Avadhani: An astrologer
- Rao:A person appointed by the king who completely administrates the complete affairs of the kingdom and state through a temple
- Dwivedi, Trivedi, Chaturvedi, Ghanapati :Depending on the number of vedas studied.
- Dixit:A Person who officiates Shrouta mahayagas like e.g. Soma yaga,Ashwamedha yaga,Soutramani gavamayana yaga etc.
- Shrouti-A family whose ancestors were proficient in doing shrouta yagas like somayaga
References
- ↑ Prasad, Leela (2012). Poetics of Conduct: Oral Narrative and Moral Being in a South Indian Town. Columbia University Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-23151-127-8.