Sankethi people
Encyclopedia
The Sankethis are Smartha brahmin
s residing in Karnataka
. They are an offshoot of the Iyer
Community. There are also some Sankethis in Tamil Nadu
and Kerala
. They are said to have left their homeland under the guidance of a saintly lady, nAcAramma (also called nengAramma and nAnjiyAramma). They initially settled predominantly in Kaushika near Hassan, Karnataka and Bettadapura
in Mysore District
. They became the Kaushika and the Bettadapura Sankethis. They later spread to many other villages. The Sankethis migrated to Bettadapura around 600 years back. Their migratory route took them through Kerala and then Coorg (Mercara) in Karnataka. Near the present day Kushalnagar,in Coorg, the local chieftan and his men kidnapped the Sankethi women. The Sankethi men settled outside the chieftan's settlement and waited for their women to head back. The women were eventually re-united with their menfolk and they settled down at Bettadapura which is around 8 kilometers from Kushalanagar. This also explains why the Bettadapura Sankethis initially chose to settle near a hill and not near a river. This also explains why the Sankethi women and the Coorgi women drape their sarees in exactly the same way. This is different from the conventional South Indian way of wearing a saree.
, Mattur
-Hosahalli
and Lingadahalli
sankethis (in that order numerically). The other Villages where the Sankethis settled were Hanasoge, Saligrama, Rudrapatna and Hampapura, all mostly on the banks of the River Kaveri. All put together, they number about 50,000. They mainly live in Hassan
and Mysore Districts and parts of Mandya district and Shivamogga District today. A large number have migrated to cities such as Bangalore
, Mysore and Hassan, and sizeable numbers now live in the United States
and the United Kingdom
. In the United States, the North American Sankethi Association (NASA) has helped sankethis to interact and maintain religious, cultural, charitable, educational and social activities. The community is traditionally famed for intelligence, hard work, and its expertise in music, vedas and in growing the areca
palm.
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s residing in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. They are an offshoot of the Iyer
Iyer
Iyer is the title given to the caste of Hindu Brahmin communities of Tamil origin. Most Iyers are followers of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara...
Community. There are also some Sankethis in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. They are said to have left their homeland under the guidance of a saintly lady, nAcAramma (also called nengAramma and nAnjiyAramma). They initially settled predominantly in Kaushika near Hassan, Karnataka and Bettadapura
Bettadapura
Bettadapura is a town located in Karnataka State, India. The name Bettadapura is derived from two Kannada words "Betta" and "pura". Betta means hill and pura means town....
in Mysore District
Mysore district
Mysore District is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. The district is bounded by Mandya district to the northeast, Chamrajanagar district to the southeast, Kerala state to the south, Kodagu district to the west, and Hassan district to the north...
. They became the Kaushika and the Bettadapura Sankethis. They later spread to many other villages. The Sankethis migrated to Bettadapura around 600 years back. Their migratory route took them through Kerala and then Coorg (Mercara) in Karnataka. Near the present day Kushalnagar,in Coorg, the local chieftan and his men kidnapped the Sankethi women. The Sankethi men settled outside the chieftan's settlement and waited for their women to head back. The women were eventually re-united with their menfolk and they settled down at Bettadapura which is around 8 kilometers from Kushalanagar. This also explains why the Bettadapura Sankethis initially chose to settle near a hill and not near a river. This also explains why the Sankethi women and the Coorgi women drape their sarees in exactly the same way. This is different from the conventional South Indian way of wearing a saree.
Geographical distribution
The four predominant groups are Kaushika, BettadapuraBettadapura
Bettadapura is a town located in Karnataka State, India. The name Bettadapura is derived from two Kannada words "Betta" and "pura". Betta means hill and pura means town....
, Mattur
Mattur
Mattur is a small village near the city of Shivamogga in Karnataka, South India, known for the usage of Sanskrit for day-to-day communication....
-Hosahalli
Hosahalli
Hosahalli is a small village near the city of Shimoga in Karnataka, southern India.It is on the banks of the Tunga River and one can reach this village by road while travelling from Shimoga to Thirthahalli on NH207.-About :...
and Lingadahalli
Lingadahalli
Lingadahalli is a village in Tarikere Taluk, Chikkamagaluru District, Karnataka, India.-Demographics:Lingayatism is the major religion in the area...
sankethis (in that order numerically). The other Villages where the Sankethis settled were Hanasoge, Saligrama, Rudrapatna and Hampapura, all mostly on the banks of the River Kaveri. All put together, they number about 50,000. They mainly live in Hassan
Hassan district
Hassan is a district in Karnataka state, India. The district headquarters are Hassan.Hassan district was the seat of the Hoysala Empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from Belur as its early capital and Halebidu as its later capital during the period 1000 - 1334 CE...
and Mysore Districts and parts of Mandya district and Shivamogga District today. A large number have migrated to cities such as Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Mysore and Hassan, and sizeable numbers now live in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In the United States, the North American Sankethi Association (NASA) has helped sankethis to interact and maintain religious, cultural, charitable, educational and social activities. The community is traditionally famed for intelligence, hard work, and its expertise in music, vedas and in growing the areca
Areca
Areca is a genus of about 50 species of single-stemmed palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from Malaysia to the Solomon Islands. The generic name Areca is derived from a name used locally on the Malabar Coast of India....
palm.
Family tree
The Sankethi community is working on a family tree project to develop an evolving record of this community. It is a unique learning opportunity that can be carried forward to future generations.Notable Sankethi members
- Late Dr. Rudrapatna ShamasastryR. ShamasastryRudrapatnam Shamasastry was a Sanskrit scholar and librarian at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore who is known for discovering and publishing the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy....
, Author who discovered Kautilya's Arthashastra manuscript and provided an English translation in 1909. - Late Shri Mattur Krishnamurthy - Famous gamaka singer, Director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, Padmashri award winner
- R K SrikanthanR K SrikanthanRudrapatna Krishnashastri Srikantan is a vocalist of the Karnataka Sangeeta tradition of South Indian music.- Family background and early life :...
, Eminent CarnaticCarnatic musicCarnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
Vocalist and Sangita Kalanidhi - R. R. KeshavamurthyR. R. KeshavamurthyRR Keshavamurthy was an Indian violinist of great repute and precision. RRK, as he was popularly known specialised in the seven stringed violin. RRK was a student of Bidaram Krishnappa, the Guru of the violinist Mysore T. Chowdiah. He was a legend of seven stringed violin, and the only performing...
Eminent ViolinistCarnatic musicCarnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
player - Ravi Saligram, CEO of OfficeMax, USA