Nador () or Nadavaru () or Nadavar () is the name of a caste from Karnataka, India. Members of the castle are found primarily in the coastal areas of Uttara Kannada district, formerly known as North Canara, with many members also spread throughout the world. Caste members traditionally speak the Nadavar dialect of Kannada called Nadavar Kannada (). They are a prominent agriculture community of the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India.
Etymology and origins Nador means the people of Nadu or Country. The Nador are believed to have converted to Hinduism from Jainism between the 16th and 18th centuries. Nador speak Nadavar Kannada (). which is a form of Kannada that has significant phonological variations from other Kannada dialects. Prominent surnames are Nayak, Gaonkar, Naik. Rarer surnames include Kavari, Patil, Mirashi and so on.
History
Historically, the Uttara Kannada district was known as Ankola Province before the period of British rule. A Sheila Inscription in the village of Bhavikeri, Ankola was inscribed in the period of the Vijayanagara Empire under King Bukkarayana (period of 1362 AD). Nador people were trained as cavalry in this region. During this period the Portuguese invaded the coastal belt and were successfully confronted by Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gerusoppe. Nadavaru joined her as soldiers, and for their loyalty, Channabhairadevi made the Nadavaru the highest military leaders in the Gerusoppe Empire Army.
Queen Chennabhairadevi and Nadavaru''' / '''Nadava''' / '''Nador'''. The Uttara Kannada district was known as Ankola Province before the British rule. Sheila Inscription in the village of Bhavikeri, Ankola was inscribed in the Vijayanagara Empire King Bukkarayana period of 1362 AD, which is said to be the Ankola Nadu region, which was a Vijayanagara period. Nadavaru trained cavalry in Ankola's Jamagod. He was an Army Commander of the Nadavara Community in the Karnataka Coastal Region Vijayanagar Empire Cavalry. After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire from the war of 1565, the fort of Ankola was ruled by the Jain Queen of Gerusopa. During this period the Portuguese invaded the coastal belt and were successfully confronted by Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gerusoppe. After the fall of Vijayanagara, Jain queen Channabhairadevi, Nadavaru originally belonged to the Jain community.
The Nadavara transition from Jainism to Hinduism lasted for hundred and fifty years, starting from the seventeenth century. During this period the community was split between Hindu and Jain religions.
Nadavars were feudal soldiers during the rule of Vijayanagara, Keladi Nayakas and Bidanur kings. They traditionally kept peace in their regions. The Portuguese, who originally came as traders to India, found looting of ports a cheaper way of obtaining goods and also were said to engage in browbeating port traders into trading only with them. In the early eighteenth century, Portuguese fleets repeatedly attacked and damaged various coastal towns of Basrur, Barkur, Honnavara, Kumta, Gokarna, Mirjan and Torke near Kumta. The fleets caused extensive damage to the properties and looted. The Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna was also said to have been damaged. To resist the Portuguese soldiers, the clans of the Nador caste were made to settle around Gokarna and all riverine entry points like, Gangavali, Mirjan, Chandavar, Baad, etc. As well as soldiers, members of the castle were also farmers.
As per the 1883 Kanara gazette, "both men and women were tall and strong", and most of them were well featured. Many own a large area of land. Some were village headmen and moneylenders. They are now mainly found in the coastal taluks of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta and other parts of Uttara kannada. The Nador community is the dominant one in the Ankola and Gokarna regions. The literacy rate of the Nadavar community is 99%. They are a highly developed and socialised community in their region and their population is less than one lakh.
Nadavars as landowners Until the first half of the twentieth century, Nador were mainly landowners and farmers. Nador lived in joint families and their income was from farmlands and temples. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Tenancy Act and the Land Activation Act were proposed, with an objective to improve the relations between Jamindars (Landlords) and Raiyatas (Farmers). The British Colonial Rule raised the taxes on land and lowered the land rent. A separate agricultural department was created by Viceroy Lord George Curzon to oversee the successful implementation of the new land tax law. Many Nador landlords could not collect enough land rent to pay the taxes and lost most of their lands. Some still possessed enough land to live quite comfortably but had to curtail their expenses. For the non-payment of taxes on land, they lost most of the remaining little pieces of land that they inherited from their fathers and some lost even their homes. A group of local merchants, just by paying the pending or unpaid taxes, purchased lands lost by the Nador caste for incredibly low prices. In Karnataka, Nador were the major sufferers during the period of the Non-tax Payment Movement.
Contributions to the independence of India
Even though the Nadavar community is small in size, its contribution to the independence of India is important. During the Salt Satyagraha (non-tax payment movement) from 1930 to 1934, the Nador peacefully participated in Mohandas K. Gandhi's Ahimsa (non-violence) revolt. It was a long-awaited opportunity for them to oppose the British rule. Many Nador men were imprisoned up to six years near New Delhi. Many villages such as Soorve, Shetageri were participated in the freedom struggle in huge numbers and in November 1942, the entire Nador community, including many women, participated in the Quit India Movement (non-violence freedom movement) headed by Mahatma Gandhi. The evidence of the community members participating in these events is even referred in the palace of Mysore Maharajas (wodeyars). Nadavara Community strongly involved in independent India movements. Famous Kannada poet, author Dr.Dinakara Desai himself praise their brave character and wrote "Nadavare nija nadigaru" ನಾಡವರೇ ನಿಜ ನಾಡಿಗರು ನೋಡು ಕಾಳಗವ ಹೂಡಿಹರು ||ಪಲ್ಲ || ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯದ ಸುಖದೂಟವನುಂಡು ವಿಜಯನಗರದಲಿ ಕಾದಿದ ದಂಡು ನಾಡವರಿಂದಿನ ದಾಸ್ಯವ ಕಂಡು | ಉಪ್ಪು ಮಾಡುವರು ಮುಂದಕೆ ಬಂದು | ಹಿಂದಿನ ಹುರುಪೇ ಇಂದಿಗೆ ಮೂಡಿ | ನಾಡವರೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಒಂದೆಡೆಗೂಡಿ | ಗಾಂಧಿ ಮಹಾತ್ಮಾರ ಕೊಂಬಿನು ಕೇಳಿ | ನೆಗೆದು ಕಾದುವರು ದೈರ್ಯವ ತಾಳಿ | ನಾಡವರೇ ನಿಜ ನಾಡಿಗರು.
Religion One can find Golibeera, Jain beera, Jain Jataka, and Jain temples in Nadava villages.
Jainism
Nadavars originally belonged to the Jain Community, who worshipped Jainism. There are Jain temples and Jain wells in the villages where the Nadavars live. Numerous Jain articles and other articles still testify that Nadavars belonged to the Jain community.
Nadavara transition from Jainism to Hinduism lasted for hundred and fifty years, starting from the seventeenth century. During this period the community was split between Hindu and Jain religions.
The process of changing from one religious conviction to the other might have caused some anxiety and disorganization. In the early 1800s still there were about 65% of the Nadavara families following the Jainism. The religious divide didn't outwardly disturb the community and still remained as one integral entity. Nuptials among the two religious wings of the community were as usual. The main difference was their food habit. Initially in Konkan the Nadavaras converted to Hindu faith relished on fish and it took many years before they started eating chicken and mutton. The Jain - Nadavaras were still vegetarians and when they visited their Hindu relatives, obviously vegetarian food was prepared. In the early nineteenth century, a few families in Torke were still vegetarians.
Hinduism
Nadavars are now primarily Vaishnavas (Devotees of the God Vishnu) and worship Lord Venkataramana Tirumala – Tirupati.
They played major roles in the religious functions of both Shiva and Vishnu temples until the early part of twentieth century. Nador are Muktheshwaras (respected members) of many temples, including Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna and Venkataramana of Ankola. Between the 17th and 19th centuries for many Nadavara families, temples were sources of income. They shared the revenues generated by the local temples. Most Nador idolize their own fallen family heroes (Beera) and women of virtue (Sati) whom they worship on special occasions. Beera Shrines and Sati stones are common scenes in most Nadavara villages. Deepavali (Festival of Lights) is the most important festival for the Nador caste. The festivity is observed for three days as the celebration of Lord Krishna's victory over Narakasura.
Many Nadavara homes have miniature temples of Lord Venkateshwara and Tulsi. The family temple was solely intended for the family's private services. The temple architecture was a hybrid drawn from the blend of northern and southern Indian styles. The proportions of the temple were rigidly standardized. It was constructed on a three-foot-high by ten-foot-square foundation. Four ornate six-foot-tall pillars were erected from the four corners that supported the tiled roof. The temple did not have walls because of the warm climatic conditions. A carved stone statue of the God Vishnu and petite sandalwood sculptures representing their ancestors who died in the wars were kept in the centre of the temple. The family temple led to the decentralization of the Nadavara religious activities. The family temple played an important role in preserving the family integrity and harmony but isolated them from the other communities.
Culture and traditions
Festivals
Ugadi / Yugadi () The name Yugadi or Ugadi is derived from the Sanskrit words Yuga (age) and ādi (beginning) i.e. 'The beginning of a new age'. Yugadi or Ugadi falls on 'Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami' or the first day of the bright half of the Indian month of Chaitra. This generally falls in late March or early April of the Gregorian calendar. It is the New Year's Day for the Nador community.
The day is observed by drawing colourful geometric patterns on floor in front of the house called Rangoli (), mango leaf decorations on doors called Torana (Kannada: ತೋರಣ), buying and giving gifts such as new clothes, giving charity to the poor, special bath followed by oil treatment, preparing and sharing a special food and visiting Hindu temples. In Hindu traditions, it is a symbolic reminder that one must expect all flavors of experiences in the coming new year and make the most of them.
Makara Sankranti () Makar Sankranti is the Suggi () or harvest festival for farmers. On this day, girls wear new clothes to visit close friends and family with a Sankranti offering on a plate and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu". Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut and fine cut Jaggery (bella). The mixture is called "Ellu-Bella" (). The plate contains shaped sugar candy moulds ( []) with a piece of sugarcane. This festival signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is also predominant in these parts. Small gift items useful in everyday lives are often exchanged among women.
Bandi Habba () In May, in the Coastal Bandi habba Uttara Kannada District '', a folk festival occurs. It is a festival for farmers to evoke the blessings of village deities before sowing. It is also celebrated in honour of those killed in wars and "Mahasatis" who sacrificed their lives to uphold the village tradition. It is called "Bandi Habba" because in ancient days the deities were placed on a () (a cart with four wheels) and taken in a procession.