[Y-Indology] Sanskrit-speaking Sanketis, Karnataka

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True, Sankethi has no alphabets. It is written in the Kannada alphabet

probably because of the Sankethis' association with the Karnataka heartland

(Hassan District), although there are settlements in the Dakshina Kannada

district, Mysore district and elsewhere.

 

However, Sankethis are supposed to have migrated to Karnataka not 500-700

years ago, but about 1000-1200 years ago. There is supposed to be an

inscription of donation of land to sankethis by the King/Paleygaara of Belur

sometime in the 9th Century.

 

Originally there were several sub-groups of Sankethis such as Bettadapura,

Kowshika, Malenad and Lingadahalli, with corresponding differences in their

dialects. However over time, these groups have merged into just two groups -

Kowshika and Bettadapura. Mattur Sankethis fall into the former group.

 

I am not aware of the proto-history of the Vadama Iyers. All legends point

to a group of the Shankotti iyers perhaps being displeased because of

ill-treatment meted out to a (pious) lady named Nacharamma, having left

Shankotti and followed the her into Karnataka. Over time, their original

Language-Tamil underwent changes quite different from the changes the

original Tamil underwent and became what is known as Sankethi.

 

Being Iyers originally, they follow the Advaita (Shaankara) Vedanta. They

have generally been employed in Arecanut cultivation and have been good

musicians. It is said that some have even been employed as Royal cooks.

 

And it is also true that very few people speak Sanskrit in Mattur, although

some years ago many people learned to speak the language during the sanskrit

speaking push. The most popular thing I remember about Mattur is the Milkman

shouting "Ksheeram Ksheeram" :-). Most people speak the sankethi language

and it's too deeply ingrained to be replaced by sanksrit.

 

Please visit http://www.sankethi.org and

http://www.geocities.com/paschimavaahini/

for more information

 

Thanks

Ravindra

 

>"vadhula <vadhula" <vadhula

>INDOLOGY

>INDOLOGY

>[Y-Indology] Re: Sanskrit-speaking Sanketis, Karnataka

>Thu, 20 Feb 2003 01:29:46 -0000

>

>Dear Members,

>

>Being a Sanketi Brahmin, here is some info. Sanketi has no lipi and

>is a mixture of Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, some Malyalam, and recently

>some Hindi words. Pretty much all gotras among Brahmins are found

>among Sanketis. Sanketis are descendants of Vadama Iyers who migrated

>to Karnataka approximately 500-700 years ago.. Vadamas in turn came

>to Tamil Nadu from the Narmada River Valley around ist century AD.

>Sanketis are divided into 2 subgroups: Bettadapura and Kaushik (based

>on original settlements in Karnataka) and there are 2 variants in the

>dialect by those same names. If I remember correctly, Mattur

>Sanketis are probably Kaushik. A question for members, any info on

>origin of the Vadamas and their original language before coming to

>Tamil Nadu ?; could they originally be Saraswat or Nagar Brahmins ?

>(those groups are settled currently near the Narmada River Valley)

>

>Pranam, Ravi Chandrasekhara MD

 

 

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