Want to know the reasons behind the naming of certain localities such as ‘Kempatti Colony’ and ‘Keeraikara Vedhi’ in the heart of the city? The names of these two places still speak the city’s mutlicultural history behind them.
Coimbatore: People of the present generation in Coimbatore are sure to be interested to know the reasons behind the naming of certain localities such as ‘Kempatti Colony’ and ‘Keeraikara Vedhi’ in the heart of the city. The years rolled by, and the names of the two places still speak the city’s cultural history behind them.
Coimbatore has been a much sought-after destination to a number of communities of different ethnic origins throughout centuries. The locality Kempatty Colony recalls the migration of the Kannada-speaking Okkiliyar community from Kempampatti in the Mysore region.
“Okkliyan is the Tamil synonym for ‘Vakkaliga’ the large caste of Canarese cultivators, and the name is derived from ‘Okkalu’, meaning cultivation or agriculture “writes the famed British ethnographer Edgar Thurston in his comprehensive work Castes and Tribes of Southern India.
Coimbatore is a part of the ancient Kongunadu. Nevertheless, it is interesting to know that the Okkliyars, who settled in Coimbatore, had told Thurston in his interview that they had left their homes in pursuit of more suitable occupation and settled themselves in ‘Konganadu’, which they meant just Coimbatore. The meaning is felt, as Thurston writes ‘Coimbatore’ in brackets after the expression ‘Konganadu’
Of their totemistic endogamous sections as Gangadikara, Kire, Kunchu, Kamati, Gauri, Bai and Sanu, the members of ‘Kire’ migrated from Karnataka and settled in Coimbatore, for a street in the heart of the city is still called ‘Keerakara Veethi’. The totem ‘Kire’ is after the group’s cultivation of ‘Keerai’ (greens).
“The Keeraikkarans of Coimbatore, whose main occupation is cultivating Keerai {Amarantus) and other vegetables, are said to be Kempati Okkiliyans, i.e.,Okkiliyans who emigrated from Kempampatti in Mysore†explains Edgar Thurston.
The Okkiliyars claim that they are the descendants of a king named Ballal Rajah of Anegundi, a historical place in Karnataka, which is associated with Ramayana, as it is believed to be the legendary Kishkindha kingdom ruled by the monkey king Sugriva.
“But, the Okkilyars, who live in different parts of Coimbatore say that they are the descendents of Valmiki, to whom the epic Ramayana is attributed†says V.Jeevananthan, a city-based artist and film historian, who bagged the national award for his book Thirai Seelai on Indian and world cinemaâ€
Pulavar I Ramasamy, the late historian and numismatist of Coimbatore, writes in Kongu Kalanjiyam, an encyclopedia of the Kongu region, thus:
“The Okkilyars worship the deities Lakshmi Devamma, Yella Genjamma, Revanu Simmamma, Veera Navamma, Gowri Lekkamma, Bemma Sakkamma, Rama Sikkamma and Chamundeeswari. They migrated to Coimbatore through Sathyamangalam, Kollegal and Gajalhatti Pass. Gone are those days when the Okkiliyars of Coimbatore visited their native lands in Karnataka once in a year and the priests of their temples in Karnataka came to Coimbatore and returned with the Kaanikkai (Presents) given by the Okkiliyars hereâ€
Coimbatore has been a much sought-after destination to a number of communities of different ethnic origins throughout centuries. The locality Kempatty Colony recalls the migration of the Kannada-speaking Okkiliyar community from Kempampatti in the Mysore region.
“Okkliyan is the Tamil synonym for ‘Vakkaliga’ the large caste of Canarese cultivators, and the name is derived from ‘Okkalu’, meaning cultivation or agriculture “writes the famed British ethnographer Edgar Thurston in his comprehensive work Castes and Tribes of Southern India.
Coimbatore is a part of the ancient Kongunadu. Nevertheless, it is interesting to know that the Okkliyars, who settled in Coimbatore, had told Thurston in his interview that they had left their homes in pursuit of more suitable occupation and settled themselves in ‘Konganadu’, which they meant just Coimbatore. The meaning is felt, as Thurston writes ‘Coimbatore’ in brackets after the expression ‘Konganadu’
Of their totemistic endogamous sections as Gangadikara, Kire, Kunchu, Kamati, Gauri, Bai and Sanu, the members of ‘Kire’ migrated from Karnataka and settled in Coimbatore, for a street in the heart of the city is still called ‘Keerakara Veethi’. The totem ‘Kire’ is after the group’s cultivation of ‘Keerai’ (greens).
“The Keeraikkarans of Coimbatore, whose main occupation is cultivating Keerai {Amarantus) and other vegetables, are said to be Kempati Okkiliyans, i.e.,Okkiliyans who emigrated from Kempampatti in Mysore†explains Edgar Thurston.
The Okkiliyars claim that they are the descendants of a king named Ballal Rajah of Anegundi, a historical place in Karnataka, which is associated with Ramayana, as it is believed to be the legendary Kishkindha kingdom ruled by the monkey king Sugriva.
“But, the Okkilyars, who live in different parts of Coimbatore say that they are the descendents of Valmiki, to whom the epic Ramayana is attributed†says V.Jeevananthan, a city-based artist and film historian, who bagged the national award for his book Thirai Seelai on Indian and world cinemaâ€
Pulavar I Ramasamy, the late historian and numismatist of Coimbatore, writes in Kongu Kalanjiyam, an encyclopedia of the Kongu region, thus:
“The Okkilyars worship the deities Lakshmi Devamma, Yella Genjamma, Revanu Simmamma, Veera Navamma, Gowri Lekkamma, Bemma Sakkamma, Rama Sikkamma and Chamundeeswari. They migrated to Coimbatore through Sathyamangalam, Kollegal and Gajalhatti Pass. Gone are those days when the Okkiliyars of Coimbatore visited their native lands in Karnataka once in a year and the priests of their temples in Karnataka came to Coimbatore and returned with the Kaanikkai (Presents) given by the Okkiliyars hereâ€