AyyangArs in KarnATaka

[Balaji Hebbar]

As  a  corollory  to  the  "AyyangArs  in  KarnATaka"  discussion,  it
may  be  noted  here  that  the  ShrI-VaiShNava  community  in
KarnATaka  is  confined  to  Maharaja's  Mysore.  In  other  words,
there  are  no  AyyangArs  HISTORICALLY  and  TRADITIONALLY  found  in
either  coastal  KarnATak  (Konkan  region)  or  Upper  KarnATak
(districts  of  former  Bombay  &  Hyderbad-KarnATak,  tho'  ironically
in  Bombay  city  proper  and  Hyderabad  city  proper  there  are  many
AyyangArs).  In  fact  some  20  years  ago,  I  knew  of  an  AyyangAr
gentleman  who  was  a  bank  manager  in  Davangere  (which  is  still
in  "Maharaja's  Mysore"  area)  had  a  hard  time  finding  an
AyyangAr  priest  to  perform  the  ShrAddha  ceremony  of  his  father.
He  reluctantly  got  the  services  performed  by  a  MAdhva  priest
(who  was  EQUALLY  reluctant  to  discharge  his  priestly  duties  for
an  AyyangAr).  Some  compromise  was  effected  and  the  event  went
thru  without  much  incident.  The  bank  manager  gentleman
eventually  performed  all  future  shrAddhas  at  Bangalore!

Ergo,  in  coastal  &  Uttar  KarnATak  regions  whenever  the  local
population  refers  to  VaiShNava  brahmins  it  invariably  means  the
MAdhvas!

B.N.Hebbar