Andhra Pradesh

There are about two hundred families of the Karnakammulu Telugu brahmin subsect community in Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu, India. Karnakammulu is a plural form of village karanams in Telugu language. Many people write or pronounce the same rightly or in a wrongway such as karnakammalu , Karnakammulu,karnakommulu, etc. A study of this sect concludes that these brahmins were predominantly village karanams in the western districts of Tamilnadu. As for as Andhrapradesh is concerned there exists in Venkatagiri a street called Karnakammula street and another by the same name in Kurnool. There is also an association called Karnakamma Mahasabha in Nellore.

It is learnt that there were no vedic scholars in this community who completed adhyayanam in a recocgnised vedic school.Most of the purohits were from mulakanadu,velandu, Telaganyam or konaseema dravillu. This community was one of the last subsects to reccognise the value of higher education. Most of them were very proud of their small land holdings. They are the people of docile nature. They are peace loving, conservative and were backward in education and standard of living due to their poor income. Many living in Tamil Nadu had even given up their "intiperlu" (family names, known as surnames in English). With great difficulty one could trace certain intiperlu like pattala, kuppili, gadiyaram, veeravalli, Vittaladevula, Koduri, Margabandula etc.

To improve the spoken Telugu at their homes, Karnakammulu Telugu brahmins I get their my sons and daughters married in coastal Andhra pradesh. It is not a surprise to find some Rigvedi (ఋగ్వేది) priests even in Kurnool belong to karnakammulu. Most of the native people of Andhra Pradesh even doubt that Karnakammulu Telugu brahmins are not brahmins but kammas. If you refer to website of Dr VEPACHEDU Karnakakammulu are classified as a minor sect of Niyogi brahmins alongwith Nandavaideeki and Golkonda vyaparlu. Happily since the past fifteen years karnakammas have improved by leaps and bounds and many of them caught up with other brahmins(Telugu,Tamil, or Kannada) in higher education, they get well paid jobs in India as well as abroad. They are today more confident.

There are two subdivisions in karnakammulu namely BALAGANATIVALLU and KOLINCHATIVALLU. "Kolinchati " might have been originally KOLICHETI(means measuring in Telugu) and some people even twist it as KOLINCHANADU which does not seem to have any proper base. Perhaps some of the Coimbatore brahmins might have twisted it that way keeping in mind KOLINCHAVADI near Darapuram which is a famous Agraharam of Tamil Vadama brahmins.

Kolinchati karnakambulu belong invariably to the RUKSAKA(ie, rigvedi రుగ్వేది ) while the Balaganatibranch are invariably in YAJURVEDIS (యజుర్వేది). You can find Balaganadu KANNADA smartha people in Bangalore. It is not known whether the few Balaganadu brahmins in Tamilnadu are more close to vaideeki by profession whereas kolinchati karnakambulu who carried Karnam or Karaneekam are closer to the Niyogis.

The marriage paddati followed by the karanakambuluis very similar to Madhva paddati particularly the Kankana preparation which is done by a dozen of dampatulu passing the kankana thread three times with the vadhu and varudu in the centre. Till early fifties before mangalya dharanam the bride used to be attired in white sari with red border which is the standard for Andhra brahmins. which was very much the same during the marriages in 1949 and 1953. Only sarees of 8 yards in typical teluguvari kattu was practised alongwith Bashingaluworn by both the bride and groom in their foreheads. Nowdays the brides are wearing yellow silk sari.

Karnakambulu ladies used to be good cooks possessing a wonderful recipe unique to their community. Food used to be cooked and served liberally and all brahmanical functions, vrathams, poojas as well as religious ceremonies are maintained decently to this day.

All karnakambulu brahmins who happen to read this are requested to contribute their views, comments as well as their own supplementary data.