Namadhari Naik
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (3 million (approx.)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Kannada | |
| Religion | |
 Hinduism
|
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dravidian · Kannadiga · Vaishnavism · Kshatriya · |
Namadhari Naik/Nayak (Kannada:ನಾಮಧಾರಿ ನಾಯ್ಕ Nāmadhāri Nāik), also known as Halepaika and Kumara Kshatriya Namadhari, is a Hindu community predominantly found in Uttara Kannada, Udupi district and Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka State in India and are numerically a majority community in the district. They have sub castes - Dasa Pantha and Bhakti Pantha. They are known to be the followers of Sri Raamanujachaarya. They originated from Melukote of Mandya district. They are an agricultural community, though agriculture once formed an important source of income. The people of the community use Naik (ನಾಯ್ಕ), Nayak (ನಾಯಕ), and Namadhari (ನಾಮಧಾರಿ) as surnames. The community considers the Lord of Tirupati as their deity, apart from the local gods as family deities depending on their place of origin.
The word "Namadhari" seems to be of later origin attributed to their Vaishnavite allegiance. People wore "Naama" on their forehead, hence the term "Namadhar". It can be noted here that among the Vokkaligas to there is a grouping called Namadhari Gowda which has a similar origin . This has been referred to by the greatest poet of modern Kannada, Kuvempu in his magnum opus "Malegalalli Madumagalu".
Halepaika in Kannada means "hale-old" (hale meaning "old", and paika meaning "cast"). In the Vikramarjunavijaya (ವಿಕ್ರಮಾರ್ಜುನ ವಿಜಯ) of Adikavi Pampa dating back to the 10th century there is a reference to the houses of Halepaika in the new capital of Yudhishthira, the Indraprastha. This indicates the prominence enjoyed by Halepaika during that time. To refer them as "old casters" during that time should convey the fact that Halepaika formed one of the earliest martial settlers in this part of the country. This fact can be compared with another similar community in the region, the Komarapaiks, which means 'junior soldiers', in Kannada, and are said to have migrated during the 12th century. There is a reference to a regiment of Halepaika (Halepaikara sainya) in one of the paintings of Mysore Palace. Kanthirava Narasaraja Vijaya (ಕಂಠೀರವ ನರಸರಾಜ ವಿಜಯ), the 17th-century panegyric of Mysore Wodeyar king Kanthirava Narasaraja I by Govinda Vaidya, describes a battle scene where in the Halepaik troops were in action against the invading Bijapur Sultanate army. There is a reference in a Nagamangala inscription (Mysore Dist)to a 'Halikera' (ಹಳಿಕೇರ) (Halepaik??) chief 'Lakhana Nayaka' making a landgrant of a plot containing 400 arecanut trees to 'Shrivaishnava Koneriyayya' in Devalapura in obeisance to Ramanuja (1471 A.D)
...
Wikipedia