Charodi, also referred to as Mestha(Mesta), Achari, Konkani Achari, Khandekar, or ''Nayak'', is a community from
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...
state in India.
There is no caste called as Charodi in Hindu religion. They are believed to have migrated from
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to th ...
in four boats ('char' means four and 'hodi' means boat) which landed in four different places of Karnataka. Charodis were initially known as "Mestha" and after migration, they changed their names based on the location they landed. They are usually called ''Achari'' or ''Charodi'' in North Karnataka and ''Nayak'' or ''Mestha'' in South Karnataka.
They as per their tales, they migrated from Goa via a sea route to coastal Karnataka.
[
During the ]British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
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* it is also called Crown rule in India,
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*
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or Direct rule in India,
* Q ...
they were included among the "Denotified Tribes
Denotified Tribes are the tribes in India that were listed originally under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, as ''Criminal Tribes'' and "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences." Once a tribe became "notified" as criminal ...
" of India.[ They are included in ]other backward class
The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with Forward caste, Gen ...
communities of Karnataka in post-independent India.["Central list of OBCs for the state of Karnataka"]
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They are generally followers of Sringeri Matha
Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Śri Śringeri Maṭha (, ; sa, मठ, ) is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by acharya ...
.[ They are also worshippers of ]Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
, which is locally also known as Ravalnath. Charodi Mestha Samaj had their own temples in Goa, Mangalore, Kundapur, Gangolli, Shiroor, Honnavar, Sirsi, Karwar, Sagar and Shimoga.
References
Social groups of Karnataka
Ethnic groups in India
Denotified tribes of India
Other Backward Classes
Hindu communities
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