Saturday, 05 February 2011

Karanam

Karanam or Karana is a caste mostly prevalent in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. In Orissa this is spelled as Karana and in Andhra Pradesh it is spelt Karanam. In Andhra Pradesh, they are also called Sristikaranam, Sistukaranam, Sistakaranam, Sristikaranalu, Sistukaranalu, Sistakaranalu or Karanalu.

The Karanam community of Andhra pradesh migrated from Cuttack and Puri District of Orissa to look after various royal management of different dynasties of Kalinga-Utkala (ancient Orissa) empire and after the northern portion of present day Andhra Pradesh was occupied by Vijaya Nagaram King from Orissa's Gajapati Empire, these Karana Community settled in different part of the mighty kingdom of Vijayanagara and were appointed in various official work fields like accounts, court, Government duties or tax, solving the internal problems in villages, collecting the information, statistics, look after the village of Karanam and other duties. Gradually the Karanam community adopted Telugu language. Still Karnalu, a mixed form of the languages of Telugu & Oriya prevalent in the Karanam community of Andhra Pradesh. In the border district of Orissa (Koraput, Rayagada, Nowrangpur, Ganjam, Paralakhemundi) and Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam, Vizianagram, Srikakulam, Prakasam, Guntur) karana caste people are known as Telugu karana or oriya karana or sometimes used interchangeably. Since Mohanty and Patnaik is the most common surname, it is used interchangeably with Karana.

Surnames of Karanams in Andhra Pradesh

In Andhra Pradesh the surname of the people Telugu speaking Karanas may be Ananthapatnayakuni, Ananthapatnaik, Belagam, Markonda Patnaikuni, Murahari, Murahari Rao, Amiti, Arikathota, Ayanamahanthi, Kuppannagari, Gandavarapu, Bahadursha, Bandaru, Behara, Dontaraju, Makkuva, Bantupalli, Bhasuru, Kottakki, Tattikota, Palteru, Daggubati, Eluru, Lakshmi Dhara Mahanthi, Raghupatruni, Avasarala, Balivada, Bogela, Kolla, Kottu, Jayati, Kalimahanthi, Kantimahanthi, Kuppili, Muddana, Makkuva, Mantri, Munganda, Garbham, Gumma, Pakki, Baggam, Narasipuram, Regulavalasa, Rajamahanthy, Kallepalli, Karanam, Basara, Kalimahanthi, Kantimahanti, Kasimahanthi, Vadada, Vandrangi, Gorantla, Gadagamma, Wuriti, Donepudi, Sundarigari, Sadasivuni, Manipatruni, Vishnumahanti, Chandramahanti, Yellumahanti, Durgumahanti, Prataparao, Polumahanthi, Pothumahanti, Dabbiru, Udandrao, Vandrangi, Vantharam, Polaki, Salihundam, Eathakota, Raja Sunakra, Sadasivuni, Saluru, Sunakara, Ippili, Gara, Vadada, Rajapatruni, Kemmi, Potnuri, Karakavalasa, Bantupalli, Baggam, Batlanki, Mahanthi, Khandavalli, Tirupatimahanti, Jannumahanti and others.

Later on some of the families started adding their village names to their surnames and over of a period of time these village names become their surnames. Like Barli, Chowdari, Pakki, Naguru, Ravipalli, Kondavalasa, Kattamanchi, Polaki, Vadada, Gara, Balaga, Salihundam, Saluru, Chikkalavalasa, Velkur, and others.

A--- Ananthapatnayakuni, Ampavalli, Akkumahanthi, Alumahanthi, Adivishnu, Arikathota, Arasada, Amiti, Aaguru, Atturu, Aarambakam Karanam, Allena, Adivishnu, Aakula, Ayanamahanthi

B--- Basangi,Belagam, Behara, Balivada, Bhoghela, Baggam, Bhasuru, Bandaluppi, Baratm, Bogilla, Balarammahanti, Batlanki, Bahadursha, Baldare, Bantupalli, Buragayala, Balaga, Budumuru, Buravilli, Beram, Bandaru

C--- Chittathuru, Chiguruvada, Chandrashekar, Chilakalapilli, Chitivalasa, Chinagodava, Chowdari

D--- Dabbiru, Durgumahanti, Donkada, Deepthimahanthi, Dadhirao, Donepudi, Dashumahanthi, Durgaraju

E--- Ellumahanti, Enkumahanti, Eluri, Eluru

F---

G--- Godaba, Gumma, Gurugaru, Gadiyakare, Garbham, Goberu, Gajaghantarao,

H---Hambi

I--- Itika, Ippili, Ipalavalasa

J--- Jogmahanti, Jakkuva, Jannumahanthi, Jodumahanthi, Jaggumahanthi

K--- Kalimahanthi, Kuppili, Kondavalasa, Karakavalasa, Kagam, Kuppannagari, Kantimahanti, Kottavalasa, Kaspa, Kasimahanthi, Koppara, Kottakki, Kesavarapu, Komarthi, Kondadadi, Krishnapatra, Kottisa, Kottugummada, Kondalamahanthi, Kagam, Krovvidi, Kaja, Kallepalli, Kimmi, Kurupam, Khandavalli, Kattamanchi

L--- Laddika, Lavudi, Locherla, Lumburu, Laavudu, Lottabadra

M--- Munagavalasa, Mantri, Mandakuriti, Molavalasa, Managapuram, Mandukuti, Mosalikanti, Marupalli, Merangiri, Manipatrruni, Murthy, Makualu, Moturi, Mandavakuriti, Mulaga, Manthena, Madwaraapu, Makkuva, Machiraju, Mallikarjuna

N--- Naupada, Nagamahanti, Narsipuram, Nandigam, Nandivada, Nadukuru, Nidaganti, Nagumanthiri, Nadukooru,

O---

P--- Pothumahanty, Purushottamahanti, Patanaikuni, Polumahanty, Poram, Potnuru, Parasurampuram, Pakki, Peddapanki, Pentapati, Perumahanti, Padala, Panchadim, Paalavalasa, Palteru, Paaraselli, Polaki

Q---

R--- Raghupatruni, Raja, Rajmahanti, Rompilli, Regulavalasa, Rajapatruni, Ragidi, Rajapolu, Raypilli, Rajam,

S--- Sekharmahanthi, Sadasivuni, Siripuram , Sahini, Sekarmantri, Sabravisukurapam, Singumahanti, Saluru, Sivvam, Santhapur

T--- Thonangi, Tirupatimahanti, Tangellamudi, Thadakamalla, Tumula, teda

U--- Uriti, Udhani, Urllam, Udhandarao, Uddavolu

V--- Vandrangi, Vuriti, Venkumahanthi, Vadara, Vippalavalasa, Vanapalli, Vantharam, Venam, Vishnumahanti, Vennakota, Sadada

Y--- Yellumahanthi, Yellumahanti

For professional reasons and livelihood, people of this community not only travelled down to places in coastal Andhra but into other states like Madras, Kerala and others also. During and after formation of State of Andhra Pradesh in the year 1956, those who joined Government service have moved in to the State Capital Hyderabad and settled down. They are occupying important positions in the Secretariat and other Departments.

For the upliftment of community, AP Sista Karanam Association was registered during the Nineteen Sixties for social gatherings and also to approach the Government for inclusion of the community in the list of OBCs in view of their large number of counter-parts living at or below standard level of incomes. After prolonged appeals and struggle, the State Government notified Sistakaranams as OBCs in February 2009. Please refer Government of Andhra Pradesh, Backward Classes Welfare (C2) Department, Hyderabad GO Ms.No. 13 dated the 19th Feb., 2009.

Interestingly, in view of these migrations a vast majority of the community do not carry the title of Patnaik. May be with the introduction of UID by Government of India, to be operationalised in the coming years, the community will get proper identity and well known in social circles.

SISTIKARANAM ORGANIZATIONS

Dowlaiswaram Sistikanarnam Sam Kshema Seva Sangam - Dowlaiswaram[President - Ayanamahanthi Gopala Krishna (Ex-IAF)]

Surnames of Karanams in Orissa

The surnames of the people in Oriya speaking Karanas include Das, Patnaik, Pattnaik, Pattanaik, Pattanayak, Patnayakuni, Markonda Patnaikuni, Das Patnaik, Chau Patnaik, Korlam, Basangi, Manapuram, Makkuva, Karakavalsa, Kondavalasa, Mohanty, Maity, Kanungo, Kottisa, Ray, Ray Choudhury, Bogela, Kuppili, Dabbiru, Mahapatra, Das Mahapatra, Ray Mahapatra, Samanta, Das Adhikari, Choudhury, Bohidar, Routray, Parija, Harichandan, Chhotray, Pattanayak, Bebarta, Palteru, Belagam, Damodarapatruni and TUMBALI

Culture and social living of Karanam of Andhra Pradesh

Karanam culture, especially in Andhra Pradesh, is associated with Niyogi Brahmins. People from this culture could be seen as clannish. They are reluctant to form matrimonial alliances with people outside of their own caste. In some cases marriage with first-cousins is perfectly acceptable, even recommended.

They have common festivals which are celebrated by Brahmins, but Karanams, unlike the rest of the Brahmins, were warriors, administrators, ministers, reformers in pre-independent colonial India i.e. more like the Samurai of Japan. Typically, Niyogi Brahmins take on secular vocations such as the Karanam position, which is a highly esteemed position in villages because Karanams are tantamount to upwardly mobile members of the village i.e. aristocrats. Historically, the Karanam position is patrilineally passed down from father to eldest son and this position stays within the family. But in the early 1980s, N.T. Rama Rao, a prominent actor and politician, mandated that the Karanam position be rescinded. In place of a Karanam, he established a Mandal officer position which is granted based on merit and scholarship, not based on caste thereby giving opportunity to people from any caste to contest for such a position.

Karanam culture also has roots in Kayastha of North India. Kayastha believe they are descendants of Chitra Gupta. Accounting is the main profession for Kayastha. Like Kayastha, most Karanams in Andhra Pradesh are the head village accountants for their respective villages.

Prominent personalities in the (Sista) Karanam community:

Shri Polumahanthi Suryanarayana Patnaik, who called by the people around as BABA with great honour and a well known personality was the Kanaram of Urajam, Srikakulam District and made his strong marks on the community development.

Balivada Rama Rao Patnaik from Vijayawada, in the time of 1979, he fought for Karnams with government and he gone for jail to consider the Sisti karanams as BC. Finally the Government of Andhra Pradesh recognised Sista Karanams in BC-D category.

Kottu Lakshmana Rao,pakki prakash rao,dabbiru ramalingeswara rao who worked our community for 3 Mandals in Vizianagaram during early 1980s brought out a monthly magazine by name, 'Sista Darsini' and laid a foundation stone for a Kalyana Mandapam in Garividi exclusively for Sista karanams.*

A.V.JAGANNADHARAO PATNAIK ,SECRETARY APSKA., he was mostly doveloped our community state level as well as India.

History,Culture and social living of Karana caste of Orissa

The Karana community of Orissa is regarded as the most intellectual Oriya community.They are similar to the Kayastha community of North India.

Madala Panji is a chronicle of the Jagannath in Puri and the dynasty of Kalinga-Utkala Empire(ancient Orissa).It describes the historical events of Orissa related to Lord Jagannath or Jagannath Temple. The earliest use of prose can be found in the Madala Panji or the Palm-leaf Chronicles of the Jagannatha temple at Puri, which date back to the 12th century.While writing Orissan history, historians like Sir W.W.Hunter and Andrew Stirling considered the facts related in Madala Panji as base. The Madala Panji was traditionally written on a year-by-year basis. On Vijaya-Dashami day, the Karanas of Puri involved in keeping the chronicle. This ritual is cited as a proof that the tradition of keeping this chronicle began with the Orissan king Chodaganga Dev (1078-1150 ) himself.The reference to "some Panjis" above should be explained. According to the tradition, Chodaganga created 24 families of Karanas to preserve the temple and the empire records. Of these, five were entrusted with the writing and preservation of the Madala Panji. They are:

Panjia Karan -- preserves the Madala Panji, Tadan Karan -- writes the Madala Panji, Deula Karan -- enforces the Madala, Kotha Karan -- the main compiler, Baithi Karan – assistant.

The Madala Panji has not been kept officially for more than 50 years now, though it is still said that there are Karanas who keep an unofficial record.

After the fall of Orissa's Gajapati Empire the Karana community played an important role in administration of Orissa region under Marathas, Mughals & British rule.They were appointed in important positions in administration in both Mughalbandi (coastal Orissa) which was directly ruled by Mughals,Maratha & Britishers & Garhjat (feudal states of Gajapati emperor of Orissa) which was independently ruled by the Hindu royals of Orissa.Even the Karana community occupied large numbers of Zamindari during this period stretched from Ganjam to Midnapore.

After independence also Karana community plays an important role in Orissa's socio-political arena.In Orissa, Brahmins and Karans (more popular as Patnaiks or Kayasths) have been dominating politics for the last 50 years. If you take a close look at all the leading parties in the state, you may admit that either a Brahmin or Karana at the top.The first chief minister of Orissa after independence, the late Nabakrushna Chaudhury was a Karan by caste.He was succeeded by Harekrushna Mahtab, a Kshatriya (Rajput). After him, another Karan Biren Mitra became the CM. Biju Patnaik succeeded him. Then came Sadashiv Tripathy, a Brahmin. He was followed by Biswanath Das, his caste brother. In the early 70s, a kshatriya and Maharaja of erstwhile Bolangir Garhjat, R N Singh Deo, became the chief minister. Then Nandini Satpathy, Brahmin came to power. She was succeeded by another Brahmin, Binayak Acharya.In 1977 Nilamani Routray, a Khandayat, a branch of Oriya Karana became chief minister.From 1980 to 2000, it was Karan leaders who ruled the state -- Janaki Ballav Patnaik for the first 14 years and Biju Patnaik for five. Now Naveen Patnaik,the son of legendary Biju Patnaik is in power for the second consecutive terms.

Famous Oriya Karana people include:

Sri Ramananda Raya or Raya Ramananda Pattanayak(16th century A.D.): He was the Governor of Godavari Province under Orissa's Surya Vanshi Gajapati Prataparudra Deva.He was a great poet and could explain everything in a very elegant style. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard "Rasatattva" from Ramananda's mouth. He was a great Sanskrit scholar and Vaishnava philosopher. His Sanskrit drama "Jagannatha Ballava Nataka" was staged at Puri in which for the first time in Orissa he introduced female artists on the stage.

Madhavi Pattanayak (Madhavi Dasi)(16th Century): Madhavi dasi is considered the first poetess in the Oriya language. She was a contemporary of the famous Pancha Sakha poets in the fifteenth-sixteenth centuries. She was born in Bentapura village of Puri district in a Karana family and was the sister of Raya Ramananda Pattanayak.Her chosen path was that of simple devotion and intense passionate longing for the Lord Jagannath.She wrote religious poetry in the mid-16th century."Native Place-Puri, Orissa"

Raja Gopinath Pattanayak(17th Century):He was the king of Hijli Kingdom (coastal Midnapore District of West Bengal), a feudal state of Orissa's Gajapati empire.

Dinakrushna Das(17th Century): He was a famous poet of Orissa, belonging to the Vaishnava movement.He is known for his Oriya poem titled ‘"Rasakallol"a,’ which is devoted to Lord Krishna. Among his many literary compositions, "Artatrana Chautisa" is a reputed one.

Jagabandhu Patnaik (Jaggu Dewan): Raja Arjun Singh of Porahat (Singhbhum, now in Jharkhand)and his Dewan Jagabandhu Patnaik took part in anti-British activities during the 1857,the first war of independence. The Kol Rebellion of Singhbhum in 1831 was the outcome of the inspiration and instigation of Jagabandhu Patnaik more popularly known as Jagu Dewan to the Kols. In the first war of independence he too encouraged Raja Arjun Singh to raise his arms against the British. Jagu Dewan with a strong force rose against the British and occupied Chakradharpur.But the British force under Lt. Birch reoccupied Chakradharpur. Jagu Dewan was captured and hanged.

Utkala Gourava Madhusudan Das(1848-1934):A lawyer, patriot, politician, and industrialist, had played a leading role in the making of the state of Orissa. Born in a rich Zamindar family, he graduated from the Cuttack high school and went on to complete his MA, LLB from Calcutta University. Later he adopted Christianity. He practised as an advocate for fifteen years in Kolkata before returning to Cuttack in 1881.During the British rule the Oriya people were scattered across four states. Madhusadan Das took a valiant stand for unification of scattered Oriya tracts. He organized 'Utkal samilani' in 1903 and started a revolution called 'Desha Mishrana Andolan'. He took up the issue with the British high command and as a result the declaration for a separate state was issued in 1933.He was a great legislator and journalist who rose as a symbol of new hope and aspiration of all Oriyas. He was the founder of the English magazine named 'The Oriya'. His poem 'swalpa hele sudha' revealed love for the Oriya community. He was the member of administrative council of Orissa, Bihar and Bengal for around thirty years from 1896. He had served the office of the minister for self-administration and health for Bihar and Orissa from 1921 to 1923, the post which he eventually resigned owing to differences with the British. Madhusudan Das was also a reputed industrialist. Acclaimed as an eminent lawyer and administrator, He passed away in 1936.

Nabakrushna Choudhury(1901-19840:He was born in a mighty karana Zamindar family .While continuing his graduation in Ravenshaw College, he took part in non-cooperation movement and left his course incomplete. In 1922 he trained himself in Sawarmati Aashram and started serving for his motherland. In 1925 he joined for graduation degree again at Shantiniketan. After completing the graduation he participated in the freedom movement. He has been imprisoned in the years 1930, 1932, 1940, 1942 for taking part in the salt revolution, law-disobedience revolution and Garjhat revolution etc.HE was elected to the legislative assembly in the year 1937. In 1946 he held the position of Finance minister in Harekrushna Mahatab ministry. He resigned from the post because of his son's death in 1948. On 12th May 1950 he became the Chief Minister of Orissa. Till 1956 he worked as the Chief Minister of Orissa. He resigned and left the party and started serving the country. Some of his works include the first five year plan for Orissa the removal of landlord System, the law to make Oriya language the official language, establishment of the agricultural university, Baji Rout hostel for the students and many other laws to help the people.In 1964 he visited Nagaland & Kashmir and tried to handle the situation there. Then he dedicated himself for the purpose of upliftment of education in Orissa. Due to degradation of the political environment in India again he returned to the field of politics in 1974. He was jailed in 1975 during the emergency period. He has dedicated his life for helping the poor. The Champati Munda Jeevan Vidyalay and the Nava Jivan Mandal are the two organisations set by him for the schedule caste and schedule tribe students. He was very honest, fearless, selfless and was a person of high morale. Throughout his entire life he has struggled against corruption and suffering.

Ramadevi Choudhury(1899-1985):She was adoringly called Maa (Mother) by the people of Orissa, was a celebrated freedom fighter and a social reformer. Born on the 3rd December, 1899 at Cuttack, she inherited a great legacy as the daughter of Gopal Ballav Das and the niece of Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das. At the tender age of 15, she married Gopabandhu Choudhury, then a Deputy Collector and later a freedom fighter.After independence, Rama Devi dedicated herself entirely to the cause of Bhoodan and Gramdan movement of Acharya Vinoba Bhave. Along with her husband she travelled on foot about 4000 kilometres across the state to propagate the message of gifting land and wealth to the landless and poor. In recognition of her selfless services to the nation, Rama Devi was honoured with the Jamnalal Bajaj Award on the 4th November, 1981 and the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris causa) by Utkal University on the 16th April, 1984. A remarkable saga of courage, dedication, and supreme sacrifice came to an end on the 22nd of July, 1985, the day Rama Devi breathed her last."Native Place-Cuttack, Orissa."

Sarala Devi Choudhury: She was a noted freedom fighter & social reformer.

Pranakrushna Parija (1891-1950): He was a noted scientist, educationist & social worker.

Kalinga Putra Bijayananda Patnaik (Biju Patnaik/Biju Babu)(1916-1997): After completing his schooling from Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack. After studying Aeronautics at the Aeronautical Training Institute of India, he started his career with Indian National Airways. He was imprisoned until 1945 due to his participation in the Quit India Movement. He had also plunged headlong into the Nepalese Democratic Movement and Indonesia's struggle for independence from the Dutch. He flew out the then Indonesian Prime Minister Sultan Sjahrir to Singapore, and then to Delhi where Sjahrir met Jawaharlal Nehru. After independence, the grateful Indonesian government subsequently conferred its highest civilian award, "Bhumi Putra" to him. He served as the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1961 to 1963 and again from 1990-1995. He was a member of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.He was the cabinet minister at the centre for four times. He was involved with many projects like the Paradip Port, the Orissa Aviation Centre, Bhubaneswar Airport, the Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi highway bridge and many others. He passed away in New Delhi on April 17, 1997. He founded the Kalinga Prize, which the UNESCO has been conferring for excellence in the field of science. He was a most prominent national leader of India.

Janaki Ballabh Patnaik: He is an Indian politician present Governor of Assam.Former chief minister of Orissa, in which capacity he served for the longest time on record.Currently he is the Leader of the Opposition in the Orissa Vidhan Parishad. Apart from that he is recognised as an eminent poet and writer Sankrit and Oriya language, and has won awards from the Rajya Sahitya Academy and Kendra Sahitya Academy. He is now appointed as Chancellor of Tirupati based Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha.

Gopinath Mohanty (1914 - 1991)): the prestigious Jnanpith award(1993) winner, eminent Oriya novelist of the mid-twentieth century is arguably the greatest Oriya writer after Fakir Mohan Senapati.

Manoj Das(1934- ):He is an Indian award-winning writer in Oriya and English.Since 1963, he has been an ashramite at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. Manoj Das is currently an English professor at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry.He was awarded Saraswathi Samman in the year 2000.

Sitakanta Mahapatra (1937-):He is the third recipient of the Jnanpith award from Orissa after Shri Gopinath Mohanty and Sri Sachi Routray. He is perhaps most widely translated Oriya poet. One of the foremost voice in the Indian poetry. His poetry has been translated into all the Indian languages, French, German, Swedish, English, Czech, Danish, Russian, Greek, Macedonian, Romanian and Ukrainian. Earlier he worked in the executive Board of the Central Sahitya Academy and was a member of Indian National Commission for Co-operation with UNESCO.

Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnaik: The most important Oriya dramatist of the 1940s

Gopal Chhotray (1916-) Eminent national theatre personality.

Satyanarain Bohidar

Balailal Das Mahapatra

Hemachandra Kanungo

Surendra Mohanty

Akshaya Mohanty

Uttam Mohanty

Praibha Ray

Gita Patnaik Mehta

Jatin Das

Nandita Das

Aloka Kanungo

Debashis Mohanty

Shivsundar Das

Devraj Patnaik

Ellora Patnaik

Prabhat Patnaik

Jaya Patnaik

Priti Rani Patnaik

Ridhiman Patnaik

Sudarshan Patnaik

Ravindranath Uddandarao

Chinmaya Patnaik

B.K.Patnaik

Polumahanti Rajendra Prasad

Polumahanti Srinivasa Babji

Abhinna Sundar Mohanty

Vandrangi Thirupati Rao Patnaik, a Retd Headmaster in Vandrangi Village

Parasurampuram Narasimha Murthy

Parasurampuram Apparao, Retd. inspector of schools

Parasurampuram Muralidhar, Retd DVEO, An eminent educationalist, served in different capacities in education department,known for his oration, poetry,stood as an inspiration for the youth.

Jobs

Karanam is a writer-caste. Its a sect of Kayastha,a mixed clan of Kshatriya father and other non kshatriya mother. whose vocation or kulavruthi (caste profession) is writing and/or professions that need writing skills such as documentation of land and property titles, accounts maintenance, legal writing, lawyers, etc.

In the past, they were well educated, wealthy, and good administrators; many people from this Niyogi Brahmin subcaste were government officers, employees, teachers, professors, principals, lawyers, and doctors in Northern Andhra Pradhesh and Orissa border districts.

That was past. Nowadays, they play it safe professionally. They are risk-averse. Many of them are employed as Software Professionals, Doctors, etc. in India and foreign countries. Residency in USA commands a lot of prestige in the Karanam community back home. Therefore the NRI (Non-resident Indian) population is increasing rapidly. This exodus is Andhra Pradesh's loss as well. The state is fast losing its educated youngsters and consequently the support for its elderly.

Similar castes

Karuneegar is the closest related caste to the Karnam caste, which exists predominantly in Tamil Nadu and other parts of neighbouring states including southern borders of Andhra Pradesh.Karuneegars are considered to be Karnam's closest relatives. Karuneegars share same beliefs and have common responsibilities such as white collar jobs as village accountants. Karuneegar is the subdivision of Kayastha. Pillai is just a title name for some Karuneegars as when started but nowhere linked to the original Pillai community and does not share the common beliefs with the Pillai caste. So Karuneegar is the only other community which is related to Karnam. Karanam's share some culture to Madhwa or Niyogi class of Brahmins. They follow Dvaita Philosophy.In Orissa the karana caste follow the path of Achintya Bheda Abheda philosophy propounded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.