Tulu people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (10 million (approx)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Tulu | |
| Religion | |
 Hinduism Jainism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dravidians · Kannadigas · Konkanis · Kodavas |
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| Dravidian culture and history |
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The Tulu people, or Tuluva (plural Tuluver), are an ethnolinguistic group native to the Tulu Nadu region of India, presently divided amongst the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and the Kasaragod taluk. They are the native speakers of the Tulu language. There is a sizable emigrant Tuluva population in Mumbai, the Middle East, and in several countries of the Anglosphere.
People
The majority of Tuluvas are Hindus who are subdivided into various communities namely Billava, Bunts, Goud Saraswat Brahmins, Gowda, Mogaveera, Devadiga, Vishwakarma, Ganiga, Jogi, Shivalli Brahmins, Sthanika Brahmins, Shettigar, Kulala, Padmashali and others. Many Tuluvas have settled in Mumbai where they have excelled in various fields from banking to Bollywood.[1]
Culture
Tuluvas follow the Aliyasantana system, where inheritance is from uncle to nephew, except for Brahmins and the Parivara bunt subdivision of bunts. Other distinctive features include the rituals of Bhuta Kola, Nagaradhane and Yakshagana etc. Tuluva New Year is called Bisu parba, which falls on the same day as Baisakhi, Vishu and the Thai New Year.
Demand for a separate state
From India's independence and following the reorganization of states, the Tuluvas have been demanding national language status for Tulu and a separate state for themselves called Tulu Nadu, based on their language and distinct culture. Though somewhat subdued for a while, this demand has grown stronger in recent years. Several organizations like the Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti have taken up the cause of the Tuluvas, and frequent meetings and demonstrations are held across towns in Tulunadu (like Mangalore, Udupi etc.) to voice their demands.[2][3][4]
Prominent Tuluvas
See also
Content
'The Sthanikas and their Historical Importance' (1938), by Dr. B. A. Saletore and Tulunadina Ithihasa of Prof. P. Gururaj Bhat[5]