Tulu-Arebhashe Gowda is one of the major castes of Tulunad and Coorg. They speak Tulu and Arebhashe as their primary language. Though they are a subsection of the Vokkaliga community of Kannada land, they incorporated Tuluva culture and traditions.
The Tulu-Arebhashe Gowda are the migrants of Ikkeri (Present Shivamogga district), later in the Mysore kingdom, and settled in Tulunad region. Now they speak Arebhashe in Kodagu region. They are said to have 10 Kutumba and 18 Baris as their primordial root families, from which is around a Nooru Mane (hundred families) Concerning the Vokkaligas in the district of Tulunad & Coorg, Rev. G. Richter, in Gazetteer of Coorg (1870) lists them as Tulu Gowdas (Vokkaligas in Tulunad and Kodagu) who migrated to Coorg (Kodagu) from the Mangalore-Udupi (Tulunad) region under the Canarese speaking people.
Caste & Marriage System: Same like other Tulu communities, even Gowdas follow the ‘Bari’ system. They believe that people of the same Bari cannot marry as they have originated from the same base family. They follow the ‘Jokule Kattu’ system when other Tulu communities follow ‘Aliya Kattu’!
Gowdas 18 Bari is:
- Kabar bari
- Nandara bari
- Hemana bari
- Bangara bari
- Setti bari (Halu Gundar)
- Maulyara bari (Moolar)
- Gowda bari
- Saale bari
- Goli bari
- Nayar bari
- Balasanna bari
- Karbanna bari
- Oudanna bari
- Chalyara bari
- Karmber bari
- Chittera bari
- Gundera bari
- Lingaita bari
Culture:
Tulu including Sullia Arebhashe Gowdas follow proper Tulu culture even though they belong to Okkaliga community which is major in Kannada region. They celebrate Bisu as their new year when major Kannada vokkaligas celebrate Ugadi. Kodagu Gowdas celebrate Puttari and other Kodava festivals.