VORVADY

Roots of the Vorvady Family can be traced back to mid-eighteenth century when Dakshina Kannada region had passed from the Keladi Nayakas of Bidanoor in Shimoga to Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1763. His soldiers ransacked the entire region. Hayat Saheb (Sheik Hayat) was appointed the Dewan of Shimoga and Canara. He had his headquarters in Mangalore. He was looking for allies in the region. Bunt landlords were tired of constant plundering by the Keladi chieftains in thelast two hundred years were too eager to be on the right side of Hyder Ali's governor.

It was a time when Anjar Beedu in Udupi district was the dominant Bunt household in the region. It must have taken several decades for Anjar Beedu to arrive at such dominant position in society but we do not have information yet on this early phase of Anjar Beedu. In around 1750, however, we come across one Shankara, the chieftain of Anjar Beedu. He was not only the overlord of a large number of villages in the Udupi region but also the ceremonial head of the temple of Hiriadka where the ruling deity was Veerabhadra, a Shaivite god patronised by the Keladi rulers. In this capacity, Shankara had assumed the title of Kurla Heggade. It was a commanding position with socio-religious responsibilities and power.

Shankara Kurla Hegde had no male issue to succeed him. So he adopted a young boy named Manjaya from a respectable Bunt family from Brahmavar Tenkumane. Shankara also arranged to get his son married to a beautiful girl called Bhagamma from a respectable Bunt family from Gudde Guttu near Mangalore.(circa 1800). Manjaya and Bhagamma lived happily in Anjar Beedu. After the death of Shankara, Manjaya assumed the title of Kurla Heggade. He sired six children, a son named Subbaya and five daughters, among whom was Rukmini, the founder matriarch of Vorvady House (circa 1830).

Manjaya Kurla Heggade built a house for his children in Muthoor, located five km south of Hiriadka. Manjaya’s son Subbaya and five daughters grew up in Muthoor House. Rukmini was given in marriage to the wealthiest landlord of the region, Hirebettu Chandaya Hegde. Rukmini’s sisters too were married to eligible grooms from wealthy households of Debbeli, Mavanthoor and Palli. Her youngest sister was married to one Subbaya who was the son of Manjaya Kurla Heggade’s niece. Subbaya later succeeded Manjaya as the Kurla Heggade. His sister Muthakka from Anjar Beedu was married to to wealthy Bunt from Thombathu near Kundapur. Muthakka’s son, Anjar Monappa Hegde married Rukmini’s eldest daughter Durgalakshmi of Vorvady.

Manjaya Kurla Heggade and Bhagamma’s daughter Rukmini (c. 1830) of Muthoor had five sons and three daughters. They were: Sesha Hegde, Ramaya Hegde, Thimmappa Hegde, Manjaya Hegde, Durgalakshmi, Radhamma and Nagamma. Of these, Sesha died young and Ramaya died of typhoid in Chennai where he was studying in a College in the Intermediate Class. Thimmappa (1860 – 1917) became a wealthy businessman. In around 1890 he took steps to move out of Muthoor along with his mother Rukmini and his sisters to nearby Vorvady hamlet which he had purchased from some Jain landowner of Karkala. Vorvady was situated hardly five km from Muthoor. It had an idyllic environment with hills, dales, forest, streams and what not. In 1893 he built a grand house in Vorvady. All of Rukmini’s children moved into the new Vorvady House in that year. Thimmappa Hegde (1860 – 1917) married a girl from the Debbeli family.

Rukmini’s eldest daughter Durgalaksmi (1875-1959) was married to Anjar Monappa Hegde (1859 – 1917). They had seven children, including two sons and five daughters. Two of her daughters, Rajeevi and Akkaya eventually became joint owners of the Vorvady House as delineated in the Family Agreement of 1942. Durgalaksmi’s other daughters were Jalajakshi who inherited Upper Parkala lands, Krishnamma who was allotted Lower Parkala lands and Rukmini who was allotted Belle lands. Durgalakshmi’s sons were Jagannatha and Shankara.

Jalajakshi (1889 – 1974) was married to Anjar Ramanna Hegde, a nephew of her father. She had two children, Govindaraja and Leelavathi. Govindaraja later became patel of Vorvady. He had three children, Raghushchandra, Hemalatha and Malathi. Leelavathi’s children are Balachandra and Jayarama.

Another daughter of Durgalaksmi named Krishnamma was married to a wealthy scion from the Kabyadi family, Krishnaya Hegde. They had six daughters and a son. Daughters were Kusumavathi, Suguna, Indira, Saraswathi, Shantha and Vishala. The son was Dasappa. Kusumavathi’s chidren are: Vedavathi, Ramadasa, Prabhakara, Shubhavathi, Ramakanthi and Jayalakshmi. Suguna’s children are Sudhakara, Manorama and Vilasa. Indira had one son, Lokanatha. Shantha’s children are: Sabitha, Surendra, Hemalatha, Krishnamma, Mamatha, Shalini and Dinesh. Saraswathi’s children are: Sujatha, Sudhir, Sukesh and Sunitha. Vishala’s children are Arun, Ajit, Ashwin and Rohit. Dasappa’s children are: Nayana, Veena, Pradeep, Prasanna, Prasad and Vidya.

Durgalakshmi’s eldest son Jagannatha was married to Anjar Girija. They have seven sons (Raghu, Govindaraja, Srinivasa, Padmanabha, Satyananda, Ravi and Nityananda) and three daughters (Umavathi, Premavathi and Prabhavathi).

Durgalakshmi’s daughter Rajeevi (1901 – 1928) had three sons, Monappa, Subbaya and Ranganatha and a daughter Sumavathi. Monappa’s two sons are Prakashchandra and Navinchandra. Sumavathi’s children are Sureshchandra, Sandhya and Shailesh. Subbaya’s children are Sangeetha, Kiran and Sanjay. Ranganatha’s five children are Saranya, Lavanya, Sukanya, Chaitanya and Preetham.

Durgalaksmi’s daughter Akkaya’s children are Thimmappa, Vinoda, Suvasini, Sadananda, Vasanthi, Manohar, Usha, Geetha and Santhosh. Thimmappa’s sons are Sunil and Sudhir. Vinoda’s daughter is Rekha. Suvasini’s children are Mallika and Ashok. Sadananda’s children are Chethan, Vishwas and Swathi. Vasanthi’s children are Gautam and Maya. Manohar’s children are Madhursham and Mayursham. Usha’s daughters are Smitha and Ashrita and Geetha’s children are Ghanasham, Akhila and Rishikesh. Santhosh’s daughter is Sapna.

Durgalakshmi’s son Shankara has one son Monappa (Dr B M Hegde). His children are Meenakshi, Maina and Manjunatha.

Durgalakshmi’s youngest daughter Rukmini’s children are Dayananada and Premavathi. Dayananda’s children are Sadhana, Ganesh and Sanjay.

Rukmini’s second daughter Radhamma (settled in Nerma near Shirva) was married to Bajal Beedu Uggappa Shetty. They had two daughters, Netravathi and Akkamma. Appi, Padmavathi, Raghu, Sheelavathi and Sanjivi are Netravathi’s children. Balakrishna, Dayananda and Ramananda are Akkamma’s children.

Rukmini’s other daughter Nagamma (settled in Parkala) was married to Badagabettu Krishnaya Hegde. Their children are Sundari, Padmavathi, Sarabai, Thimmappa, Sitarama, Karunakara and Dasappa. Padmavathi has three children, Krishnamma, Ramakrishna and Dayananda. Rukmini and Hirianna are Sarabai’s children.

Matriarch Rukmini’s son Thimmappa Hegde (1860 – 1917) who was Yajaman of Vorvady for 27 years had three sons, Hirianna, Subbaya and Kittu and two daughters.

So much for the elderly. Vorvady House boasts of a batallion of bright and bubbling young men, women and children. These are Vorvady’s future hope, for it is they who keep the Vorvady flag high and flying wherever they are, be it India or across the seven seas.