Halakki Vokkaliga

When we got on the Yesvanpur-Karwar Express last year around this time I did not know I would witness mighty perennial rivers and evergreen forests. We traveled along the west coast of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, tucked in between the Arabian sea on one side and forest covered hills on the other side. We eventually got off at the Kumta Railway Station and spent a few days with a local family in their areca plantation, situated in the middle of an organic spice farm on the Karwar - Sirsi State Highway in a tiny village called Baragadde. It was not until we visited Gokarna that I saw her. She was confidently walking down the street in with no chappals (sandals) and was wearing a sari with no choli (blouse). Head load of firewood and basket in hand, she disappeared in the rain. I later on found out she belongs to the Halakki tribe.

Halakki woman carrying firewood. Gokarna, Karnataka 2013.

The Halakki people are scattered across several Taluks (area of land with a city or town that serves as its headquarters, with potentially additional towns and villages) of the Uttara Kannada district namely Ankola, Kumta, Gokarna, Honnavar and Karwar.
With increasing tourism in most of these areas, Halakki people are forced to find new alternative means of income. It's a common scene seeing Halakki women selling flowers and other puja offerings to eager tourists outside temples (especially in places like Gokarna). Some Halakki families also run beachside shacks that offer accommodation and continental menus to both international and local tourists.

Halakki man in a traditional langoti.

Despite their (unavoidable) contact with the mainstream world both in terms of people and access to media, I saw Halakki women more often in traditional attires and outfits, which comprises bright coloured saris wrapped in a special way and worn without a blouse, leaving the back exposed. Their necks are adorned with numerous beaded necklaces (Essentially blue, black and yellow), while glass and metal bangles adorn their hands. Women's hair is well oiled and neatly combed back and rolled into a bun and decorated with flowers such as jasmine or palm tree. The traditional attire of men is simple, a loin-cloth langoti. However, most of the middle aged men and youngsters wear shirts and pants nowadays.

The Halakki language is a dialect of Kannada and is known as ‘Halakki Kannada’. A typical Halakki home (Hullu mane in the Halakki dialect) comprises a thatched hut with mud walls, now most often replaced by concrete structures. It is decorated elaborately with traditional white drawings made from Hali (white mud abundantly available in this area) mixed with water and painted against a dark background. Different Hali are drawn on different occasions such as weddings, ear piercing or naming ceremony of a child, first haircut ceremony of a child, etc. The Hali is mainly considered as a diagrammatic representation of the event and it is believed to ward of evil. 

Hali on a Halakki home. Gokarna, Karnataka 2013.

Two Halakki women chat in Karwar, Karnataka 2013.

The rich culture of the Halakkis is mirrored in many aspects of their life including food, ceremonies and customs, songs  and dances, etc. However, with the advent of modernity and exposure to a variety of other cultures, access to media, education and many more unconventional employment opportunities, threat in their lifestyle and traditional practices are inevitable and, like many other tribal and indigenous communities throughout the country, Halakkis are an oppressed minority struggling to survive.

Halakki mom and son. Karwar, Karnataka 2013.