Thigala

The Vahnikula Kshatriya or Palligaru are a social group found in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, India, particularly the city of Bengaluru and in Southern Karnataka. The caste is traditionally occupied as growers of flowers and vegetables.[1]

They are generally Hindus.[1] Their main deities are Draupadi and Dharmaraya Swamy. There is a Dharmaraya temple at Halasur Pete which was built in the 11th century AD. Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore, built four gopuras with this temple as the centre of the city.[2] The Karaga festival celebrated in Narasapura, Malur, Lakkur, Kolar, Bangalore, Hosakote, Anekal, Jakkasandra, venkatapura, chunchgatta, bilekhalli, Huskur and other towns is highly significant to the Vahnikula Kshatriya community.[3] The Vahnikula Kshatriya community in Karnataka speak Kannada in Karnataka and Tamil in Tamilnadu[4] A Karnataka state government order of 1994 designated the Vahnikula Kshatriya there as members of the Backward Classes.