About half a century ago, the Havyaks from Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagalur, Coorg districts started migrating to other places in search of better living. They spread their network almost all over India. One such group came to commercial twin city of Hubli and Dharwad also. Since the Havyaks are born talented they dared to make their living in a better way.
They were very few to begin with. They took up their vocations in different ways. While some took to jobs, some other braced business and took to self-employment. With the passage of time, the Havyaks flourished in their own way and settled in these two cities and since more than five decades, they have remained the integral part of this growing city apart from retaining their original rich tradition and culture.
Since their number began to grow some senior members of this community felt that there was a dire need to organise all of them under one umbrella and thought of initiating a forum for them. After few initial meetings by a handful of few, during 1982, a concrete decision was taken to establish an organisation of their own to bind all the members and provide them a platform for the wellbeing. Messers Shankar K Avadhani, M.K. Hegde, S. V Hegde, V. M. Bhat, R.K. Hegde B.D. Hegde and some other assembled in a place to give it a concrete shape and thus an organisation by Name Havyak Educational and Cultural Organization came into existence. During 1982 the organization was officially registered and the members started implementing the welfare activities in the twin city. Mr. Shankar Avadhani was chosen the founder president with Dr. G.M Hegde as the Hon Secretary.
The members met regularly in different places and held friendly get together. They had plans to retain their original culture, tradition while accommodating themselves with the residents of the twin city. Each year all the members of the Havyak families residing in this city met in one place. They held religious rituals apart from exhibiting their cultural activities. They also propagated the food habits of the community and made it popular even among the residents of the city. It provided a common forum to the Havyaks who were away from their native to meet and exchange their feelings and thoughts. Gradually the get together became regular. It was much helpful to strengthen the bonds among them.
The doyens of the community also mooted a scheme to help financially the needy students who aspired for higher education. Many students could avail the facility and today most of them are well settled in different places.
It was during the year 2006 the executive body thought of providing a permanent source of meeting and thus moved in that direction. The executive body led by the then President and senior advocate Mr. B. D. Hegde put all their efforts to avail a site for a community hall. The then Chairman of Hubli-Dharwad Urban Development Authority Mr. LingarajPatil offered the a site for the community on Gokul Road, Hubli near bus depot at a very reasonable Government rate and the site was possessed on lease basis for thirty long years.
The Governing body left no time to possess the site and start construction of the building. When the foundation was laid on the site, Mr. M.K. Hegde was the president of the organization with D. N. Bhat as Hon. Secretary. The entire gamut of the community came forward to donate the money liberally much to the satisfaction of the Governing body. At the same time, the public representatives of Hubli-Dharwad also came to our help with financial assistance from their area development fund. Former Chief Minister Mr. JagadishShettar, (Now Member of Parliament), Union Minister Mr.Pralhad Joshi, former Member of Parliament and India’s no one transporter and the owner of V R. Logistics Padmashri Vijay Sankeshwar, the Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council Mr. Basavaraj Horatti, former member of Karnataka Legislative Council Mr. Mohan Limbikai sanctioned the organization financial help to launch our plan. Thus with all enthusiasm and encouragementfrom all nook and corner, the foundation was laid.
With the hard efforts of the Governing body and the generosity of the public representatives and the members of the community, the community hall emerged with all its grandeur. The hall named as “Havyak Bhavan” is today has taken a full-fledged shapewith a function hall, equipped with air condition facility, a mini conference hall, eight living rooms, an attached Guru Kuteera for accommodating the gurus of various maths.
Havyak Bhavan has now been humming with various educational and cultural activities. Every year a gathering is organized conducting religious, cultural, and educational functions. Havyak Bhavan has been now a permanent forum for propagating Bhagavad Gita under the able guidance of His Holiness ShriJ agadguru Shankarcharya Gangadharendra Saraswathi Maha Samiji of SondaSwarnavalli Math. There have been regular activities providing forum not only for the elders, but also for the women members as well as the younger generation. RudraPathana, Sjri Rama TarakaPathana and such other activities are regularly being held.
We have the blessings of Shri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri RGHveshwar Bharati Swamiji of Sri Ramachandrapur Math Sansthana who has been a source of inspiration and has been making frequent visit and stay. Most of the activities of the Sansthana are being organised in this Bhavan only.
Hariharpur Swamiji has had made his sty for five days to hold religious functions. Late Swamiji of Kanchipuram Sri JayendraMahaswamiji had made his visit to the Bhavan and had blessed. Sri VishwaprasannaMahaSwamiji of UpdupiPejavarMuth also blessed the community during his visit to Havyak Bhavan.
Now the Governing body has decided to launch a student scholarship scheme to provide financial assistant in a better way and have been collecting funds for the purpose. Already Rs.11 lakh has been collected so far from the philanthropists. The members hope to collect the fund to the extent of Rs.50 lakhs and hope to see generous donations.
Today the Havyak Community has entirely become an integral part of twin city of Hubli and Dharwad with six hundred families.
