Puttichanda Okka

About the Okka

The history of the Puttichanda Okka is remembered through its ancestral traditions, the story of its founding, its connection with the Kodira Okka and the continued observance of ancestral rituals at its Ainmane.

Historical Origins and Migration to Bollarimad

According to family tradition, the Puttichanda Okka lived at Rangasamudra, near Kushalnagar, before the eighteenth century. During the rule of Lingaraja, the Okka is said to have opposed him, following which its members were killed.

Two sisters escaped the massacre, carrying the Jewellary they possessed. They travelled on foot until they reached Bollarimad. There, they came across a neglected paddy field. considring this as  fertile land and decided to settle there.

The sisters subsequently purchased approximately 300 bhatti of land belonging to the Ungumanda family, described in the family account as Tulu owners. The land was known as Kodiballi. They constructed a simple hut made of nerke, or bamboo slats, to the south of the present Puttichanda Ainmane.

This settlement marked the beginning of the Puttichanda Okka at Bollarimad.

The Founding of the Okka and Its Connection with the Kodira Family

After settling at Bollarimad, the sisters sought a suitable man to marry so that the Puttichanda Okka name could continue. According to the family account, they followed the custom of kuthik nippa in seeking a husband who would carry forward the Okka lineage. Unable to find a suitable person, they approached Kodira Arjuna, who had helped them cultivate their land for three years. Although Arjuna was already married, he agreed to marry the sisters according to the makka paraje custom.

The seven children born to the sisters and Arjuna are regarded as the ancestors of the Puttichanda Okka. Through this union, the Puttichanda lineage became established at Bollarimad.

The relationship with the Kodira family remains significant in the oral history of the Okka. It is said that a room in the Kodira Ainmane is still associated with their ancestor Arjuna, and that members of the Puttichanda Okka visited the house in earlier times.

Moolapurusha

Kodira Arjuna

Puttichanda Ainmane

The Puttichanda Ainmane is situated at Bollarimad and is an important centre of the Okka’s ancestral traditions.

The traditional house is noted for its architectural features, including a veranda with wooden-panelled walls decorated with carvings of lotuses, birds, animals and geometric patterns. It has a distinctive entrance arrangement, with two roofs over the othe pore and a separate bakka pore.

The Nellakki contains four octagonal pillars regarded as Kanni Kambas. An old pathaya, traditionally used for storing grain, is also preserved within the house.

The Ainmane remains a focal point for family gatherings and ancestral ceremonies, particularly those attended by members of both bhagas.

Aruva Okka

Aruva Okka: Ammayyanda