People / group

Kodava people

Also known as Kodavas

The Kodavas are a people of Kodagu (Coorg) in Karnataka, south-western India, who speak the Dravidian Kodava language. Traditionally landholding farmers and warriors organised in patrilineal clans, they served in the armies of the rajas of Coorg and later in large numbers in the Indian Army. They are known for their ancestor worship and distinctive festivals and dress.

Kodava people
Image: P M Muthanna · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Coorg

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kodava people. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kodava-people
MLA
“Kodava people.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kodava-people. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kodava people.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kodava-people.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kodava people’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kodava-people (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻