The word Ganiga is originated from the word Ganuga, which means oil mill. Ganiga community is divided into three groups viz., Hegganiga, Kiruganiga and Ontiyedduganiga. The first group of people who extract oil from stone mill using two oxen, the second extract oil from wood mill and the third group who yoke only one animal in the mill. The community is inhabited in Kasargode district. They speak Thulu, Kannada and Malayalam. They belong to Hinduism. The Government of Kerala groups them under Other Backward Classes. They are non-vegetarians. Once they followed marumakkathayam, but now they follow makkathayam system of inheritance. Besides oil extraction, their traditional occupation, they are engaged as agricultural labourers, employees of government and private sectors.

They observe pre-delivery ritual and post delivery pollution. Cradling and naming ceremony is observed on the fortieth day of birth.  They also observe puberty rites in a grand scale. Marriages are held at the bridegroom’s house. After poojas and dhara ceremony, the bridegroom ties mangalyasuthra (thali) on the neck of bride. They cremate their dead. Death pollution (pula) is observed for 16 days.  

Gatti is a community seen in northern parts of Kasargode district. They believe that they are the descendents of Yadavas. They speak and write Kannada andThulu. Constitutionally they are grouped under Other Backward Classes. They are non-vegetarians. In the past they followed marumakkathayam (aliya santhanam) but now they follow makkal santhana (makkathayam) system of inheritance. They observe pre-delivery rituals and post delivery pollution, which lasts for 11 days. Naming ceremony is performed on the 40th day. When girls attain puberty, they perform therandukalyanam known as maineryuudu. Marriage takes place in bridegroom’s house. Mangalysuthra (thali) and kumkum (vermillion) are the marks of marriage. They cremate their dead. Death pollution (pula) lasts for 11 days.

The Gowda are the migrated group of people to Kerala from Karnataka.  Veera Rajendra Wodeyar, a king of Madikeri had brought the Gowda to Kerala.  Their habitation is mainly at  Kasargode District of Kerala.  The community has 18 gotras.  Previously they follow joint family system, but now a day it has changed to nuclear families. Their traditional occupation is agriculture.  They follow Hinduism and their major festival is Deepavali and they consider Tirupathi and Sringeri as major pilgrim centres.

Elders negotiate marriage. Exchange marriages are also in vogue. The bridegroom side initiates marriage. Betrothal as well as marriage takes place at the girl’s house.  On the day of marriage, the bridegroom’s party proceeds to the brides residence and wait outside a chappana (tent) to be received by the bride’s relatives. There will Uru Gowdas for both the parties and the Uru Gowda of boys side will hand over the ornaments, bridal dress etc. to the Uru Gowda of bride’s.  Later, the bride wears new dresses and ornaments and both the couple sit in a room near the wall where pictures of sun and moon are drawn. The bride sits on the moon side and the name of bridegroom is written on the sun. Between them a curtain is put up. Garlands are exchanged, water is poured by the bride’s father on the palms of bridegroom through bride’s, which is known as dhare ceremony, and finally the boy ties mangalyasuthra (thali) around the girl’s neck.  Then the clothes of both the couple will be tied together and they have to circumscribe the mandapa. Thali, toe-rings, Kumkum (vermillion) are the symbols of marriage. Gowda observe seemantham (pre-delivery ritual) during seventh month. Birth pollution continues for seven days. They observe cradling ceremony on the 16th day of birth of a child, when he or she is given the name.  On the 16th day itself, the child will be given rice. Mundan (hair removal) ceremony for both boys and girls is done after one year.  Puberty rite is observed for a girl who has attained maturity.   After death, the dead body is cremated. The eldest son lights the pyre.  Death pollution lasts for 16 days.

The Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin is also known as Konkani Brahmin or Konginis.  The ancestors of the community are the tribe who lived on the banks of river Saraswathy, according to Vedic literature. Another version is that they are the migrants from Gouda, a place at the central part of Bengal.  However, there are mentions about Saraswatha community in Sahyadri Kanda of the Skanda Purana. In the beginning Gowda Sarasatha Brahmin inhabited at Kozhikode and subsequently migrated to Kochi and Travancore. They are seen in Kasargode, Kannur, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Kollam, Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram Districts. Their language is Konkani.  The Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin has a number of gotras.  They are Bharadwaja, , Kasyapa, Viswamitra, Vasishta, Jamadagni, Goutham Kaushika, Vasta, Kaundinya and Atri.  There are amny sub classification in the community viz., Shenoy (learned person), Naiks (leaders), Kamath (landlords), Pai (father), Kuduvas (grain collectors), Prabhu (village chief), Bhat (temple priest), Mallayya (in charge of a fort or an area), Bhandari / Kini (in charge of treasury). The group Shenoy also used surnames such as Rao and Sambhog. Traditionally, they are businessmen and traders. They own Hinduism.  Lord Venkitachalapathy is their temple idol. Lord Mallikarjuna is their village deity and tulsi pooja is compulsory for a family. They celebrate Vinayaka Chathurthi, Navarathri, Janmashtami, Rama Navami, Deepavali etc.

The Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin marriage is solemnized either at bride’s residence or at temples. Before marriage, nichayatambulam (marriae fixing) ceremony is done at the bride’s home. In the past, marriage was a nine-day ceremony; but now a day it is celebrated for one day only. When the bridegroom with his relatives arrive the place fixed for marriage, they are welcomed warmly waving Aarathi etc. Then the bride is brought to the mantap and the bride’s father gives Varadakshina. The bridegroom and bride exchange garlands. Their cloths are tied together and they perform homa known as sapthapadi (taking seven steps on rice kept at seven spots). When the newly married couple arrives bridegroom’s residence, they are welcomed by the sister(s) of bridegroom, but allowed to enter home only after offering presentations to them. 

The Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin observes seemantham and punsavanam ceremonies. The birth pollution continues for 12 days. Namakarana (naming) ceremony takes place at the 25th day.  Annaprasanam ceremony is held at the age of one year.  In the third year, choula (tonsure) is done.  Upanayanam is performed for boys at their age of nine years.  They also celebrate puberty rites at the first menstruation of girls.

The Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin cremates the dead. The eldest son lights the pyre at the head side and the youngest son at the leg side.  The ashes and bones are collected and immersed in river on the 11th day. The death pollution remains for 12 days. On the 12th day, sapindikarma is observed.