October 14, 2025

Hakki Pikkis tribe

  • The Hakki Pikki tribal community is unhappy with the land allotted to them around Bannerghatta National Park near Bengaluru.
  • The settlement on the edge of the Bannerghatta National Park has both Hakki Pikki and Iruliga tribals staying here

ABOUT HAKKI PIKKIS

  • The Hakki Pikkis are traditionally a semi-nomadic tribe of bird catchers and hunters, who settled down in several parts of Karnataka.
  • In Kannada, the word ‘Hakki’ stands for ‘bird’ and ‘Pikki’ stands for the verb ‘to catch’.
  • The Hakki-Pikki community migrated from the northern India population, and is found in Karnataka.
  • The population is predominantly found in Shivamogga, Davanagere and Mysuru districts of Karnataka.
  • According to the 2011 census, the population of Hakki-Pikki is 11,892.
  • The Hakki-Pikkis are said to be a matriarchal group.

LANGUAGE

  • Despite being surrounded by Dravidian languages and living in southern India, the community speaks an Indo-Aryan language. Their mother tongue was designated ‘Vaagri’ by scholars.
  • They communicate in ‘Vaagri’ at home but speak in Kannada when conducting daily business.
  • UNESCO has listed ‘Vaagri’ as one of the endangered languages.
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