Haji Abdulla Parkala: The Udupi Community Leader Honoured by Karnataka for Social Service

In the 2023 list of Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards, under Social Service, sits a name that many people in Udupi district already knew: Haji Abdulla, Parkala.

It is a name that rarely makes headlines on its own. It appears instead in the lines of reports from community conferences, inter-faith meetings and award functions, usually on the stage and rarely at the centre of the story. The state's honour in 2023 put it on the official record.

In 2023, Karnataka put a quiet community name on its social service list.

A state honour for social service

The Government of Karnataka announced its Rajyotsava Awards for 2023 ahead of 1 November. The state list had 68 names, and Haji Abdulla of Parkala was one of the Udupi district names listed under Social Service.

The 2023 Karnataka Rajyotsava Award at a glance

Rajyotsava Awards are among the second-highest civilian honours that the Government of Karnataka gives.

Honoured by the community in Manipal

Days after the state ceremony, the community marked the award in its own way. On Sunday, 12 November 2023, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Udupi held a felicitation for Rajyotsava awardees at the mosque in Manipal. Haji Abdulla Parkala, honoured as a Karnataka State Rajyotsava awardee, was felicitated along with Ayisha Karkala, a district-level Rajyotsava awardee from the same year.

Leading the Udupi District Muslim Okkuta

Haji Abdulla Parkala is Honorary President of the Udupi District Muslim Okkuta, the district's Muslim federation. Reports have placed him in senior positions in the federation over the years.

How reports have described Haji Abdulla Parkala's role in the Udupi District Muslim Okkuta

Titles change; the work stays. Reports over the years list different positions for the same long-serving leader. The one that is consistent in the most recent reports is Honorary President.

Harmony on a shared stage

On 9 January 2021, the federation held the inter-religious meet Sneha Samavesha in Udupi. Padma Shri Harekala Hajabba, the fruit seller who built a school for village children, inaugurated it. People from several communities were honoured for notable service to society, among them Fr William Martis, Bannanje Babu Amin, Sadhu Salian, Ayisha Karkala and Haji Abdulla Parkala.

A federation event that honours a priest, a folk scholar, a businessman and a headmistress on one stage says something about how the organisation sees its role.

One stage, many communities: the 2021 Sneha Samavesha in Udupi.

The federation's own honour: Seva Ratna 2021-22

The Udupi District Muslim Okkuta gives three awards every two years: Manava Ratna, Seva Ratna and Sauharda Ratna. In 2021-22, it gave the Seva Ratna to Haji Abdulla Parkala. That year's Manava Ratna went to Gopal B. Shetty.

Table 3: Recognition recorded for Haji Abdulla Parkala

What comes next: 31 October

The federation is completing 25 years of service. On 4 October 2026, state minister U.T. Khader opened its new office near the Jamia Masjid in Udupi, and the federation has announced a meeting of friendship among communities, with its 2025-26 awards, for 31 October at 6.30 pm at the Basel Mission Memorial Auditorium in Udupi. The announced awardees are actor Prakash Raj (Manava Ratna), NRI businessman Hidayatullah Abbas (Seva Ratna) and writer Suresh Bhat Bakrabail (Sauharda Ratna).

A leader whose name appears in so many reports of community meetings is, in this case, part of the story behind the stage.

Not to be confused with the Corporation Bank founder. Khan Bahadur Haji Abdullah Haji Kasim Saheb (1882 to 1935), the founder of Corporation Bank, is a different person who lived in Udupi a century earlier. Haji Abdulla Parkala, the subject of this profile, is a contemporary community leader from Parkala.

Read Next on Mangalore Diary

1. https://mangalorediary.in/story/harekala-hajabba-the-orange-seller-who-built-a-school-and-won-the-padma-shri
2. https://mangalorediary.in/story/m-sadulla-islamic-literature-kannada-sanmarga
3. https://mangalorediary.in/story/dr-yenepoya-abdulla-kunhi-mangaluru-education-healthcare
4. https://mangalorediary.in/events/udupi
5. https://mangalorediary.in/stories

FAQ

Who is Haji Abdulla Parkala?

Haji Abdulla Parkala is a social worker and community leader from Parkala in Udupi district, Karnataka. He is Honorary President of the Udupi District Muslim Okkuta and a recipient of the 2023 Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.

Which Karnataka Rajyotsava Award did he receive and when?

He received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award for 2023 in the Social Service category. The state list for that year had 68 names, and he was among the Udupi district names.

What does the Rajyotsava Award include?

For 2023, the award carried Rs 5 lakh, a 25-gram gold medal and a plaque, according to reports on that year's list. Presentation is around 1 November, Karnataka Rajyotsava.

What is the Udupi District Muslim Okkuta?

The Udupi District Muslim Okkuta is a district federation of the Muslim community in Udupi district. It is completing 25 years in 2026 and gives three awards every two years: Manava Ratna, Seva Ratna and Sauharda Ratna.

Is he the same person as the founder of Corporation Bank?

No. The Corporation Bank founder was Khan Bahadur Haji Abdullah Haji Kasim Saheb (1882 to 1935). Haji Abdulla Parkala is a contemporary community leader from Parkala.

What is the Seva Ratna?

The Seva Ratna is one of the three awards of the Udupi District Muslim Okkuta. Haji Abdulla Parkala received it for 2021-22, and NRI businessman Hidayatullah Abbas has been announced for the 2025-26 Seva Ratna.

What is happening on 31 October 2026 in Udupi?

The federation has announced a friendship meeting among communities and its 2025-26 awards at the Basel Mission Memorial Auditorium in Udupi at 6.30 pm. Prakash Raj, Hidayatullah Abbas and Suresh Bhat Bakrabail are the announced awardees, and minister Rizwan Arshad is to present the awards.

Where is Parkala?

Parkala is a suburb of Udupi city in Udupi district, Karnataka.