18 • General Themes

6. Gadaba: Gadabas are found in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and

East Godavari. They are also seen in Odisha. They live in permanent villages and practise
slash and burn or plough cultivation. They are subdivided into different endogamous
groups like Bodo, Gutob, Kallayi, Parangi, Kathera, Kapu, etc. They practise shamanistic
rituals. They still erect menhirs (monoliths) to commemorate the dead. This is a megalithic
tradition. The women wear neck-rings weighing 500-700 g. which are removed only after
death. This tribe is popular for its dance form ‘Dhimsa’. They speak Austro-Asiatic and
Dravidian languages. Ollari and Kondekor are different dialects spoken by them. They
have their own language, Gutub.
7. Gond: This tribe is concentrated in West Godavari, with significant population in
Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Krishna, Guntur, Anantapur and Chittoor. Gonds are also
spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra (Vidarbha), Chattisgarh, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Western Odisha and Telangana. Gonds first settled in Gondwana land,
now in eastern Madhya Pradesh. They have established kingdoms and ruled between 14th
and 18th centuries. They were overthrown by Marathas in their last phase. They have built
temples, forts, palaces, tanks and lakes during their dynasty. They also call themselves
Rajgonds. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, they have organisation under phratry system,
Naalvir, Seevir, Saarvir and Edvir being the four phratries having exogamous relationship
among them. Gonds have been the witnesses for the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency in central
India. At the behest of Chattisgarh government, they formed Salwa Judum, an armed
militant group to fight Naxalite insurgency. They speak Gondi language which is closely
related to Telugu. While half of them speak Gondi language, others speak Indo-Aryan
languages including Hindi. Naikpod tribe is kept along with this tribe in the list of Scheduled
Tribes recognised by the Constitution of India. This is done even though these two have no
relation. Naikpods are divided into different exogamous groups. Their pantheon of deities
includes Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Krishna. They are experts in making famous Naikpod
masks resembling Lord Krishna, Goddess Lakshmi, Pandiraju, Potharaju, Pandavas,
Singaboyadu, Gorrepothu and Lord Shiva.
8. Goudu: Goudus are concentrated in Visakhapatnam, with considerable population in
Vizianagaram and East Godavari. It is a pastoral community. They are primarily
concentrated in Araku valley, Paderu and Munchingput areas of Visakhapatnam. They are
divided into twelve endogamous units which are further subdivided into various
exogamous units. They practise shifting cultivation and settled agriculture. Goudus in
Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam speak Adivasi Odiya, while those in East Godavari
speak Telugu.
9. Hill Reddi: Hill Reddis or Kondareddis live in some parts of erstwhile Hyderabad state.
The name is anglicized and they are enumerated separately. They live in the hilly tracts
flanking the river Godavari in Khammam. A few live sparsely distributed in various districts
of Andhra Pradesh. They undertake Podu cultivation.
10. Jatapu: Jatapus are found in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram. A small population is
seen in Visakhapatnam and Krishna. They are also seen in Koraput and Ganjam districts
of Odisha. They can be considered as Telugised Khond people. They were originally a part
of the old kingdom of Jeypore. They undertake cultivation and collect forest produce.
Those in hills speak Khond language and those in plains speak Telugu. They have a dialect
 Tribes in Andhra Pradesh Diversity and Social Organization • 19

called Kuvi. Currently, it is hard to find any member of Jatapu speaking kuvi. The Savara of
Srikakulam and Vizianagaram have at many places adopted Jatapu cultural characteristics.
11. Kammara: Kammaras are concentrated in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari. A
significant population of them is spread over all the districts. They are also called Konda
Kammaras and Ojas. They are traditionally blacksmiths and carpenters. They make
agricultural tools for farmers and receive in kind in return. Some of them are giving up
their traditional occupation and undertaking agriculture as their livelihood. They speak
Telugu.
12. Kattunayakan: Kattunayakans are seen very sparsely spread in Andhra Pradesh, with
considerable population in Chittoor. They are also seen in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
Karnataka. The term means King of the jungle in Tamil. They are also called
Cholanaickans and Pathinaickans. They are one of the earliest known inhabitants of
Western Ghats. The members of this community are short with black skin and protruding
forehead. The women wear a single piece of cloth around their body just below their neck
leaving the hands completely bare. The main deity of this community is Bhairava, a form
of Lord Shiva. They speak a language which is a mixture of various Dravidian languages.
They used to hunt and gather. Now they only collect forest produce. They are very much in
tune with the Nature.
13. Kolam: Kolams are sparsely spread in the state, with considerable population in
Visakhapatnam. They are also found in Telangana, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra. This is an endogamous community with agriculture as their livelihood.
They speak Kolami language. They have a high rate in returning positive to Naked Eye
Single Tube Red-cell Osmotic Fragility Test (NESTROFT). It means that they are
highly prone to Thalassaemia. Kolams have a kula panchayath (traditional village
council) which consists of naikon (headman), delak (priest), mahajan (messenger), tarmaka
(cook) and gatiya (distributor of food).
14. Konda Dhora: Konda Dhoras are found in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam,
East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna, with very high population in Visakhapatnam
and Vizianagaram. They call themselves as Kubing or Kondargi in their dialect. They are
divided into different clans such as Korra, Killo, Swabi, Pangi, Paralek, Mandelek, Kimudu,
Ontalu, Bidaka, Somelunger, Surrek, Goolorigune, Olijukula, etc. They used to undertake
only shifting cultivation. Now, they also do settled agriculture. Those in Srikakulam,
Vizianagaram and East Godavari no longer speak their dialect. They speak Telugu. Those
in Visakhapatnam speak both Telugu and Adivasi Odiya.
15. Konda Kapu: Konda Kapus are mainly found in Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and
Krishna. They chiefly perform settled agriculture while those in hilly areas undertake
Podu cultivation. They practice Hinduism. They speak Telugu.
16. Kondareddi: Kondareddis inhabit the hilly and forest areas flanking the river Godavari
in East Godavari and West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh and Khammam in Telangana. A
considerable population is also seen in Visakhapatnam and Krishna. They are also found
in Odisha and Tamil Nadu. They are not recognised as tribes by Odisha. They are primarily
shifting cultivators. They sell NTFP such as adda leaves, broomsticks and tamarind to
non- tribals as an additional livelihood. They speak Telugu.
20 • General Themes

17. Kondh: Kondhs are seen in the dense hill tracts of Visakhapatnam. A significant
number of them are seen in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari. They are also
seen in Bihar, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Traditionally they
were hunter gatherers14. They continue that and perform slash and burn cultivation even
after having fertile tracts of land with them now. They practise clan exogamy. They are
subdivided into different groups like Dongriya Kondh, Desaya Kondh, Kuttiya Kondh,
Tikiria Kondh, Yenity Kondh, etc. They perform ‘Mayura dance’. As the name suggests, it is
an imitation of the movements of peacock. They speak Kui language which is a Dravidian
language written with Odiya script. Dongriya Kondhs in Niyamgiris of Odisha have become
famous with the Vedanta issue. Vedanta Resources, a UK-based mining company initiated
mining bauxite in Niyamgiris, which stepped back after severe and continuous protests.
After several discussions, government also supported the locals.
18. Kotia: Kotias are concentrated in Visakhapatnam, with significant number of them
settled in Srikakulam. They are subdivided into groups like Bodo Kotia, Sano Kotia, Putia
Poika, etc. Bodo Kotia is socially superior to Sano Kotia, while Sano Kotia in turn is
superior to Putia Poika. Kotia claim equal status with Banjara who are locally superior in
social hierarchy. They undertake cultivation and also collect NTFP. They speak a dialect of
Odiya.
19. Koya: Koyas live in East Godavari and West Godavari. Visakhapatnam, Krishna,
Guntur and Prakasam also have considerable population of the tribe living in their
territory. They are also seen in Telangana, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka,
Odisha and Lakshadweep. They are subdivided into groups like Doli Koya, Gutta Koya,
Kummara Koya, Musara Koya, Oddi Koya, Pattidi Koya, Rasha Koya, Lingadhari Koya,
Kottu Koya, Bhine Koya, Rajkoya, etc. They are also called as Dorala Sattam or Koitur.
They are settled cultivators. They cultivate Jowar, Ragi, Bajra and other millets. They are
expert artisans. They make bamboo furniture. The tribe is divided into five exogamous
phratries - Mudava Ghatta, Nalgava Ghatta, Idava Ghatta, Arava Ghatta and Edava
Ghatta. They perform popular ‘Bison horn dance’ during festivals. They speak Koya
language which is called Chettu Bhasha (Tree language) or Gali Bhasha (Air language) in
Telugu. They are highly influenced by Telugu language and culture. Displacement of Koyas
due to Polavaram Project is a current issue.
20. Kulia: Kulias, also called as Mulias, live in Visakhapatnam. They are divided into
several exogamous clans such as Naga, Surjo, Matya, Killo, Gollori, Pangi, etc. They
undertake cultivation. They also collect forest produce and sell in weekly shandies. They
also sell bangles, beads, etc. They speak in Odiya and are equally proficient in Telugu.
21. Mali: Malis are found in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool,
Anantapur and Chittoor. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat are the other states wherein this tribe is seen. The
tribe is divided into two endogamous groups - Bodo Mali and Sano Mali. Bodo Mali is
further subdivided into three groups - Khandya Mali, Pondra Mali and Thagoor Mali.
Sano Mali is further subdivided into four groups - Pannari Mali, Sorukava Mali,
Donguradiya Mali and Kosalya Mali. Bodo Mali are considered superior to Sano Mali. In
Bodo Mali, both men and women wear sacred thread, while in Sano Mali, only men wear
sacred thread. Their traditional dormitory is called Kuppu. Their traditional occupation,
as the name suggests, is garland making.
22. Manna Dhora: Manna Dhoras, also called as Mannem Dhoras, are found in
Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari. They say thay they are
 Tribes in Andhra Pradesh Diversity and Social Organization • 21

originally the inhabitants of Manyam area of Chintapalli and Narsipatnam in

Visakhapatnam. Their clan organisation is exogamous. Clans are called Kulams or
Gothrams. They speak Telugu and use Telugu script. People in the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha
border speak Odiya also. They also have Manna Dhora dialect.
23. Mukha Dhora: Mukha Dhoras are found in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, with
considerable number living in Srikakulam and East Godavari. They are also called as
Nooka Dhoras or Racha Reddis or.Nuka Rajas. The tribe is divided into several exogamous
clans like Korra, Gammela, Kakara, Kinchoyi, Sugra, etc. The elders of the community
wear sacred thread and tulasi beads. They are considered at a social status just below that
of Bagata. They do agriculture and collect forest produce. They speak Telugu and Adivasi
Odiya. They also have Mukha Dhora dialect.
24. Nakkala: Nakkala is a nomadic community. Presently, they are concentrated in SPSR
Nellore and Chittoor. They hunt small birds and animals for consumption and sell small
articles like toys, plastic items, needles, mirrors, etc. for livelihood. They are called
Guvvalavallu (Dove people) or Pittalavallu (Bird people) in Andhra Pradesh and Narikorva
(Fox hunters) or Oosikora (Needle sellers) or Kurvikaran (Crow catchers) in Tamil Nadu.
It is an endogamous tribe with moiety system, Bhokadomarawala (do not eat buffalo
meat) and Bekhomarawala (do not eat goat meat) being the two moieties. Each moiety is
further divided into two phratries. Bhokadomarawala is divided into Dhugavwala and
Naukadwala phratries. Bekhomarawala is divided into Jambal and Pawar phratries. These
phratries are subdivided into lineages.
25. Nayak: Nayaks are majorly spread in West Godavari, with small populations in
Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari. They claim that they have
served in the army of kings, hence their name. They do agriculture. They also perform
Podu cultivation and collect forest produce. They speak Telugu.
26. Pardhan: Pardhans are mainly seen in Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
A small number of them live in Andhra Pradesh. They were bards and musicians for the
Gond rulers. Each Gond family traditionally has a Pardhan family serving as official
bards. Now, Pardhans are undertaking alternate means of livelihood like agriculture. Those
in Andhra Pradesh speak Telugu, while those in other states speak respective native
languages. They also speak their own dialect. Pardhans’ political body, panch consists of
patel, mahajan, devari, hawaldar and karbari.
27. Porja: Porjas are seen in Visakhapatnam. A considerable number of them are also
seen in Vizianagaram and East Godavari. They are also found in Assam and Odisha. They
are divided into endogamous subunits such as Parangi Porja, Jhodia Porja, Gadaba Porja,
Banang Porja, Pangu Porja, Kolloi Porja, Didoi Porja, etc. They are further subdivided
into totemic clans called Bowsus such as Kimudu, Killo, Korra, Rambi, etc. They undertake
Podu cultivation and collect forest produce. Some of them also work as farm labourers.
They speak Telugu and Adivasi Odiya. They also have their own dialect.
28. Reddi Dhora: Reddi Dhoras are primarily seen in Visakhapatnam. They are organised
into different exogamous clans. They undertake settled agriculture and Podu cultivation.
They also collect forest produce. They speak Telugu.
29. Rona: Ronas are primarily found in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Krishna.
They are also called Renas or Ranas, the literal meaning of the term being war. They perform
settled agriculture and some of them also work as farm labourers. They speak Odiya.
22 • General Themes

30. Savara: Savaras are concentrated in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, with considerable
population in other coastal districts. They are also seen in Southern Odisha, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. They are also known as Sabara or Sora or Soura. They
are Proto- Australoid racial stock. They practise shifting cultivation, a few gradually
undertaking settled agriculture. The tribe is endogamous. Clan organisation being absent
is a striking feature. Nuclear family is the general family pattern and polygamy17 is present.
They have a distinct shamanic culture. They worship deities such as Sandhidemudu and
Jakaradevatha. They have a traditional political organisation comprising five people -
Gomango (secular head), Buyya (religious head), Mondal, Raito and Barik (messenger).
They speak Sora, a Mundari language.
31. Sugali: Sugalis inhabit in plains throughout the state. They have significant number of
them residing in all the districts, with relatively few living in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.
They are also called as Lambadis or Banjaras. They seem to be originally from Rajasthan.
They are spread all over India, majority being concentrated in Rajasthan, Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. British colonial authorities curbed their
movement by bringing them under Criminal Tribes Act, 1871. They are traditionally
transporters of goods like salt, grains, firewood and cattle. They are experts in cattle rearing
and selling milk and milk products has been their livelihood since long. Now, they are also
undertaking agriculture. They profess to be Hindus. They celebrate Teej festival during
Shravana month. Women are specialised in lepo embroidery which involves stitching
pieces of mirror, decorative beads and coins onto cloth. They wear silver jewelry and white
bangles. They speak Gor Boli, also known as Lambadi, which belongs to Indo-Aryan
group of languages.
32. Valmiki: Valmikis are spread in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari. They are also
seen in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and West Godavari. They claim to be the descendents
of the sage Valmiki who wrote Ramayana. They practise Podu cultivation. Some of them
also work as farm labourers. They speak in a dialect of Telugu and use Telugu script. Some
of them also speak a form of Odiya.
33. Yenadi: Yenadis are concentrated in SPSR Nellore, Chittoor, YSR Kadapa, Prakasam,
Guntur and Krishna, with significant number in the remaining districts. They are divided
into four endogamous groups - Manchi Yenadi or Reddi Yenadi (cultivators and servants),
Adavi Yenadi (live in forests), Paki Yenadi (scavengers) and Chella Yenadi (collect left-out
food). Paki Yenadis and Chella Yenadis are considered low and untidy. Yenadis are
traditionally inland fishermen. They also work as farm labourers catching rodents and
collecting firewood serve as their secondary occupations. They speak Telugu.
34. Yerukula: Yerukulas are distributed throughout the state. They are also called Kurrus.
They are divided into different groups named after the commodity they make or the work
they do - Dabba Yerukula (make baskets with bamboo), Eethapullala Yerukula (make
baskets with wild-date leaves), Kunchapuri Yerukula (make weaver’s combs),
Parikamuggula Yerukala (sooth-sayers and beggars), Uppu Yerukula (salt hawkers),
Karivepaku Yerukala (curry-leave hawkers), etc. They are traditionally basket makers,
mat weavers, pig rearers, rope makers and sooth sayers. Now they are taking alternative
occupations. They are primarily Hindus. They speak Yerukula language, which is a
Dravidian language. It is also called as Kurru Bhasha or Kulavatha.