Padmasali (caste)

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Padmasali
Regions with significant populations
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu
Languages
Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Tulu
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Devanga, Pattusali, Pattariyar, Saliya

Padmasali (also spelt as Padmashali, Padmasale) is a Hindu caste residing in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, [1] Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. [2] [3] In coastal Karnataka they called Shettigar. Their traditional occupation is weaving. [4] [5]

Contents

Etymology

The term Padmasali is derived from two words Padma and Sali, The Padma means lotus and Sali means weaver. [6] The word Padma referring to the myth of the thread was a lotus which sprang from the navel of Vishnu. [7]

History

The Padmasalis are part of the wider community of Telugu weavers, who are known as "Sale" or "Saliya". Historically, they were also referred to by other castes as "Julai". [8]

The Padmasalis follow their historical origins and Puranas such as Kulapurana and Markandeya Purana . [9]

The Padmasalis and the Devangas, who are another caste of weavers, were originally a single caste in ancient times and followed Vaishnavism. The caste then split due to differences in faith, with the Devangas being influenced by Lingayatism and accepting Chamundeswari, the fierce form of Durga as their kuladevi. The Padmasalis maintained their belief in Vaishnavism. The Padmasalis eventually specialised in weaving clothes of all varieties. [9]

The Padmasalis are of Shudra origin, [10] [11] but through the process of Sanskritisation they claim to be of Brahmin status. They created various myths in order to reconcile their low-status in the Hindu caste-system with their claims to high-caste Sanskritic Brahmin status. In one myth, for example, the sage Markandeya performed a sacrifice and out of the sacrifice came Bhavanarishi, who married two daughters of the sun god Surya and had 101 sons. The Padmasalis claim to be the descendants of these 101 sons and claim that they followed Brahmin rites and customs until Kali Yuga, the last of the four ages in Hindu chronology. According to the myth, one member of the caste refused to reveal the secrets of the caste gem, the Padmaksha, to the god Ganapati. Angered, Ganapati cursed them to be of low status. [12]

The 101 children correspond to the 101 gotras of the Padmasalis. These gotras are used to regulate marriages, however Husan noted in 1920 that the many illiterate Padmasalis were unaware that their caste had gotras. Only a few Padmasalis have the Brahmin gotras. The guru of the Padmasalis, Tata Acharya, and his deputy, Pattabhai Ramaswamy, traveled throughout regions where the Padmasalis lived and tried to raise their social and religious status. They along with the Padmasali Mahasabha advised the Padmasalis to become vegetarians, to not drink liquor, to prohibit the re-marriage of widows, to prohibit child-marriage, to wear the sacred thread, and perform Brahmanical rites. This was done as the previous religious customs of the Padmasalis were seen as being indicative of their low status in the Hindu caste system, and so sought to erase them in order to obtain greater socio-religious status. [12]

Members of the Padmasali community migrated into Tamil-speaking regions from Andhra Pradesh. [13] Their descendants continue to speak Telugu at home. After migration, the Padmasalis lived in Saliya Teru (weavers' street) specially assigned to them by royal patrons in the temple town of Kanchipuram. [13] Major silk retail houses like Nalli is owned by Padmasali families. [13]

Present

The Padmasalis are further divided into two groups based on Sampradaya, being the Shaivas and the Vaishnavas. While the Shaivas give preference to worshipping Shiva, the Vaishnavas give preference to worship of Vishnu. These religious and occupational distinctions are no bar to interdining and intermarriage. [9] They worship local goddesses such as Chamundeswari and Yellamma. The latter is traditionally considered to be the mother of Parasurama and is identified with Renuka. [9] The Padmasalis wear the sacred thread. [14] , however this practice has declined in recent years, along with desires of Sanskritisation and high caste status. [12]

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "From scrolls to masks: how Telangana's 400 years old cheriyal paintings have evolved". www.thenewsminute.com. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  2. ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 1654. ISBN   978-0-19-563357-3.
  3. ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh; India, Anthropological Survey of (1996). Identity, ecology, social organization, economy, linkages and development process: a quantitative profile. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 109. ISBN   978-0-19-563353-5.
  4. ↑ Shivappa, H. V. (2001). Indian silk industry. Ganga Kaveri Pub. House. p. 67. ISBN   9788185694351.
  5. ↑ Roy, Sarat Chandra (1992). Man in India. A. K. Bose. p. 143.
  6. ↑ The Indian Textile Journal. Business Press. 1984. p. 63.
  7. ↑ Arterburn, Yvonne J. (1982). The loom of interdependence: silkweaving cooperatives in Kanchipuram. Hindustan Pub. Co. p. 46. ISBN   9780391027497.
  8. ↑ Kumaran 1992, p. 141, 153. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFKumaran1992 (help)
  9. 1 2 3 4 P, Swarnalatha (2005). The World of the Weaver in Northern Coromandel, C.1750-C.1850 (2005 ed.). Hyderabad: Orient Longman Private Limited. pp. 31–41. ISBN   978-8-12502-868-0.
  10. ↑ Evans-Pritchard, Edwards Evans (1973). Peoples of the Earth: The Indian subcontinent (including Ceylon). Danbury Press. p. 53.
  11. ↑ Bhargav, Nimmagadda (2023). Stringers and the Journalistic Field: Marginalities and Precarious New Labour in Small-Town India. Taylor & Francis.
  12. 1 2 3 Kumaran, K. P. (1992). Migration Settlement and Ethnic Associations. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 142–145, 153.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "The 'soft' corner for silks". Business Line . 20 March 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2020. Born into the Padmasaliyar weaving community, which has a hoary tradition going back to the Chola period, Nalli Kuppusami Chettiar is proud of his lineage.
  14. ↑ Subrahmanyam, Y. Subhashini (1975). Social Change in Village India: An Andhra Case Study. Prithvi Raj Publishers. p. 76.
  15. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._C._Kondaiah
  16. ↑ "Pragada Kotaiah birth anniversary on July 27". The Hindu. Vijayawada. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  17. ↑ "KCR unveils Konda Lakshman Bapuji's statue at Padmashali Bhavan". The Hans India . 27 September 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  18. ↑ Census of India, 1971: Series 1: India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. p. 198.
  19. 1 2 Gosikonda, Sreeramulu (2 November 2022). "Padmashalis in Telangana: Lack of political representation hurts traditional weaving community". The South First. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  20. ↑ Basani, Shivakumar (24 March 2023). "MLC Elections: అనూహ్య రీతిలో విజయం.. ఎవరీ పంచుమర్తి అనురాధ?". Samayam (in Telugu). Retrieved 26 July 2023. విజయవాడకు చెందిన, పద్మశాలి సామాజిక వర్గానికి చెందిన అనురాధ ...... గత 15 సంవత్సరాలుగా పద్మశాలి ఇంటర్నేషనల్‌ వెల్ఫేర్‌ అసోసియేషన్‌ ఆధ్వర్యంలో తీరప్రాంతంలోని చేనేత సామాజిక వర్గానికి సేవలందిస్తున్నారు.
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