28 • General Themes

5.5. Occupational Pattern

Occupational pattern is not uniform among the tribes of Andhra Pradesh. Some tribes are
nomadic, some are pastoral, some are hunter-gatherers and some are agriculturalists.
Agriculture is again of different kinds such as shifting cultivation, settled agriculture etc.
Most of the tribes which have been doing Podu cultivation (term used for shifting cultivation
in Andhra Pradesh) are gradually shifting to settled agriculture as their main occupation
due to implementations of the new forest acts and low yield in slash and burn technique.
Some tribes are specialised in specific occupations. For example, Kammaras are good
carpenters and blacksmiths, Kolams and Koyas are good bamboo item makers and
Lambadis used to be good cattle-rearers. Now, they have been changing from a pastoral
community to a robust settled agricultural community. While Chenchus are experts in
honey collection, Malis are experts in garland making and Yerukalas are specialised in
sooth saying. The following Table represents the occupational pattern of the tribes of
Andhra Pradesh.

Table - 5 : Occupational Pattern of the Tribes of Andhra Pradesh

S.
Tribe Primary Occupation Secondary Occupation
No.
1 Andh Agriculture
2 Bagata Agriculture Farm labour, Forest produce collection
3 Bhil Agriculture
4 Chenchu Agriculture Honey collection, NTFP collection,
Hunting and gathering
5 Dhulia Agriculture Farm labour, Forest producecollection
6 Gadaba Slash and burn cultivation
7 Gond Agriculture Farm labour
8 Goudu Pastoralism Agriculture
9 Hill Reddi Podu cultivation
10 Jatapu Agriculture Forest produce collection
11 Kammara Blacksmithy, Carpentry Agriculture
12 Kattunayakan Hunting, Gathering Forest produce collection
13 Kolam Agriculture Making bamboo items like baskets
14 Konda Dhora Shifting cultivation Settled agriculture
15 Konda Kapu Settled agriculture Podu cultivation
16 Kondareddi Shifting cultivation Collection of NTFP
17 Kondh Hunting, Gathering Slash and burn cultivation
18 Kotia Agriculture Collection of NTFP
19 Koya Agriculture Making bamboo furniture
20 Kulia Agriculture Forest produce collection
21 Mali Garland making, Horticulture Agriculture
 Tribes in Andhra Pradesh Diversity and Social Organization • 29

S.
Tribe Primary Occupation Secondary Occupation
No.
22 Manna Dhora Agriculture
23 Mukha Dhora Agriculture Forest produce collection
24 Nakkala Hunting small-catch Selling small articles
25 Nayak Agriculture Forest produce collection
26 Pardhan Playing music Agriculture
27 Porja Podu cultivation Farm labour, Forest producecollection
28 Reddi Dhora Agriculture Forest produce collection
29 Rona Agriculture Farm labour
30 Savara Shifting cultivation
31 Sugali Agriculture Cattle rearing
32 Valmiki Podu cultivation Farm labour
33 Yenadi Fishery Catching rodents
34 Yerukula Basket making,
Mat weaving, Sooth saying

5.6. Religion and Art

Religion and art are two aspects that cannot be separated from man. While God is the one
who created them, they are the ones which create him. This seems a never-ending cycle. The
religious and artistic aspects of tribal life are very interesting and simultaneously culturally
rich and varying. While most of the tribes follow Hinduism today, many also have their
own deities that are a sort of imitation of some other Hindu deity. In some tribes, ancestral
worship occupies a special place in the religion. These tribes celebrate different festivals
related to various deities. Many of them also celebrate festivals when they consume or
harvest the crop for the first time.
Tribes are artistic by nature. It is so, perhaps, due to their proximity with the nature,
both physically and mentally. They perform dances, which are generally an imitation of
animals or birds or some other natural beings. They also manufacture beautiful objects
which are made nowhere else. Arts and crafts of tribals are rich cultural assets which the
country has to preserve. Following table summarises the religious, festive and art and
craft aspects of the tribes of Andhra Pradesh.
30 • General Themes

Table - 6: Religious, Festive and Art and Craft Aspects of the

Major Tribes of Andhra Pradesh

S.No. S.No. Deities Festivals Art and Craft

1 Bagata Sankudevatha, Etalapanduga,

Jakaradevatha, Nandi Mamidikotha,
devatha, Bali devatha, Chikkudukotha,
Goddess Durga Korrakotha
2 Chenchu Lord Mallikarjuna Story narration playing
a bronze instrument
3 Gadaba Saree weaving from
Karnada tree fibre
4 Gond Persa pen, Akhi pen, Nagoba jathara, Gusadi dance
Nat auwal, Nagoba, Jangubhai
Jangubhai jathara
5 Jatapu Bhimapenu, Jakaripenu, Hire parbu, Different Peacock dance
Illupenu, Horupenu, kothas
Jolla penu, Rugapenu,
Tokkipenu, Potharaju
6 Kammara Nishanidevatha, Chaitpurab, Dhimsa (dance)
Sankudevatha, Gangalammapanduga,
Jakaridevatha, Mamidikotha,
Gangalamma Kandikotha,
Chikkudukotha,
Samakotha
7 Kolam Nadidiyamma, Bhimayyaklagna, Gusadi(dance)
Sitadevi, Goddess Akandi, Pokkekotha,
Lakshmi, Idumaladevi, Mondos, Kothala
Potharaju, Jangubai
8 Konda Dhora Bod devatha, Chaitrapanduga,
Sankudevatha, Ballipanduga,
Nishanidevatha, Samakotha,
Jakaradevatha Chikkudukotha,
Pusapandoi,
Kadapandoi
9 Kondareddi Muthyalamma, Mamidikotha,
Bhumidevi, Bhudevipanduga,
Gangammadevi, Gangammadevipanduga,
Pandavas, Saralamma Vanadevudupanduga,
Chettu panduga,
Rajula panduga
 Tribes in Andhra Pradesh Diversity and Social Organization • 31

S.No. S.No. Deities Festivals Art and Craft

10 Kotia Peddademudu, Pus purab,

Sankudemudu, Soyuthpurab,
Nandi demudu, Nandi purab,
Jakaridemudu, Ashadhajathara,
Ganga devatha Gairampanduga,
Peddademudupanduga,
Bhimademudupanduga,
Different kothas
11 Koya Bhima, Korrarajulu, Sammakka-Saralamma Peramakokata
Mamili, Potharaju jathara (dance)
12 Kulia Lord Appala Korrakotha,
Narasimha, Lord Mettadhanyamkotha,
Jagannath Chikkudukotha,
Mamidikotha
13 Manna Dhora Jankiridevatha, Nishanipanduga,
Ganga devudu, Jankiripanduga,
Sankudevatha Nandi panduga,
Bododevathapanduga,
Sankudevathapanduga,
Ganga devudupanduga,
Differentkothas
14 Mukha Dhora Bododevatha, Chitrapanduga
Jakaradevatha,
Sankudevatha,
15 Nayak Goddess Lakshmi,
Pandavas
16 Porja Bod devatha, Giljiaporbu, Poduja, Nandinat (dance)
Sankudevatha, Gotnakiya, Amflishuva,
Nishanidevatha, Bandaponpuras, Nandi
purab,Volpoda, Bali
devarapanduga
17 Savara Jakaradevatha, Jumjumjal, Tramson (dance),
Barubuoy, Yongubuoy, Agawapanduga, Ittalmaran (wall
Gusadabuoy, Kiljab painting)
Mundadabuoy,
Jamudubuoy
18 Sugali Lord Vishnu, Lord Teej, Seetala festival,
Rama, Sevabhaya, Tuljabhavani festival
Merama, Mathral
32 • General Themes

5.1. Marriage and Polity

Marriage seems a universal phenomenon, though the forms and processes vary. Marriage
is generally by negotiation. Marriage by elopement, marriage by capture, marriage by
service, marriage by exchange and marriage by intrusion are the other forms of marriage
seen in various tribes. Some tribes follow monogamy, while others follow polygamy and in
some cases, polygyny. In some tribes, levirate or sororate or both types of marriages are
allowed. Nuclear families are the common pattern while joint families are of a rare
occurrence. In most of the tribes, divorce and widow remarriage are allowed.
Some tribes have significant political bodies, while others have loose rudimentary
political structures. In most of the tribes, polity and religion have a close link. The political
body is generally a combination of political heads and religious heads. Traditional village
councils are still maintained in most of the tribal settings, even though the statutory
political institutions too, have a role. Kinship plays a major role in both their marriage
and politics. Following table points out the significant features related to marriage and
political institutions of the tribes of Andhra Pradesh:

Table - 7: Significant Features of Marriage and Political Institutions among

Tribes of Andhra Pradesh

Traditional Political /
S. Tribe Type of Marriage Forms of Marriage Religious Council
No. Head(s)/ Servants
1 Andh Negotiation,
Intrusion
2 Bagata Negotiation, Levirate, Sororate, Borobai
Elopement, Capture, Polygamy
Service
3 Chenchu Negotiation Levirate, Polygamy,
Cross-cousin marriage
4 Gond Negotiation, Levirate, Polygyny, Patel, Devari,
Capture, Elopement, Cross-cousin marriage Katora, Bhaktal
Service, Intrusion
5 Goudu Negotiation, Levirate
Capture, Elopement,
Service
6 Jatapu Negotiation, Havanta, Barika,
Capture, Elopement, Chalani
Service, Ceremonial
capture
7 Kammara Negotiation, Levirate, Sororate Barobai
Elopement, Capture,
Service
8 Kolam Negotiation, Levirate Naikon, Delak,
Capture, Elopement, Mahajan, Tarmaka,
Service, Intrusion Gatiya