CONTENTS

PREAMBLE

Map

Tables

Chapter Title Page

No

1 INTRODUCTION

● Meaning of Tribe
● Definitions of Scheduled Tribe
● Anthropological Approach
● Objectives of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
● The Field Work Techniques And Methods:
● Observation:
● Participant Observation:
● Interview Method:
● Intensive field work
3. PLACE AND PEOPLE

Place

⮚ Dharwad district Kalaghatagi taluk

⮚ Belagavi dist Khanapur taluk

⮚ Uttara Kannada dist Haliyal Taluk

People

SIDDI

● Origin and Historical background

● Demograpy and Geographical distribution
● Physical features

4. INTENSIVE FIELD WORK

⮚ Bhorunaki of Khanapur taluk, Belagavi dist

● History and background of the village

● Population
● Socio-economic, education, Political and Health condition
● Life cycle- rituals
Birth to Death

⮚ Baichwada of Kalaghatagi taluk, Dharwad Dist

 -- do ----

⮚ Sambrani of Haliyal taluk, Uttara Kannada dist

------do-------

5. Comparative analysis among the siddi belongs to

three
District

6. SUMMARY and CONCLUSION

⮚ Opinion and Recommendations

⮚ References

⮚ Photograph
 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

The Constitution of India, under Article 342, states that the President of
India may “by public notification specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts
of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this
Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes.

Anthropological literature characterizes a tribe as (a) habitate in hilly or hill

clad area and forest or forest clad areas (b) isolated or semi-solated from the wider
community, (c) having economic self- sufficiency, I,e subsistence economy , with
no surplus productions (d) backward technology, (e) lack of division of labour (f)
having mechanical solidarity (g) economic exchange based on reciprocity or on
barter, (h) political autonomy or having their own political system(i) egalitarian
values (j) having thee religious faith in animism, animatism, maturism, totemism,
or magic and whitch-craft, and finally (k) a sence of belongingness to the
community

The Siddis of North Canara district are belongs to Scheduled Tribe as per
government order (area restriction) but the same siddi belong to neighboring
district like Dharwad and Belagavi dist are not Scheduled Tribe. Hence the
Ethnographic study among Siddi of Dharwad and Belagavi dist has been
undertaken as per the Government order.

The term ‘tribe’ is derived from the Latin word ‘tribus’. Earlier Romans
used this term to designate the divisions in society. Latter use suggests that it
meant poor people. The present popular meaning in English language was acquired
during the expansion of colonialism particularly in Asia and Africa

The present popular meaning of ‘Tribe’ in India refers to a category of people,

included in the list of Scheduled Tribes. It has carried different connotations in
different countries.In none of the Indian language there were the term tribes. In
India the term ‘tribe’ conveys a meaning of a bewildering and enchanting group of
people. It refers to preliterate, localized social group the members of which speak a
common dialect. The tribal people have been known by various names such as
Adivasi, Vanavasi, Vanyajati, Adimjati, Girijan and Pahari etc. Ghurey has
described them as backward Hindus.

The Indian Constitution has made important provisions for the development
and welfare of the tribes. A list of tribes was adopted for this purpose. The people
who have been listed in the Constitution and mentioned in successive presidential
orders are called Scheduled Tribes. This is the administrative concept of tribe.

A tribe has been defined in various ways. The Constitution, however, does
not provide a definition of a tribe. The people who have been listed in the
Constitution have been termed as Scheduled Tribes.Academicians have been
making their efforts to define tribe. The Dictionary of Sociology defines tribe as a
“social group, usually with a definite area, dialect, cultural homogeneity and
unifying social organisation.

DEFINITIONS OF TRIBES
 According to the Imperial Gazetteer,“A tribe is a collection of families
bearing a common name speaking a common dialect, occupying or professing to
occupy a common territory and is not usually endogamous though originally it
might have been so.”

Gillin and Gillin,“Any collection of preliterate local group which occupies a

common general territory, speaks a common language and practises a common
culture, is a tribe”. ,

As Ralph Linton says,“In its simplest form the tribe is a group of bands
occupying a continuous territory and having a feeling of unity deriving from
numerous similarities in culture and certain community of interests.”

According to Rivers,“A tribe is a social group of simple kind, the members

of which speaks a common dialect and act together in such common purpose as
warfare”

Accoding to D.N Majumdar,“A tribe is a collection of families, bearing a

common name, members to which occupy the same territory, speak the same
language and observe certain taboos regarding marriage profession or occupation
and have developed a well assessed system of reciprocity and mutuality of
obligation.”

Article 342 Scheduled Tribes:

The President may, with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it
is a state, after consultation with the Governor there of by public notification,
specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal
communities which shall, for the purposes of this constitution, is deemed to be
scheduled tribes in relation to that state or Union Territory, as the case may be
Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled tribes
specified in a notification issued under clause(1) any tribe or tribal community or
part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid, a
notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent
notification.

Thus, the first specification of Scheduled Tribes in relation to a particular

State/ Union Territory is by a notified order of the President, after consultation
with the State governments concerned. These orders can be modified subsequently
only through an Act of Parliament. The above Article also provides for listing of
scheduled tribes State/Union Territory wise and not on an all India
basisConstitutional Safeguards for Tribal’s:

Pre-independence tribal’s living in forests, hills and even on the plain were
isolated from the mainstream. The statuses of the tribals were unsatisfactory during
princely and colonial region. It was a policy of neglect and saga of exploitation.
Due to this, their land and forest were slowly and gradually grabbed by the rich
people like landlords and money lenders. They were turned into bonded laborers,
leading a life of extreme poverty and misery. The excessive encroachment on their
rights in forest land led to an expression of anger in the form of riots. Thus
independent India inherited a complex tribal problem' from the British colonial
system. The major thrust is to solve the tribal problem in view of our commitment
to the objectives of social justice, social, economic and political equality of status
and opportunity as enshrined in the preamble to the constitution. The makers of the
constitution paid special attention towards the tribal problems and tried to
eradicate it forever. The concern of the constituent members of the constitution for
protection and promotion of the interests of the deprived sections is amply
reflected in the preamble of the constitution which was amended in 1976. It
succinctly proclaims the aims and objects of the constitution, i.e., to constitute into
a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic. The Scheduled Areas and
Scheduled Tribes Commission for the Tribal Welfare and Development, 1961
headed by Sri U.N Dhebar observed that theconstitution arranged for the provision
of resources and provided the required institutional apparatus. Some of the
safeguards for the tribals in the constitution were initially in co-operated for ten
years. In fixing this period, the constitution had envisaged an effective follow - up
programmers which would have obviated the need for their continuance. This hope
has not materialized and the period has been extended. But it is observed that this
has not been due to any deficiency in the constitution itself. It is the result of
deficiency in performance.' The constitution deliberately laid emphases on both
aspects – protective as well as developmental. The members of the constitution
were keen that the tribals join the mainstreams of the national life, in order to
retain their'traits and cultural heritage. Keeping this in view, the tribal status in
constitution, therefore, made special provision for their social and economic
development. The provisions are contained in Articles 46,244,330, 332, 334,
335,338, 339, 342 and schedules V, VI to the constitution of India. The
constitution also permits for change in laws, according to the tribal situation in
concerned area.
 CHAPTER 2

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

An Ethnographic study being a comprehensive cultural study of a

community it involves the name of the community, its synonyms, racial,
introduction, legends associated with its creation, origin, historical folk legends
and beliefs, the original habitat, exodus, the present habitat and environment,
social structure, kinds of families, family relationships, marital connections,
kinship, the position of women. Children and old people, the rituals and customs of
lifecycle, social-economic status, relations and activities the methods of social
control, dress, ornaments, food habits, religious beliefs and observances, languages
and inter racial or inter caste relations. An Ethnographic study being a part of
anthropology in Anthropology study, the study records, interview and assessment
study and a definite subject indicator and such other techniques are adopted. In
science and social and social science research, Anthological study has a unique
place. Participatory study is a queue and essential part of the anthropological
methodology. According to this method the anthropologist has lived for a long
period of time amidst the people about whom the study is undertaken and
becoming one among them and has tried to understand their pulse and conceptions.

For the present study information has been gathered from primary and
secondary informative sources. The primary information is collected from books,
magazines, articles published and unpublished research papers the reports
available from the Govt. and Non Govt Source and internet sources.

METHODOLOGY

For this intensive field work, the information about siddi community has
been collected from primary data and secondary data.To gather information, first
we studied books, writings and research papers related to siddi community. From
these resources, we came to know siddi community history, population, religion,
habitation, migration and relation with each other which helpful to our field
study. The comparison made in the present status which gathered by field visits
and past living style gathered from media data revealed changes in many fields.

The main objective of this field work study was to know the present status,
changes in social life, culture, relation, political and economical, about siddi
community. Having set these objectives we met Director, Karnataka State Tribal
Research Institute, Mysuru and information collectors from Uttar-Kannada,
Dharwad and Belagavi districts. We selected one siddi village in each above
mentioned districts for our study. The siddi community members and leaders
welcomed us and there after Director of Institute conveyed our objective the visit.

Siddis in Uttara kannada district are included to ST category in the year

2002 and they are getting all the Government benefits meant for ST category,
whereas siddis in Belagavi and Dharwad district are from these benefits since they
are not included to ST category. Our main objective of the study was to examine
whether these people are really siddis or not. In support of this, we conducted
house hold survey (Filled Scheduled) of siddi villages in Belgavi and Dharwad
district. These schedules included general information, personal education,
politics, economical, health related information of siddi commonly. For this
intensive field work study, we selected villages which were densely populated with
siddi people and people belonging to other community and carried deeper study
villages namely Bhooranki, Baichwad and Sambrani in Belagavi , Dharwad and
Uttarkannada district respectively were selected for this purpose on the day of our
visit to their villages. Local community members welcomed us. They performed
their traditional dance called Damami on briefing our study objective, they
arranged our accommodation.

Every day we noticed life cycle and day to day activities of siddi
community and took note of the same. From elders of siddi community and
people belonging to other community, we came to know the village history and
migration. From leaders of siddi community and people we came to know history,
relationship with other community and arts. By participating in their cultural
programme, we also learned culture. Long stay in their house helped us to observe
note respect towards women and her status in the house and also love and care
towards their children. From siddi community elders, we came to know about
their early celebrations and changes in present time.

In this deeper study not only participatory observation but also interviews
have been done. Interviews helped us to know inter-relationship between siddis,
their culture and history cultural celebration, body structure; financial status and
living are same across three districts apart from religion. (Siddi follow mainly
three religions Hinduism, Christianity and Islam)
The field work techniques and methods:

The fieldwork was carried out in different phases. The first phase of pilot survey
during the month of in OCT-2014 The field work was carried out in all the four
talukas of Dharwad district,Belagavi district during OCT-2014 -JUNE 2015
except the rainy season. During that period, a team consisting 5 members of data
collectors visited and collected the information regarding the distribution of the
Siddi tribenumber of hamlets and their population etc. In the house hold census
regarding thename, age, sex, house type, relation to head, marital status, marriage,
educationalstatus, occupation, traditional occupation, total income, economic and
materialculture, major crops growing, mode of transportation, land use pattern,
television,telelinks, house, type of house construction, personal care like source of
bath, food,habits, electric facility, drinking water, toilets facilities etc., are
collected. In thisregard, a number of informers and resource persons have helped
in collecting theinformation from various sources.Social and Political Organization

In the next phase…… of fieldwork, the investigator started visiting majority of the
Siddi hamlets in the district where the Siddiare distributed. The investigator
collected the information byusing schedules to generate the data to fulfill the
objectives. The investigators collecting detailed information on their social
organization, economy, mobility, andchanges using schedules apart from using the
different anthropological techniques ofresearch like observation, participant, and
non-participant techniques to have firsthand information on special occasions like
car festivals, Jatra, fairs and festivals andon life cycle rituals like marriage, puberty
ceremony death and birth ceremonies.Participant observation methods have been
followed by visiting the people in theirvillages on intervals during such events
occurred. During the field work, the investigator spent night time as a part of the
intensive field work among the people who are mostly elders having knowledge
on the traditionalpractices about their people and community, especially those who
could give clearinformation, ideas about their beliefs, rituals, social aspect,
economy and other furtherrequired information. Most of the time the investigator
spent with knowledgeable people of the Siddi. With such people, he had detailed
discussions and in each such occasion he feltthat there were more questions to be
answered and more clarifications are required for further repeated discussion and
their interpretations allowed me to get moreinformation about the Siddis of
Dharwad ,Belagavi and Uttara kannada district.

Observation:

Ethnographic research offers an orientation to understand the process andstructure

of a social setting and employs research techniques consistent with this

Orientation. It is the study of both explicit and tacit cultural knowledge.

Observinguser in the field is always the best way to determine their usability and
requirement.According to Radin (1933), about the use of informants that, in
anyobservation we refer ultimately to sensory data-to what we perceive with our
senses, what we see, hear, touch, and feel. In natural sciences they use instruments,
moresensitive than some of our senses; they register the facts in such a fashion that
weneed to apply our senses only to the reading of instruments, that is, within a
rangewhere our sensitiveness is adequate. Anthropologists have no instruments.
We can extend the limits of immediate observation. This substitute is not more
reliable orpositive, rather on the contrary; it entails several sources of error that it
is oftenSocial and Political Organization difficult to neutralize. The required data
have been collected based on observing therespondent in a given situation.
Observation performed keenly and systematically,viewing coupled with
consideration of the seen phenomenon. The researcherinterviews and observes the
important personalities who are involved incontextualizing the facts.

Participant observation:

Participant observation is a “technique consisting of what the people dotogether”.

This technique has very great value but its validity and the conclusions,which may
be drawn from it, should not exaggerate. It has been to some extentreaction against
mere questioning, and needs to be treated with caution”. The fieldworker can never
participate fully in the life of a community but studies somepractical
considerations. A field worker focuses on the activity of the people and thestudies
are incredibly diverted to some extent from his thinking about that people.Very
close identification or personal bond with the community becomes an obstacleto a
field worker for finding out the avenues of enquiry of the people as he is to sidein
quarrels and sometimes on delicate issues of the people among whom he
works.Therefore, a field worker requires utmost care and skill in handling
personalrelationship with the people he deals.Social and Political
OrganizationElmer S. Miller (1931) in his book “Introduction to cultural
Anthropology”states that, “to discover the pattern of organization with other
society its developmentand change and its relations with other societies. Cultural
Anthropologists have adopted various techniques of observations like descriptions,
compressions, ananalysis”. Milton Singer has called such people as Cultural
Specialists.The tools utilized in collecting the field data for the study are collection
ofHousehold Data, Conducting Interviews, Participant Observation, Informal talks
andCase Studies. Several visits were made to the settlements and the conversation
thattook place with key informant was recorded in my notebook. The recorded
materialswere listed carefully during the period of analysis of the data.The field
worker should spend a considerable period in the society he studiesat least one full
year, so that all normal events should fall within his perview.Nevertheless, even a
year’s stay might not enable him to observe, say a trimerialrituals. Even during a
prolonged stay, certain events may never occur like the deathand crowning of a
chief, a breach of exogamous rules or incest taboos, or instancesillustrating every
aspects of working of a legal system. Limitations in time have theircorollary in
limitation in space. The wider the area of study, the greater will be thevariety of
culture. Hence, field worker must rely on indirect observations.

Interview method:

An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions

areasked by the interviewer to elicit facts or statements from the interviewee. In
short, itis a purposive convention, whose purpose can vary widely to include as a
meeting toarrange for a course of action to collect information and to select
persons. The methodof interview is an important tool for collecting data in the
fieldwork. It is a process ofinteraction between the interviewers and the respondent
where the interviewer asksthe question to the latter. In other words, this is a direct
method, in which therespondent is very much “aware” of the presence of the
interviewer. The method ofinterview had many advantages like,It provides
exchange of ideas and experiences in which the respondent may recallthe past
events.The insight of the respondents can be judged through the cross-questions.It
helps in gathering information when dealing with old people and with theilliterate
groups.The purpose of question can be better explained and clarification can be
sought. In the use of interview method for the scientific study of community, there
are certain limitations. The major weakness of the interview method is the
involvement of the individual in the process of reporting of their experiences and
logical reasoning on any such matters concerned with and the consequent
likelihood of bias. Over such reporting is possible interviews tend to obtain data
that substantiate with their own personal conviction. If an individual is assumed to
be in possession of certain facts, that, he/she may be withhold or distort them
because, the way of communication Social and Political Organization passed into a
narrative may prove dangerous or destructive to him. Respondent suffers from
certain limitations regarding His capability to express himself clearly about the
question we asked,A busy person may prefer to fill the questionnaires at leisure
rather than submithimself to long interview, His experience as an interviewer,
Memory bias is another factor which renders the respondent unable to
provideaccurate information, Recording the entire interview is likely to be little
expressive in terms of timeand money in case of tape recording the use of tape
recorder may make theinterviewer cautious and scare him away from revealing
any secrets. The

Advantage of recording such interviews in that, the informants cannot go

againstthe researches by withdrawing his statements.

The interviewers conducted were mostly non-directive interviews. A

nondirectiveinterview or unstructured interview is an appropriate method for
obtaininginsights in to hidden or under laying motivations, fears, conflicts,
unacknowledgedattitudes. Personal hopes and dynamic inter relatedness of
responses. In those typesof interview, the interviewer does not follow a system or
have a list ofpredetermined questions. The interviewers are encouraged to relate
their concreteexperiences with little direction, to dwell on whatever events seem
significant tothem and to provide their own definitions of social situations, report
their own foilof attention, reveal their attitude and opinions. Therefore, the
investigator gets anatural and representative picture of the subjects, behaviors and
provides an insightinto the nature and intensity of his beliefs, motives, feelings,
and attitude.The fieldwork is not an easy task. The researcher really has to face
theUnpleasant situations at times, in the fieldwork. First, it is difficult to make or
tounderstand some of the people as to why an outsider is showing interest
inunderstanding about activities of their people. Some of the people among them
werealso suspicious and felt that, I may misuse the information conveyed by them
andthat may go against their social interests. We have to convince such people
byexplaining them the academic research activity which will be helpful to them
inSocial and Political Organization

CHAPTER3

PLACE AND PEOPLE

DHARWAD DISTRICT

Dharwad is the cultural headquarters of north karnataka. Earlierts was known as

Dharwar.Dharwad is locted 425km northwest of Banglore and 421 km south of
pune.Before1997 the district had an area of 13738km. In 1997 the new districts of
Gadag and Haveri were created out of Dharwadsformar territory. Hubli-Dharwad
are considerd as twin city of north Karnataka. The district is bounded on the North
by the District of Belgaum, on the East by the district of Gadag, on the South
Haveri and on the West by Uttara Kannada district The district is bounded on the
North by the District of Belgaum, on the East by the district of Gadag, on the
South Haveri and on the West by Uttara Kannada district.Dharwad is the home to
Karnataka University and Agriculture university .The district includes 5 talukas
namely Dharwad, Huballi, Kalaghatagi, Navalagunda, Kundagola.

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History

Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenaduregion and the plains.The name
is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata'
or 'wada'meaning "town".The Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during the 12th century.
In the 14th century, the district was first overrun by the Bahmani Sultanate, after
which it was annexed to the newly established Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, an
official of which named Dhar Rao, according to local tradition, built the fort at
Dharwad town in 1403. After the defeat of the king of Vijayanagar at Talikot
(1565). In1573 the fort was captured by the sultan of Bijapur. Adil Shah built a fort
in an area later called MannaKille, and later Nazratabad. With this fort, the
strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus attracted the attention of
subsequent conquerors, including Aurangzeb,Shivaji, Aurangzeb's son Mu
Azam, Peshwa Balaji Rao, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and finally
the British colonizers.
In 1685, the fort was taken by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The fort was
retaken in 1791 by the Marathas. After the final defeat of the Peshwa by the British
in 1818, Dharwar was incorporated into the territory of the British East India
Company's Bombai Presidency.

DARWAD DISTRICT MAP

POPULATION

According to 2011 census of India, Dharwad has the population of 1,847,023.

Out of these numbers 937,206 are male and 909,817 are female. As per 2001
census, Dharwad had the population of 1,604,253, out of which 823,204were
males and 781,049were females. Comparing to the 2001 population of the district
15.13 percent increased in 2011 population.

PEOPLE

The Major communities scatteredin Dharwad district are “Brahmin”, “Lingayat”,

“Gouli”, “Vakkaligas” and “Kurubas”. In Dharwad district, Siddis are found in
Kalaghatagi and Dharwad talukas. Kannada is the most commonly used language
of Dharwad district and the spoken style of Kannadain Dharwad is known as
“Dharwad Kannada” Which is slightly varies from Kannada spoken in Southern
Karanataka.Men in rural areas wear headgear called “Pheta” (turban)and majority
of the people wear the turban called “gandhi topi”(white cap).

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

Dharwad district is situated in the Western sector of the northern half of

Karnataka State. The District encompasses an area of 4263 km lying between the
latitudinal parallels of 15°02' and 15°51' North and longitudes of 73°43' and 75°35'
East.

CLIMATE

The district lies approximately 800 m above the sea level, which is why it enjoys a
moderate and healthy climate. The District may be divided into 3 natural regions,
viz., the Malnad, Semi-Malnad and Maidan. These regions on an average receive
moderate to heavy rainfall and have dense vegetation. Kalghatagi and Alnavar area
in Dharwad taluka in particular receive more rainfall than other talukas of the
District.

FAUNA AND FLORA

Dharwad district has a very rich fauna especially it western portion.The

district has thick forest in its western portion ever green plants are available for the
animals.Bison,Elephant,deer, monkeys,found in scrub jungles.Mammals,macaca
silenus,hauumanlangur,Tiger,leepard,wildcat,mangoose,wolf,fox,wild
dog,hyeana,bears,wild goar,black buck are found in these district.

The main forest types in Dharwad district are moist deciduous forests,scrub and
thorn foreststeak is the main tree in these forests. Bamboo groves are found along
the banks of rivers.main types of trees found in this region are mongo, jack
fruit,tamarind, peepul, banyan trees graw very well.The scrub forests are met with
in the northern and estern parts,here rough grasses and acacia trees are
found.Kalghatgi taluk host good number of medicinal plants. Some important
medicinal species of the district are Indian sarasaparilla,Ging, cat bear,
shatavari,ashwagandha, mountain plum,Rauwolfia,serpent root
plant,Bacopa,Belleric myrobalan,Vaayu vilang,Madhunashini,Amruta balli etc.,

AGRICULTURE

Jowar, maize, wheat, cotton, onions and rice are grown. The district also
grows mangoes, papaya, and bananas as horticultural produce. Black soil helps to
grow sugar cane paddy.

FOLK HERITAGE

“Dollu Kunitha”, “Veeragase”, ‘Nandikolu Kunitha’, “Jodu Halage’,

“Lambani Nruthya’, “Veerabhadra Kunitha”, “Siddi Dhamam dance” are popular
folk dances of Dharwad district.

BELAGAVI DISTRICT

Belagavi is the district headquarters in North Karnataka.The district is knwon as

“Sugar Bowl of Karnataka. The district has an area of 13,415 square km.The
district is bounded on the west and north by Maharashtra state- on northeast by
Bijapur district on the cost by Dharwad district and Uttara Kannada districts and
on the southwest by Goa state. Suvarna Vidhana Soudha is set in Belagavi district
Government of Karnataka hold Karnataka legislative Assembly for a week during
the winter season.The district includes 10 talukas
namely“Belagavi”,“Khanapur”,”Savadathi”,
“Ramdurg”,”Raybag”,”Chikodi”,”Athni”, “Hukeri”, “Gokak”, “Baila Hongal”.

HISTORY OF BELAGAVI

The original name of the district Belagavi was Velugrama (village of bamboos),
which later became Belagugrama, Belugav and ultimately Belagavi or Belgaum
(Bel – bamboo and gaon – village). Earlier, Belgaum was ruled by the
Satavahanas, the Chalukyas followed by the Rashtrakutas. However, it was under
the Kadambas and the Rattas in 12th century that Belgaum attained its
preeminence. These rulers were followed by the Devagiri Yadavas and the
Vijayanagara rulers. In 1472, the Bahamanis conquered Belgaum before ceding it
to the Bijapur Sultans in 1489. The most prominent Bijapur ruler was Asad Khan,
who ruled from Belgaum for about 38 years (from 1511 to 1549) and built several
of the city’s monuments such as the Safa Masjid and the Fort. The Marathas
captured Belgavi in 1754-and ruled till 1818 when the British captured the city and
made it a district headquarter. During India’s freedom struggle Belgaum was a
major centre – it was here that Tilak launched the Home Rule League in 1916.
Also, the All India Congress Session held in Belgaum in 1924 was significant – it
was the only session to be presided over by Mahatma Gandhi and the only session
to be held in Karnataka.

BELAGAVI DISTRICT MAP

POPULATION

As per 2011 cencus of india, Belgaum district has the population of 4,779661, out
of which 2,423,063 are male and 2,356,598 are female. As per 2001 census, the
district had the population of 4,214,505, of which male were 2,150,090 and
2,064,415 were females.It is seen that 5,65,15,6 population has increased by a
decade.

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

Belagavi district is the biggest district of Karnataka.The district has an average

elevation of 751 meters. The distrct is in the Northwestern ports of Karnataka and
lies at the bonder of two states Maharashtra and Goa. The district is 502 km. in
distance from Banglore 515km. from Hyderabad and 500km. from Mumbai.
CLIMATE

Belagavi district has a tropical savanna climate.In the winter season

November-February temperatures dropping to 9 degrees celcius. The minimum
temperature in Karnataka state is usually recorded in Belagavi district. The district
receives continous rain fall from June to September during mansoon. During the
summer season from March to May the temperature rises up to 42 degree celsius.

FAUNA AND FLORA

Belagavi district has Tropical and subtropical moist broadlleay forests and
grass lands. Main animals like “Tigers”, “Leopards”, “Gaur”, “Sloth
Bears”, “Sambar”, “Spotted Deer”, “Chitals”, “Foxes”, ‘Wild Dogs”, “King
Cobras”,“Elephants’, and other threatened species of mammals, birds and reptiles.

Belagavi district with its forest area dominated by trees and shrubs. Bamboo
is found aboundantly in this district.The district is rich in medical plants like
“Abrus precatorious”, “Aegle marmelas”, ‘Alagium salvifolium”, “Bridecia
retsua”, “Racemosus var”etc.

AGRICULTURE

Belagavi district comprises black soil and red soil .Important crops of the district
are “Paddy”, “Wheat”, “Millet”, “Cotton”, “Cajan Pea” , “Gram”, “Barley”, “Sun
Flower”, “Groundnut”, “Cowpea” And “Sugar Cane”, it is dominat crop of the
district. The district also grows “Mango”, “Sapota”, “Coconut” as its horiculture
produce.

LANGUAGE

Kannada is the main spoken language inBelagavi district andmajority of the

population of this district speak Marathi also.
UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT

Uttara Kannada District is one of the biggest districts of the State with abundant
natural resources.Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara. The district has
very thick forest, rich flora and fauna and a long coastal line of about 140 KM in
length. The district has 10.25 hectares of total land of which 8.28 hectares is forest
land and only about 1.2 lakh hectares of land used for agriculture and horticulture.
Uttara Kannada district surrounded by Belgaum District and State of Goa in the
North, by Dharwar District in the East, by Shimoga and Udupi Districts in the
South. Arabian Sea forms the West border. The district 11 talukas they are
“Karwar”, “Ankola”, “Kumta”, “Honnavar”, “Bhatkal”, “Sirsi”, “Siddapur”,
“Yellapur”, “Mundgod”, “Haliyal, Joida”. Aport from the natural resources the
district also has some man made wonders like Hydro Electric Power Project and
Nuclear Power ProjectS- Supa Dam, Kadra Dam, Kodasalli and Gerusoppa
Dam.Important rivers flowing in the district such as Kali rever ,Sharavati
river,Bedti river ,Aghanashini river.The main tribals of the district are “Siddi”,
“Kunubi”, “Halakki Vakkaliga”, “Gond” and “Gouli”.

HISTORY

Uttara Kannada was the home of theKadamba kingdom from the 350 to 525. They
ruled from Banavasi. After the subjugation of theKadambasby the Chalukyas, the
district came under successive rule of empires like Chalukyas,
Rashtrakuta,Hoysalas,and vijayanagar empire. Famous Moroccan traveller “Iba
Battut” is said to have stayed for a time in the district under the protection
of“NawayathSultan Jamal Al-Din” at Hunnur. This place is presently known as
“Hosapattana” and is located in the town of honnavar. Ruins of an old mosque and
its minaret can still be seen in the village. The district came under the rule of
Maratha Empire in the 1750s and later part of Mysore kingdom , who ceded it to
the British at the conclusion of the Fourth mysore war in 1799. It was initilally
part of Kanara district in Madras Presidency. The district was divided to north and
south kanara districts in 1859. The British finally transferred Uttara Kannada
district to Bombay Presidency in 1862.

After India's independence in 1947, Bombay Presidency was reconstituted

asBombay State. In 1956 the southern portion of Bombay Statewas added
toMysore State, which was renamed Karnataka in 1972. Uttara Kannada was an
ancient site of sea trade visited by the Arabs, Dutch, Portuguese, French and later
the British.
 UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT MAP

POPULATION

As per the 2011 census of India,Uttara kannada district has the population of
1,437,169 out of which 726,256 are males and 710,913 are females. In 2001
census of India, the district had the population of 1,353,644, out of which 686,876
were males and 666,768 were females. --------

GEOGRAPHY

The Western Ghats or Sahyadri Rage is the main geographic feature of the district,
which runs from north to south through the district. Between the sahyadris and
the sea is a narrow coastal strip, known as the Payanghat which varies from 8 to
24km (5.0 to 14mi) in width. Behind the coastal plain feat topped hills are from 60
to 100 meters in high.East of the sahyadris is the Balaghat upland,part of the vast
Deccan plateau.
CLIMATE

Uttara Kannada distirct is known for its heavy rainfall as it has very thick forest.
During the mansoon much of the rain falls in the June -September.Moisture
bearing winds come from the west yearly rainfall averages 3,000 millimeteres in
the coast and in the high place 5,000 milimetres on the west facing slopes of the
sahyadri.

AGRICULTURE

The chief crops of the district are “Rice” and “Arecanut”, “coconut”, “Sugarcane”,
“cocoa”, “Cashew”, “Mango”, “Banana”, “Pineapple”, “Garcina”, “Sapota”,
Vegetables include “onion”, “radish”, “cucumber”, “cauliflower”, spices include
“pepper”, “ginger”, “millet”, are grown in the district.

FAUNA AND FLORA

The district possesses a remarkable range of climate topography and vegetation

which has harboured a great veriety of animals.Spoted deer is a majestic animal of
the district the district has wild animals like “Tiger”, “Panther”, “Elephant” ,

“Leopard”, “cheetal”, “sambar” and other animals like “Bison”, “Monkeys” ,

“Wild Dog”, “Jackal”, “Mongoose”, “Giant SquiraL”, “Foxes”. Impartant Birds of
the district like “Cuckoo”, “Blue Jay”, “Corocios”, “King Fisher” etc.

The district has very rich flora or the district recives much rainfall,which
support lush forests.Teak plantantion are important in the district.The district is
also home to patches of Savanna and Degraded scrub Jungles. Mongrove forests
are found in the river estuaries. Avicennia, Bruguiera, Cerera, kandelia,
Rhizophora, Sounertia, Diospyres, Mammea longifolia. These trees are important
of the the district.The district is also known for its Medicinal plants like cinnamon,
Wild nuntmegs,Mushroons,honey,Bamboo, etc.

CULTURE

Yakshagana a classical dance drama popular in Karnataka it is most popular

traditional folk arts like Suggikunitha, Holi dance, Hulivesha,Siddi Dhamam
dance are famous in the district.

PEOPLE

Main communities of uttara kannada district are Namadhari naiks,Gudigars,Goud

sarswat Brahmins,Halakki
Vakkaligas,Havyaks,Kurubas,Madivalas,Muslim,Chirstian,Siddi,gouli,kunabi
main languages spoken in this district are Kannada,marthi and Konkani.Kannada is
the predouniunat languages of the district Konkani which is also wildely spoken.

Review of Literature

Joseph Harris “The African Presence in Asia, Consequences of the East African
Slave Trade”, (1971).This great work deals with the historical survey of the siddis
in Indian subcontinent. He gives the detailes of history of siddis both in north and
south India the work depicts Siddis life in slavery, their political participation, their
services as soldiers in various kingdoms, in India.

Palakshappa T.C his classic work “A Classical work on the sociological aspects
of siddis in karnataka” (1976), especially the siidis of uttara kannada (North
Canara). The book analyses the ‘socio economic condition’ of siddi and he gives
the detailed study of ‘kinship system’, ‘family construction’, ‘religious practices’
of siddis.the book cover an indepth study on ‘life cycle rituals’, ‘marriage and
children’, ‘daily routine life of siddis’, ‘language’ and ‘political organization.’
Lobo Cyprian Henry S.J his famous work IN SEARCH OF AN IDENTITY
Siddis in Karnataka 1984.The book gives the overall details of siddis and
emposises on the issues such as sociological aspects like ‘occupation’, ‘religion’
‘family’, ‘kinship’, ‘life cycle rituals’.He emposise that to make the siddis known
to the people of karnataka as well as governments both of state and central as a
distinct group with an ethnic identity.

Shirodkar P.P “Slavery in Coastal India with special reference to Goa Diu and
Daman” 1988.The author has traced the roots of slavery right from centuries
before Anno Domini (A D) both in west as well as Eastern countries and kingdoms
of the past. While indicating slavery in the east he mentions about the slavery
during the wars between the inviding Aryans and the aborigines. He describes the
role of the Portuguese who increased slave trade between east African coast to
west coast of india.

Pavate P.P gathered information on the “Anthropometrics, Dermatoglyphics and

Blood Groups From the Three Endogamous Groups of Siddis”.He focused on
Morpogenetic Study of siddis in karnataka. He observed that there is not much
difference in the ditrubution of ABO and d genes in all the three groups while
accepting that the all three groups of siddis are descendants of the same ancestors
he indicated the difference may be due to the adaption of these groups to partiucalr
social set up.
Vijayakumar M and Malhotra K C “Genetic Studies Among the Siddis of
Karnataka, “India a Migration Population from Africa” 1987. The book foused on
examining the blood samples of around 237 siddis.The research scholars
concentrated on the serological and biochemical markers such as blood group
antigens, serum proteins and haemoglobin variants. The DNA study revealed that
siddis genetic patern matches with that Ethiopians and not of Indians and their
study established the siddis origin and confirmed their migration into India.

D’Souza T.R “The Afro Asian Church in the Potuguese Estate da India” 1987. In
this paper d’souza observes that there proviled a great tradition of open and
peaceful commercial relationship between east Africa and India from centuries
before Portuguese could come. He also examines the African slave trade with
India and opins that the Ethopians slaves continued to flow into India as as 18th
century.

Hiremath S R “LIFE LIVING AND LANGUAGE AMONG THE SIDDIS OF

NORTH CANARA” (1993). His work depicts the social status as well as their
social conditions.and also he speaks of how siddis social contact has enabled them
to emerge with anew language of their own that is totally different from the
language spoken in their original land like Ethopia and other north eastern African
coutries. He also made an attempt to give a comperhansive picture of siddis life
migration, health, and language.He mainly focuses on theire language.

Prakash V Patil “A BIOMEDICAL STUDY OF SIDDIS OF KARNATAKA”

(1998) in his research paper he observes that the siddi population has increased by
60 percent over a decade. He examined samples of 269 siddis and 224 non siddis
in his research and observed that siddis were healthier than non siddis due to their
specific nutrition and hygine. His research showed that scabis, tinea, eczema and
slightly more than the non siddis due to poor hygiene. he also observed that
medicine had somthing to do with their living social conditions.

Pashington Obeng in his study and publication Shaping Membership ,Defining

nation ; “The Cultural politics of African Indians in south Asia”, deals with the
history of siddis in general india and gives an insight into the siddis beliefs, and
practices, examins the uniqueness of siddi culture as he aprciate the geosocial
displacement , social and religious oppressions experienced by individuals. Further
he explores into the extent to which siddis depend on their freedom.

.
PEOPLE

“SIDDI’’

HISTORY OF “SIDDIS”

The “Siddis” are one of the most interesting group in India. Siddis are
descendants of Africans because of the fact that they are of Negroid origin and had
been brought to the Indian. Sub-continent by merchants, trandens and Portuguese
as slaves right from the 14th Century.
 It is recognized by the anthropologists and ethnographers, that the Negro
elements are not found in any of the Indian groups. Hence, the siddis, because
they have these Negroid features, cannot be considered as an indigenous race.
Risley, an ethnographer in his book entitled ‘The people of India: Points out that
the negro element is absent from the mainland although in the Andamanese as
short headed, broad nose with low cramial capacity. Their heads differ in
essential particulars from those of the Dravidians and sir “William Turner”
considers that no direct evidence of either a past or a present Negrito population in
India has yet been obtaine nor has any suggestion been made by ethnographers that
the siddi is an Indian race but are descendents of African Negroes.

Siddis found in the defferent regions of India like Gujarath, Maharastra, Goa
Karnataka Hydrabad and Bengal. They do not have a single origin. They have
come from different countries of East Africa and at different perods from the 14th
century till the middle of the 19th century. They were brought to India as slaves by
Arabs and Portugueses. Prasad (2005)

Unless we understand the siddis in the world as slavery, we are not able to
understand the reason for the siddis presence around the world. Bopxer C. R 1966
points that slaves from east and southern coasts of africsa, for reasons of
geography were taken mainly to the India ocean region ,where they were required
mainly as domestic servents and bodygauards.The number of slaves taken to the
east was however small than those taken to the west.

Black people did not "come to this country seeking a better life." They were
brought from their homes in Africa, dragged in chains and loaded onto slave
ships--treated not like human beings but like things, commodities to be traded and
used to enrich others. Tens of millions of enslaved Africans died while they were
carrying, so terrible were the conditions on the slave ships. Those who survived
the trip and were then sold to plantation owners were
Palakshappa quotes that from Mozambique they carry into India gold, ambergris,
ebony wood and ivores, many slaves both men and women. They are the strongest
moors in all the east coutries, to do their filtiest and hardest labour.

The political history of African Negroes in India shows that they were
brought to India as slaves and could gradually wield power and even rule small
inclngens in India. “It is written that king Ruku-ud-din Barbak, who ruled at in
1459 to 1474 in Bengal region possessed African slaves and was the first king in
India to promote them in large numbers to high ranks in his service. The Africans
Negroes were able to capture power and rupe smaller kingdoms. It is reported
their sidi badr come to power in gaur by murdering the king. But sidi badr was
murdered in a sorte with the rebel forces with his death the Negro regione in
Bengal come to an end. His suddessor drove all negroes from Bengal”. (T.C.
Palaksappa1973)

During this period Adil Shah in Deccan had kept a battation of negraoes in
Western Ghats near Belgaum. Ibrahim Adil Shah of Bejapur “dismissed the
foreign officers and troops to make way for the less efficient but more orthodox
Decanis and Africans after the decline of Bijapur kingdom. We hear very little
from history as regards the African Negroes.The “Siddis” and others in the local
area trac the history of siddhi muslims to the Bijapur kingdom in the 16th Century.
(says T C. Palaksappa)

During the 14th to 15th Century “Siddis” are spread over the western coast of
Gujarat, Maharastra, Goa and Karnataka. In karnataka they moved towards the
westen ghats mainly concentrated in North-Canara district, which is known for its
thick forest (T.C. Palaksappa 1973). In the 16th or 17th Centuries when they
escaped from bondage under the Portuguese in Goa and moved Southword into
they came to Western Ghats of Uttara-Kannada district of Karnataka.
According to the district gazetteer of North-Canara, the siddis are not an
indigenous race, but are descendants of Afrcan Negroes. In the Western Ghat
region of the Uttara-Kannada district and in some areas bordering that region in
Belgaum and Dharwad districts of Karnataka, we find a section of these people
who can be identified as a distinct group totally different in physical features from
the rest of the population living in this area. They are known in this area as
“siddis” (1973 T.C. Palaksappa)

Black people did not "come to this country seeking a better life." They were
brought from their homes in Africa, dragged in chains and loaded onto slave
ships--treated not like human beings but like things, commodities to be traded and
used to enrich others. Tens of millions of enslaved Africans died while they were
carrying, so terrible were the conditions on the slave ships. Those who survived
the trip and were then sold to plantation owners were

SIDDHIS IN NORTH KANARA

In Uttara Kannada Siddis live in the midst of groups who share at least some
life in common.The groups are Havyak Brahmin, Marathas, Kunbis, Muslim, etc.
The sharing of certain cultural elements among these groups provides a degree of
socio-cultural uniformity to the region.Within the house each family leads its own
distinct home life interacting with its kind members and the home and outside are
to distinct but mutually depending phases of life of which the case group belongs.
The two fold classification of the region made earlier has its validity here. The
Ghat area of North Kanara in the Yallapur-Ankola area is dominated by the
Brahmins. They are original owners of land along with the ‘okkals’. They are the
priesth class in the local area. Most of the lower castes such as siddhis, kunbis,
komarpaiks hire the services Brahmins for ritual and ceremonial purposes. Apart
from the ritual dominance of the Havyak Brahmins there is also their economic
politically dominance. They possess more land than others and invariably have
areca nut and pepper gardens. All other castes are dependent either as labourers or
as tenants upon the Brahmins.

SIDDIS IN BELGAUM AND DHARWAD DISTRICT

Siddis are also living in Belguam and Dharwad districts.bacically siddis

have their origin in uttara Kannada district.But some families were migrated from
uttara kannada to dharwad in search of work and for better livelihood. Then thay
were setteled down in these areas T.C. Palaksappa. In Belagavi district siddis are
found in Khanapur taluk only in the villages of Bhorunaki,Tavaragatta, Godholi. In
dharwad district siddis ara found in Kalaghatagi and Dharwad taluakas,in the
villages of Baichwad, Sangameshwara, Junjanbail, Kandli, Dumgoli, Sulikatti, and
Mavinakoppa. During our fieldwork as we traced their existence in Dharwad and
Belagavi district by asking elderly sidddis and also elderly people of other
community, a 60 year old siddi man from Baichwad village, Kalaghatagi taluk,
Dharwad, district told that his father and his grand fathers were belonged to
Mundgod taluk, Uttara Kannada district Kannada district. They migrated from
Mundgod to Kalaghatagi taluk in search of work. Even now the family has the sir
name as Gunjavati family in Baichwd village. Local people and siddis say that
they are migrated from Uttara-kannada.

Reasons for settling in this area

The geographical settings of Western Ghats in karnataka convenient for the tribals
to settle and lead their life, as these regions have thick forest with rich fauna and
flora. Western ghats covers Uttara Kannada, Dharwad and Belagavi regions,where
the Siddis chose to live. The forest gave them a cover to hide from their enemies
besides the Siddis were used to living in the forest. Forest provided them with rich
food that would keep them alive and strong. The west coast of India in which,
these districts are situated is accessible to sea by land as well as by water. This
sought of conveyance during the time of danger enabled the Siddis to settle down
in these districts. Siddis also were in much demand for labour in these districts as
land lords needed strong, hardworking and personnel skilled in agriculture. Siddis
were good at climbing trees which was also a need in these areas due to tall
aracnut trees, trees that hold honey combs, trees that have delicious fruits for
consumption as well as for sale. In this sense the west coast was a safe haven for
them which forced the Siddis to settle down without much hesitation.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME “SIDDI”

The origin of the name siddi is traced by several authors like Chauhan-1995, Roy
Burman-1961. The name “Siddi” is pronounced in various ways as “Sidi”,
“Siddi”, “Sidhi” “Siddhi.” Hiremath has pronounced them as”Sidi” while
palakshappa and Prasad pronounced as “Siddis”.

The Portuguese and the English refer to them variously as “Sedee”, “Siddis’,
“Sidi’, “Scidee”, ‘Scidy”,”Seydee”, “Scidee” and also they were known as
“Abexin”, “Abexin”, “Abyssinious”, “Cafree”, “Kaphirs”, “Kafra”, as the record
reveal, Chauhan RSS (1995).

The Sidis also are called as “Habshi”, “Habshis”, “Hubshi”, “Hubshee”,

“Hobshy’, the name with which Abyssinians are identified in Inda, Roy Burman
(1961),
 Etimologicaly the word “Siddi” is derived from the Arabic word Saiyidi,
meaning “My Lord”, Siddi is an honorific name given in Western India to African
Mohammodans, many of whom held high position in the service of the kings of
the Decan of the past. One of them was Nawab of Janzira Siddi is a little still
applied to holy men in Morraco Yule H (1903)

LOCATION

According to Hiramath-(1993), the Siddi people escaped from Goa to rescue

themselves from the clutches of their masters, from Goa they moved towards the
thick evergreen forests of South Western regions. The finally settled down in the
forests of Uttara Kannada district which has thick and deep forest.The Uttara
Kannada district is the coastal district in Karnataka state. The Western Ghats pass
through the middle of this district. In Uttara Kannada district the Siddi settlements
are found in Haliya, Yallapu, Ankola, Mundgod, Sirsi , Joida talukas.

Some Siddi settlements are also found in Dharwad and Belagavi districts. In
Karnataka the Siddis who are now living in three districts in different talukas like
Haliyal, Mundgod, Joida, Karwar, Ankola, Yallapur, Kalaghatagi and Khanapur
all they are nearer to each other. They are found either on the western Ghats or o
the waving plateaus cast of the Ghats. These areas are also thickly wooded and
have space for rice cultivation. While parts of Ankola, Sirsi and Yallapur talukas
on the slopes of the Ghats and parts of Yallapur, Mundgod, Supa, Haliya,
Kalaghatagi and Khanapur belong to the plateau region of the Ghats.

Kalaghatagi and Khanapur talukas form the mid region between the wooded
and westerm Ghat: plateaus open and plains of the Decon plateau further East on
the other Prasad (2005).
 The talukas where the Siddis are found can be seen into two groups, those
that are found in the forest on the western shapes of Western Ghats comprising
parts of Ankola, Sirsi and Yallapur talukas and the other found in the forests on the
Eastern parts of Western Ghats plateaus comprising Mundgod, Supa, haliyal,
Khalaghatagi, khanapur talukas as well as a part of Yallapur taluk.

SETTLEMENT

The Siddis who are living in Karnataka are mostly found in the forest areas. Most
of the settlements of the Siddis are found in Uttara Kannada district which is
known for the thick forest. The Siddi settlements are also found scattered from
East to West along the Hubli Karwar road (national highway-no-2) and North to
South along with the Belagavi Sirsi road (Palakshappa-1976).The Siddis are
spread over Haliyal, Mundgod, Yallapur, Sirsi, Joida, Karwar talukas in Uttara
Kannada district. In Dharwad district the Siddis settlements are found in
Kalaghatagi and Dharwad talukas.They are Baichwad, Sangameshwara, Kandli,
Tambur, Dumgoli, Sulekatti, Junjanbail and Mavinakoppa villages. In Belagavi
district, Siddi settlements are found in Borunaki, Godoli, Tavaragattavillages of
Khanapur taluk.The settlements of the Siddis in forest areas are connected by
small kutcha roads like mud road and also by tar road to the highway roads.

HOUSE PATTERN

The houses in the settlements are built with cement bricks and plastered with
cement. These houses have red tiles roofs. Since these areas receive heavy raining
the roof of these houses are built with red tiles.

Each house is partitioned into 2 to 3 rooms and they are classified as kitchen
(kitchen) outside room for sitting cum bedroom (Nijathal) this separate room
sometimes get divided in two depending on the adult members and the families.
Each house is equipped with separate bathroom (Pani Nathal) and toilet
(HAGATHAL). Who have not got the government scheme houses are living in
huts. These huts are built with bamboo and teak which are available in the forest.
These huts are roofed with cement sheets. They are partitioned inside as kitchen
cum bathroom and outside room for sitting cum bedroom. The floor of the house
is plastered with cow dung.

Early the houses were built in circles giving room to only a small division within
the house and the rest of the large area left for other activities like eating, sleeping
and recreation.Everyone slept on the ground together. During summer the family,
specially the male members slept outside the house, preferably over a self made
wooden coat carved out of jungle wood and thin ropes weaved over blocks
connecting ends. This coat was light and easily moveable to nearby places like the
farm, or paddy field etc. most difficult time for the Siddhi would be during the
rainy months where the house would leak at unknown places. “Sometimes we used
to shift ourselves from one corner to another where the water would not drip down.
Thus spend sleepless nights in those months,”says Peersab Siddi.
The plants of flowers and fruits like “Banana”, “Papaya”, “Jackfruit” and
vegetables are reared around the houses. The fencing around the house and dogs
serves as protective guards against the rooming cattles, Monkeys and wild animals
like Tiger, Wild Pig, and Leopard etc.

Language:

The Siddis of Karnataka are well versant with regional language Kannada.
They also familiar with “Konkani”,“Marathi”, “Hindi”. Siddis speak a kind of
mixed language which they call as their own language. It is a mixture of Konkani
and Marathi languages which is hard to understand by other community. Hiremath
(1993) has noticed that the Konkani language spoken by the Siddis is different
from the Konkani spoken by other local community. The Konkani of the Siddis is
mixed up with Marathi vocabulary.

The original language of the Siddis before they were brought to Goa is said
to be ‘Swahili’ the language spoken by people in the Eastern Coast of Africa. But
presently the Siddis don’t have any knowledge about the ‘Swahili’ language
which is said to be their original mother tongue. The Siddis are well versed with
the regional language where they are living from long time Prasad-(2005)

The Hindu and Christian Siddis speak Kannada, Konkani, and Marathi,
whereas the Muslim Siddis speak Hindi and Kannada and Hindi is their mother
tongue Hiremath-(1993)
 All Siddis of Karnataka know Kannada. The Muslim Siddis speak Hindi,
among themselves and also with normal Muslims and they speak Hindi in their
home and also they speak in Marathi with Marathi people.

Physical Features

The Siddis belong to the Negroid stock of East Africa Hiremath-1993. All the
three groups Siddis of Karnataka Muslim, Christian and Hindu Siddis have typical
Negroid features. The Siddis are tall and robust and well built. They are
accustomed for hard work in the forest and other fields , clearing forest, bricks
work etc., They are generally have taller high with a mean height of 165 cm.
Hiremath also points out that Gujarat Siddis have similar medium structure their
height recorded as 166 c.m. They are black and darkbrown in colour. The Siddis

in Karnataka various shades from black to light brown.

The typical physical features of the Siddis are “black skin”, “woolly hair”,
“thick lips”, “wide nose”, “broad chest” which are similar to African Negro
population. Some Siddis have wavy hair, light shade brown colour, very few have
white colour with woolly hair.
Food

Siddis consume both vegetarian and non vegetarian. Nonveg is feverte food for
siddis. Minimum trice in a week they eat nonveg. As vagabonds in the forest
Siddis certainly consumed meat that was easily available for their hunting ability.
Siddis diet consists of Rice, Ragi, Maze and other serials. Christian Siddis
occasionally eat meat where as pork is avoided by Muslim Siddis. Those Siddis
still residing in the forest depend on the roots and fruits collected from the forest
besides fish that is available from the rivers and streams. Until strict forest rules
were under effect, Siddis hunted Wild boars, Wild Rabbits, Bison, Porcupine
(mullu handi), Birds, Wild goat, Wild cock and Wild buffalos for their diet. They
also lived on Crabs, Tortoise and honey that were easily accessible. Siddis use rice
for most of the food items rice is their staple food. Hunting has become impossible
for Siddis due to the Wild Life Protection Act. The vegetarian staple food Jawar,
Rice and Dhal are common to all Siddi families. While Siddis preserve food grains
in “thatto”a huge jar made out of bamboo sticks and smeared around with cow
dung can contain two to six quintals offood grains. “Umarsab siddi” from Baichwd
mensions about various types of vegetables used by Siddis such as “Kuddiche
Baaji” found in farms, “Nainchi Baaji” found in rivers or streams of water which is
identified with small leaves, “Darchi Baaji” or Kobri Baaji which tastes like
coconut while eating. “Katyaachi Baaji” is another type of greens that is often
eaten by Siddis, “Belyaachi Baaji” and “Puthunichi Baaji” which are available in
the tank or farms, “Daal Baaji” and “Guna Gunichi Baaji” are various greens
enjoyed by the Siddis in their meals.

RED ANT DISH (tamday monglaya)

Red ant dish is one of the feverate dishes of siddis. (tamday monglaya)red ant
umble or (kempuiruvechatni),a special dish made out of red ants that are found in
mango trees and other trees. These ants are red in color, sharp in their bite and
locals keep them afar as their bites are painful. The art of seizing red ants is special
to Siddhis normally done by the ladies. They gather the red ants in haste and drop
the red ants into boiling water, add coconut, garlic along with little potatoes. Then
they grind it to be served in small quantity to the members of the house. This is not
only tasty but medicinal in its effect is given specially for pregnant women in order
to strengthen her immune system during the rainy season. It is given to the sick
who suffer from immune deficiency.
RED ANT PHOTO (tamday monglaya)
 SIDDI MAN COLLECTING RED ANTS

Dress and Ornaments of Siddis

The siddi men and women wear dress like non-siddis of their neibourhood.
The siddis imitates the style of their dress and ornaments of the other comunities.
Siddi men wear dhoti, pyjamas, trousers, shirts, kurta, siddi women wear sari and
blouse as non siddi women wear. Nowadays young siddi boys and girls wear jeans,
T-shirts, siddi girls wear chudidar, langa davani.

The siddi men wear lungi, dhoti, banyans, shirts, T-shirts in their home, where
women wear sari and blouse, chudidar. While the siddi men doing agricultural
work, they wear shorts pants, lungi, dhoti, banyans, shirt, siddi women wear sari
and blouse. In the occasions like marriage, festival, siddi men wear pyjamas,
trousers, shirts, dhoti, kurta, siddi women wear sari and blouse, chudidar, langa
davani, which are usually new one. Siddhi men use clothes commonly used in the
locality like shirt, pants, lungi, shorts and dhothis. While farming most of the men
use loincloth as it is very convenient to use their limbs freely while complying
with weather conditions. They dress themselves colorfully on special festive
occasions, marriage ceremonies and while going to towns.

Siddi women tie the knowt on their head called as “Turuba” (hair –bun) like none
siddi women. The married women wear a necklace made of black beads called
“tali”. Tali is worn by all the three group siddi women Muslim siddi women call it
as ‘ lachcha’, Chriestian siddi women call it as “ piddule”, which Hindu siddi
women call it as “ Mangalasutra”. Young siddi girls wear necklace which made of
silver, gold. Siddi women wear bangles, (kakana). siddi women wear ornaments
like (kanathali pola)

Religion:

The Siddis of Karnataka practice three major religions. They are Christianity
(Catholic), Islam (Sunni) and Hinduism. Commonly they are considered as
“Christian Siddis”, “Muslim Siddis”, “Hindu Siddis”. Origin of these three
religious Siddi was belonged to one group that is in Goa. In the procedure of slave
trade during the Portuguese period, they were sold to various religious masters
who were brought by the Christians they become Christian Siddi, who were
brought by Muslims rulers they become Muslim Sidis. The Siddis who came
under the influence of Maratha rule they became Hindus (Hiremath S.R. – 1993).

Having been the same post in Goa, Christian Siddis and Hindu Siddis when
they came to live in the forests of Karnataka, Some of them came to consider
themselves Hindus after having lived for generations in areas inhabited by Hindus
( kiran kamal Prasad). The Hindu Siddis are found mainly in Yallapur and Ankola
talukas. Hindu Siddis worship Gods of Hindu religion like Srirama,
Venkateshwara, Ganesha, Anjeneya and they celebrated all the Hindu festivals like
Ugadi, Deepavali, Navaratri, Ganesh Chaturti and others. Hindu Siddis worship
‘ Hiriyaru’ considered to be family God and they worship as a Hindu ritual, but
Muslim Siddis and Christian Siddis observe this practice briefly due to the fear of
their religion heads, because those religious heads don’t believe in this practice.
The Siddis have borrowed monay rituals from other dominant communities.
Most of the Muslim Siddis argues that they are not converts like others but the
descendents of ‘ Mahammad Paigambar ’ from their origin itself and also they say
that Muslim Siddi is a small part of Islamic faith-(Palakshappa TC-1976).

Along with the Islamic rituals, Muslim Siddis also practices and worship
Hindu Godess and Gods like Gramadevathe, Kariyamma, Durgamma (village
godess), the reason for this practice from Muslim Siddis as we asked during our
field work, is this practice has been practicing from our forefathers (Hiriyaru). So
we should follow this practice, they have strong belief that if they don’t practice
there might occur some problems to their family. In very rare case Kiran Kamal
Prasad noticed that some Muslim Siddis were not ready to accept themselves as
Siddis and also they were argued that they are like normal Muslims, even they
were not ready to give their family information.

FAMILY

The eldest male member of the family manages the finances, religious rituals and
attends any functions where family representation isrequired. Their system
permitted sale of children as slaves owing to famine, disobedience. But now the
Siddi families are more inclined towards nuclear families. The son, after marriage,
is expected to have his own house and earn his living and make his family.
Nevertheless joint or extended families are still part of Siddi community. But
education, economic stability and migration for a better living have influenced the
life style of Siddhis in the settlements in past two decades. Now the kith and kin
gather together for common celebrations such as Hiriyara Puje, marriages,
festivals, christening or death in the family though living in the same settlement or
migrated to another settlement. The respect and honour that is reserved for the
eldest member of the family is preserved when they have such occasions.

Siddis follow Patriarchal system wherein father is the decision maker. At the same
mother is given equal footing in the decision making process. When it comes to
managing the household it is the woman that has an upper hand as she contributes
to the maintenance of the family in all the ways, be it taking care of the children,
farming, working in the field as labourer etc. sThe obligatory vigour within the
family is esteem for seniors and a sense of commitment towards others in
community. The relationship beyond the community is also reckoned by the family
unit. Siddhi family includes not just the living members but also the dead
ancestors.It is commonly believed among Siddhis that spirits are mortal. The life
of the deceased remains in the spirit condition until the sins, which one may have
committed are washed away by the good deeds of the descendants.The dead can
function as “disciplinary agents in helping to mould into socially acceptable
behaviour.”The living is obliged to request the supervision of the dead, because the
dead have exclusive mission, to conserve the family and divination. It is in this
paranormal framework that the Siddhi family operates. Food and lights are offered
at least once a year to the ancestors, with rituals in respect and thankfulness them.

Causes for the central families among the siddis

Economic backwardness

Lack of integrity

Short tempered
migration

Kinship

Kinship among the Siddis has significant affection, two lineages from mother’s
and father’s sides have a certain significance in the life of Siddis. The paternal kin
are the members of the same settlement except in cases where brothers or sons
have migrated to different places in search of work and better livelihood. Paternal
kin come together especially for agriculture work like cultivation, harvesting.
Paternal kin of the same settlement brothers, nephews will come to help each other
while needed.

In the maternal kin mother’s brother (Mama) plays very important

role.Specially in the occasions like child birth, puberty, hair-cut of child, marriage,
in these occasions maternal uncle’s presence is compulsory. During the life partner
selection among the Siddis first preference is for sister’s daughter (Honni)

Palakshappa T.C. has noticed four types of kinship terminologies, they are

Maneyavaru :- Members of the family including parents and brothers and his own
and brothers children and the dead ancestors.

Bandugalu :- All recognised paternal kin.this relation is the extension of the

maneyavaru.The death ofthe household with male issue gives rise to new
maneyavaru.

Balagadavaru :- All recognised maternal kin.the mother sister and their children.
Nentaru :- The newly contracted wedded relations.

MARRIAGE:

Polygamy is practiced among Muslim siddis but generally monogamy is

practiced among Hindu and Christian siddis. As the siddis when they follow a
religion they always imitate their fellow religion who are won siddis as for as the
rituals, beliefs, practices and life-style and concerned. The polygamy is accepted
in Islam religion, many Muslim sidds have gone for polygamy marriage. But most
of the Hindu and Christian siddis have married monogamously.

All the rituals of the marriage are practiced according to the religion they
follow. Hindu siddis call the Brahman priest (purohit) who chants mantras in the
marriage. Hindu siddis believed that to call Brahmin priest to their marriage
brings Godspeed to them. Muslim siddis call Muslim priest (Mulla) for the
marriage rituals mulla reads the “Quran” in the marriage. Muslim siddis believe
that Mulla is the representation of Islam Conventions and he is the representative
of God Allah. Christian Siddi’s marriages take place in the presence of Christian
priest (Padri). According to the Christian Conventions marriage is celebrated with
full of joy. 3 to 4 days marriage ceremony takes place among the siddis. All the
relatives (syro) are called to the marriage. Paternal kin, father’s brothers of the
bride groom ( motobaba-elder) , (kaka-younger) are called to the
marriage and they also take the share of the marriage activities like giving
marriage cards to the relatives, staddle in front of bridegroom house, looking after
the marriage feast preparation. Maternal kin is called to the marriage mother’s
brothers of the bridegroom (mama), (mamoji). All the neighbours, friends are
called to the marriage celebration. During the night of before marriage day, music
and dance start with the drum beats (Dhamam). They sing the songs and dance in
group both men and women altogether. Up to the midnight and even till the
morning the music goes on.

Among the siddis first preference in marriage is given to sister’s daughter.

Freedom is given to the boy in selection of his life partner in the family kin. Siddi
men wish to marry their sister’s daughter. They wish to have thick kinship
connection, where it is possible with marrying their sitter’s daughters. There is
economic reason also considered as if the marriage take place in kinship there need
not to be spent much amount for the marriage.

The siddis living in Karnataka are distributed in three districts. Uttara

Kannada, Dharwad, Belgavi. Marriages have takes place among the siddis across
the three districts, they have marital relationship among themselves spread out in
all the three districts. Siddis from Uttara Kannada district have given and taken
brides from the siddies of Dharwad and Belgavi districts. Such marriages have
been noted as follows.

INTERCASTE MARRIAGE:

Intercaste marriages have taken place among the siddis. Several marriages
have taken place between ‘Muslims’ and Muslim siddis’. Muslim siddis wish to
take bride from normal Muslim family as it is prestigious for them. In a way
Muslim siddi men like to marry a long haired Muslim girl. Poor Muslim families
give their daughter to sidds, for that even they are strong enough to work hard at
least they can take care of their daughter.

In ‘Borumaki’ village, Khanapur taluk, Belagavi district, there are 13

intercaste marriages have taken place. During our field work, we noted that there
are 13 Muslim siddi men have got marriage with non-siddi-Muslim women.
 Inter-religious marriages have taken place between ‘Christian siddis’ and ‘
Hindu siddis’. During our fieldwork, we attended an arranged inter-religious
marriage in ‘Tallikumbri’ Yallapur taluk, Uttara Kannada district. Bridegroom
names, Manuvel is fom Haliyal taluk, where bride names Ratna, daughter of Subba
siddi, Tallikumbri village, Yallapur taluk. The pair names are Ratna weds
Manuvel.

Marriages take place between Christian and Hindu siddis, but marriages do
not take place between Hindu and Muslim siddis, Muslim and Christian siddis, as
Muslim siddis go for non-siddi Muslim brides.

1. Saradar siddi has married Ruksana siddi

● Saradar siddi son of Alisab Siddi belongs to Ajaganu village, Haliyal
taluk, Uttara Kannada district.
● Ruksana siddi daughter of Moulali siddi, belongs to Baichvad
village, Kalaghatagi taluk, Dharwad district.
2. Sharipsab siddi has married Rajiya siddi
● Sharipsab , son of Mahammadsab siddi belongs to Tattigeri village,
Haliyal taluk, Uttarakannada distrit.
● Rajiya siddi, daughter os Rustumsab siddi, belongs to kudalagi
village, Kalaghatagi taluk, Dharwad district.
3. Sayyadsab siddi has married Fareeda siddi
● Sayyadsab siddi, son of Tippusab siddi belongs to Junjanabail
village, kalaghatagi taluk, Dharwad district.
● Fareeda siddi, daughter of Ismail siddi, belongs to Golechalli village
, Haliyal taluk, Uttarakannada district.
4. Mahaboobsab siddi has married shamshadbegam siddi.
● Mahaboobsab siddi, son of nabisab siddi, belongs to Junjanabail
village, Kalaghatagi taluk , Dharwad district.
 ● Shamshadbegam siddi, daughter of Gorisab siddi belongs to
Bailanduru village , yallapur taluk, Uttarakannada district.
Siddi marriage rituals are practiced according to their religion. Hindu,
Muslim, Christian. At the same time they have not abandoned their original
rituals. Siddis celebrate the marriages according to their religion along with their
original ritual. Thus the siddis beats the drum (Dhamam) in the marriage occasion.
They sing siddi songs, they dance both men and women altogether in groups,
beating drum (Dhamam) singing siddi songs, dancing in groups. These are found
in all three groups of siddis. They share a coconut or beetle nut plant during the
marriage occasion.
Thus, the siddis of three districts Uttara kannada, Dharwad, Belagavi have
marital relation and kinship connection among themselves. They believe that they
from one group, living in different places. The fact is they don’t discriminate on
the geographical location in the north Karnataka region.

“ Siddi marriage song ”

Abyacho tubayyacho
Jagati maya hora
Hyaya stalach dev tyala lavache

Telo shreegandh parimalo

Gyay navarach tyala chadayu
navaryaku tyal chatay

Dani paillo basingato

dire dev hamachovad
dav sadin diya
 Dani paillo maniyatu
dire dev hamacho dav
dav sodinu diya

Meaning:

First stanza of the song express about the people, who attended the marriage,
those people are sitting under the mango tree, which is peaceful for the people to
take rest under it.

The second stanza tells about the bridegroom that, put the oil (tel) to his
body, which spread fragrance like sandalwood( ) and tie the “ Basinga” to his
forehead.

Third stanza tells about the father-in-law (potential wife) and mother-in-law
( ) of the bridegroom and says that receives the prize of your in-laws
and bow your head in front of them, take their blessings,

Again in the forth stanza they tell to bridegroom that don’t forget your wife
as she is a prize of your potential wife’s family. Hold her hand in your hand , you
are the care taker of her and don’t leave her alone.

“ Siddi marriage song ”

Balajapale latan ge
balajepala latana
pach garala dege mala
Gouricha Ashala ge gourich

Haladicha baga lage haladich

pacha haladu dege mala
 devala ge maja availa

kelicha baga nage kalicha

pach keli dege macha
Aaila ge devala

Vendich baga lage bedich

pach bandi dege mala
gourich ge Ashala

MEANING:

The whole song depicts the activities which are take place in the marriage.

In the Second stanza, they tell that bring the turmeric (HALAD) and make it paste,
further says put on the turmeric paste to the bride and to the bridegroom.

The third stanza tells that bring few bananas (KELI) and share them between
two families of the bride and bridegroom (Syro) and tell to the couple to take the
blessings of their parents and elders (hiriyaru) each other

Life-cycle rituals of Siddis

Certain events in the life cycle of a person in any community are

accompanied by special rites. Every person undergoes to certain rituals from his
or her womb to tomb. Rituals are the indispensible actions of social life. There
are certain rituals are found among the Siddis of Karnataka. These rituals differ
according to the religion of Sidddis. The rituals which are celebrated by the Siddis
are also based on the other dominant castes of the region where they are living.
Apart frm the different religion, we found several similarities in their life cycle
rituals among the three groups of the Siddis. At the level of these rituals, all the
Siddis in Karnataka irrespective of their religion, seem to manifest a remarkable
similarity Prasad-(2005). The rites and rituals of the Siddi as follows:

LIFE - CYCLE RETUALS OF MUSLIM SIDDIS

Child birth of Muslim Siddis:

Child birth among the Siddis is a happy movement, they welcome the new
soul happily.The ritual of child birth in Muslim “ Siddis” as follows. After the
child birth the child (por) is given bath in warm water. The very day Mulla
(Muslim Priest) is called and he prays ‘Namaz’ then he names the child by uttering
few times in the ear of the child. Then they utter God’s name few times in the ear
of the child. The mother (Jessi) is polluted for20 days.

Panjeri: (3rd day ritual of child birth)

On the third day of birth of the child, they celebrate Panjeri. During this day
they offer “Turmeric”,(hallad) “Neem leaves”, five “Betel leaves”,(pan) “Jaggery”
(goud) and a “Lamp” (chimani) to “Chatavi Tai” ( a Goddess). All these things are
kept at the place where the woman give birth to the child. After they pray for the
goddess “Chatavi Tai”, for the protection of both “Jessi and por” (mother and
child). This practice they do for they believe that Chatavi Tai protect both child
and the mother. They also believe that if they do not practice this rite, the goddess
Chatavi Tai may get angry and problems may occur to the child and the mother.
Satti (5th day ritual of child birth)

On the fifth day of the child birth Satti ceremony is performed. “Jessi and
por” (mother and child) are bathed. On this day they keep “Kajal” (kal),
“powder”,“kyara” ,“soya” (Niddle) “daga”(thread), “Ajwan” all these things are
kept in a winnowing pan and the pan is placed at the place where the woman
give birth to the child. And also they keep a coconut and five betel leaves in the
winowing pan and they pray for the chatavi Tai. The mother is considered
polluted for 20 days , she is not allowed to the kitchen till 20 days on the 20th day
she is free from pollution.

Cradle Ceremony (Gavara):

On the 40th day of the child birth, they celebrate Gavara (Cradle Ceremony).
That day the child is made to wear with new cloths. Untill the 40 days they don’t
put on the cloths to the child. On this day new cloths are given to the “Jessi and
Bachcha” ( mother and child). “Silver bracelet” (Tambolo) and “black beads
chain” (kaikata) are put on the the child. In the evening the cradling bbceremony
takes place. The new cradle (gavara) is gifted by the maternal uncle of the child
(Mamu). Five ‘Muttaides’ (Married women) place the child in the cradle and they
sing the songs ‘ Sobana’ ( Sobanapada) ( songs usually sing during life cycle
rituals) in both kannada , Marathi and urdu. Usually sweet meal is given to all
relatives and invitees to the ceremony.

First hair cut of Muslim Siddis :’ (Bal katavana)’:

First hair cutting ceremony of the child takes place during the 5th or 9th
month of the child birth. The maternal uncle the mother’s brother of the child
(Mamu) removes few hairs on the head of the child. Later a barber completes the
rest hairs. In few cases, rest of the hairs cut by the family members themselves.
The maternal uncle (Mamu) is gifted with a shirt or dhoti or towel by the parents
of the child. The child’s hairs is removed as early as possible because they
believe that if any menstrating woman ( ) touched the child falls sick.

Circumcision- (Katana):

Katana (Circumcision) ceremony is performed for only Muslim Siddi boys.

This rite takes place before they reach 5 to 6 years. On the previous day of the
ceremony the boy is bathed and garlanded with flowers. Five Muttaides (married
women) wave incense over the boy. The following morning the ceremony takes
place.

Now Siddis go to the doctors for this ceremony isntead of hajam (barber),
because of the fear of infection ( Nanju). But in 25 to 30 years back they did not
go to the doctors for this ceremony but in the earlier days this ceremony was
performed by a Muslim barber, who is a specialist in ceremony because the doctor
may charge high-cost like rs. 50 to 100 and above, instead of this they would give
5 to 10 rupees to the hajam, (Prasad-2005)

For a month after the circumcision, the boy is given to special food. The
foods like Rice (sith) , Fish ( Machi) are forbidden because if delays healing but
foods like Egg ( kawat), meat (mass), Chapati, Payasa, helps in the healing the
wound. On the 40th day, they celebrate (Nibna). This rite take place after the
healing.

PUBERTY
The menstruation girl is considered polluted for 12 days. The girl is placed in a
separate room in the house .For 12 days they do not go to otheres house due to
pollution (mailige). The menstruation girl is not allowed to go outside the house
for 12 days, on the 12th day celebrate function. During that day they give sweet for
12 houses as it considered as pollution free. During 12th day evening the function
takes place. The girl is bathed and made to wear green sari and bangles which
are presented by her mothers brother (mama) and five muttaides (married women
) placeedibles are placed in the

girls‟ sari by the family members so that she may be a fruitful in her life and be
Coconut , Rice , Betel nut and some money are placed in the saree which is
placed near the girl s belly, it is called as (udi tumbuvadu). Few “sobanapada”
(songs whitch are sung during life cycle ritual accasions) by the gatherd women
men and women dance together with drum beats ( Dhamam) usually sweet is
given to the gathers and relatives.
 PUBERTY CERMONY OF MUSLIM SIDIS

MARRIAGE CEREMONY OF THE MUSLIM SIDDHIS

Distribution of Betel-leaves and Sugar

The preliminary approval of the marriage, the boy’s party goes to the girl’s
house to present her with new clothes and during this occasion (sakargaluk vachi)
sugar is distributed to everyone in the settlement. The elders who are not present
in the settlement are sent to the Engagement (‘Eday) later.The marriage day is
fixed with the consultation of the parish-priest and the necessary arrangements are
also made. This all ceremony practiced in all the three religious groups of the
siddhis. Marriages are celebrated with great grandeur and elaborate rituals which
bring forth the significance and the importance of the ceremony. The event is
celebrated with slight variations among the three religions groups of the siddis.

B. ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY (Eday)

The boy’s parents and other elders go to the house of the girl to ask her hand for
the boy.The boy also accompanies his parents to the girl’s house and participants in
negotiations. On entering the house of the girl’s, the guests are offered water to
wash their feet and face and are them invited to enter the house. A mat specially
kept aside for such functions is spread and the relatives (sayro) sit if the girl’s
parents are willing. Then if they agree to give in marriage, they serve rice cooked
with milk and if they are not willing to give the girl, they refuse this request
saying that they have to consult the girl’s grandfather or her uncles, who are not
living in that settlement. This lame excuse is a formality to avert the marriage
Settlement.
MARRIAGE DAY

The boy’s party excluding the groom goes to the girl’s house accompanied by
the ‘Mullah’ and they decide about the marriage. The boy’s party has to give saris
and seven blouse pieces to the girl. In the olden days the boy was required to give
money according to Muslim religion.

A day before the marriage, the ancestors are remembered and offerings of
wheat-cakes and jaggery are offered to them. Turmeric paste and coconut juice
(ross) is smeared on the groom by five married women.

The next day the groom and his party go to the bride’s house. They are
welcomed with onion (kanda) saggery (sakar) and water, the groom bathes and
dresses in new clothes. Five married women tie a Mangalsutra (gurdall) around
the bride’s neck. Then all the guests enjoy marriage feast. The groom’s costumes
consist of underwear, shirt (angi), rumal and a sword along with white loin-cloth.
The presentation of new dresses takes place between the bride’s party and groom’s.
But on the whole the marriage ceremony of Muslim siddhi is very similar to that of
the local Muslims.

The fathers of both groom and bride clap their right hands with grains of
sugar held between the thumbs. Five men from each side ask for the agreement
and when the answer is affirmative, the Mullah, chants veraes from Quran. After
this grains of rice are thrown on the couple by all the people. After the marriage
rituals are over.

D. GHAR BHARANI AMONG MUSLIM SIDDHIS (Filling the house)

The next day the marriage-party goes to the groom’s house there also
celebrate marriage ceremony, this ceremony celebrated among muslim siddhis five
Fridays this special ritual is celebrated. The newly married couple is made to sit in
the middle of the pandal on a stool. Sandal wood paste is smeared on them by five
married women. They are given a bath by them. The 1st, 3rd and 4th Fridays are
spent in the groom’s house. The couple do not sleep together until the five Fridays
are over.

Pregnancy : (Cholikeri)

Pregnancy ritual is celebrated in all the three religion groups of the Siddis.
Muslim Siddis call this rite as ‘Cholikeri’. During the first pregnancy of a woman
the ritual take place. During the 7th month of pregnancy they celebrate this ritual.
This ritual takes place in ‘Mardangar’ ( husband’s house) or in “mayar ghar”
(parents house). If the husband’s house holds have the good economic condition,
they celebrate this ritual in husbands house itself. Otherwise in the parent’s house
the ritual takes place.

During the 7th month, one particular day is meant for the function. All the
relatives and neighbours are called for the function. Usually the function takes
place in the evening. The pregnant woman is made to sit in (garvar baikomanus)
she wears green sari and green bangles. Five Muttaides perform the “godbarayi
(Udi tumbuvudu), they keep a coconut, rice, banana, betel leaves in the edge of the
sari and is placed at the stomach of the pregnancy woman ( garvar baikomanus ).
Then the songs (sobanapada) sing by the gatherers with Dhamam (drum) beats.
Usually sweet meal is given to relatives and gathered people.

The first delivery takes place always in the parents’ house. So that, the
pregnant woman receives special care by her mother. The mother provides her
likings (Arave).They believe that if the pregnant woman did not receive her likings
(Arave) properly, during pregnancy some problems may occur to the child.The
mother provides special food so that she is physically strong and healthy for the
delivery.
Funeral Rites :

After the death of a person, the corpse (marla) is washed and clothed in new
cloths, for man it is white, for woman it is red, they are shirt and dhotra, sari and
blouse. The corpse carried to the tomb in “Janaja” (death vehicle). “Surma”,
“Kachur”, “Attar” (scent) sprinkled to the corpse and “Makna” (garland), are kept
in the Janaja. Flowers are placed on the body. The Mulla is called and requested
to make Namaz. Incense is burned. They body is covered with new white cloth.

The dead are buried. After lowering a corpse into the grave (mati dithal
ghar) first the house members and relatives put the mud on the body. Then the
grave is filled by the people gathered. Afterwards with spades the grave filled.
After filling the grave, two sandal wood saplings are planted at the grave. The
belief is that if the deceased were a good person, the saplings will grow and if not,
they will die. But planting is not compulsory in these days. Some of them plant
the saplings, most of them are not.

Pathya : (3rd day ritual of funeral)

On the third day they make edibles with fruits, they make two plates of
edibles (yedi) and one is eaten by the women in the house and other is taken to the
grave by men only. At the grave they offer prayers and then eat the food and
return.

Dasava : 9th day

On the 9th day of death, dasava rite take place. On this day they prepare all
favourite dishes, like payasa, biriyani, any particular animal meat like rabbit, Wild
Pig, Fish etc. They keep all his likings like betel nut, beedi, cigarette, wine
( daru ) all kept in winnowing-pan and the pan is placed at the place of his death.
They prepare and place all these things because they believe that the spirit of the
dead person get fulfilment with receiving these favourites and likings. They
spread some sugar or flour on the cloth and kept beside the winnowing pan. On
the next morning they check some marks on the flour which indicates the next
birth of dead person. His or her rebirth as human being or as an animal or bird is
indicated by the type of footprints like birds or animal. A mark of fingers indicate
that he has become a god.

DANCES AND SONGS OF SIDDIS

A kind of dances and songs have made the siddis unique. The Siddis celebrate
the life cycle rituals and festivals with full of songs and dance. For them these
occasions are important because all Siddis gather together. All the Siddi friends,
relatives, neighbours gather together during the life cycle rituals, like Cradle
Cermony of the child, Puberty Ceremony, Maternity Cermony, Marriage. In these
occasions celebrate with joy, most of all these occasions they sing and dance with
drum beats. Especially ritual like marriages all the friends, relatives and Siddis of
the same settlement gather together. In marriage occasions, one or two days are
allotted for the celebration with lots of singing and dancing this usually goes on
throughout the night. The Siddi men and women both are fond for music and
dance. They enjoy singing and dancing in a group. Their kind of singing and
dancing slows a typical tribal trait Hiremath (1993).

The tribes are known to give vent to their feelings in a group through
making rhythmic movements of their badies and singing simple melodious tunes,
Prasad-(2005)
1.Dhamam dances and songs:

‘Dhamam’ is a drum. It has a long cylindrical body of three to four feet long
with round shape, diameter of one and a half to two feet. The two ends are
covered with deer skin. One side of the drum covered by neck skin of deer, which
is thick and hard, other side is covered by common skin of deer.

Dhamam dances and songs are common types of entertainment among the
“Siddis”. Dhamam dances and songs are performed on the occations of life cycle
rituals, festival days, marriages or any free day during the week. Usually at the
night after the supper they perform these dances, all the Siddis of the settlement
gather at a particular place and dances and songs go on until the midnight,
sometimes they go on the whole night. The gathered people sit in round position.
The drumbeater sits in the middle of the group. Four to five members who are
expert in singing, sit around the drumbeaters. The fire is placed at the drum, so
that the drum produce melodious sound by the heat of the fire. One of them who is
expert in singing starts singing a song. The group repeats each verse after the
singer. Both men and women participate in the occasion. A few women and men
come up in front and they perform different movements with the body. The rhythm
is given to the dancers by the group by singing and clapping. When a song comes
to close, the rhythm of the singing and of the beating of the drum becomes rise, the
movements of the body becomes speed, when a song comes to conclusion the
drumbeats stop. After few moments, another song starts the same or another
person come to perform another dance. In this way the whole night is spent with
singing and dancing, in the rest time they crack jokes and talk gossips.
DHAMAM DANS
2.Poogdi dances and songs:

Poogadi dances and songs are performed by siddi women. In the occasions
like marriage, maternity and festivity like siddi utsav in Karwar, they perform
these dances. Nowadays the siddis give Phoogdi and Dhamam performance in te
functions like college annual day functions, marriage functions, for that they
receive a particular amount of money.

A number of women stand in the row each holding a vessel, which is made
out of light metal like aluminium and even they use plastic post also. They hold
the vessel on the palms of the both hands while dancing, each performers body is
slightly bent forward making a slight arch over the vessel.

A leader is meant for a group, she refrain to the group and rest repeat after
her. Appropriate movements of the body are made. All members of the group do
according to songs of the leader.At the time of changing movements, the pot is
slightly thrown up in the air and the women blow into it ‘phoo’ sound. These
dances and songs go on for hours when the group wants to step, the pots are placed
in the centre and a different type of dances performed without the pots. At the
conclusion of the verse, the speed of dance increase. They end the dancing with
conclusion of the verse.

The songs and dances of the siddis are unique, because their style of
dhamam dancing is very different from other dances. Dhamam dances and songs
are folk entertainments of siddis. Nowaydays, the siddis give performances of
dhamam dances and songs and phoogdi dances and songs in functions. The group
contains 10 to 15 members who are from neighbour settlements. A leader is made
for a group, responsibilities of the leader is to manage the group and findout the
contracts for the performance. All members of the group are well familiar with
songs and dances. Before a week for the function they start practive. Usually in
the night after the supper all the members of the group are gathered at the house of
one of the members of the group and they practice for 2 to 3 hours. They practice
at the night because day time they have to go for the work.

While they dancing in the function 4 to 5 members of the group sit at the particular
place of the stage and they sing the songs and beat the drum (dhamam). According
to the songs and the drumbeats rest members dance on the the stage. While the
dancing on the stage they wear choths like tribal people like men tie neem leaves,
mango leaves at their waist and women are dressed with sari and blouse. Men are
coloured their body with different designs.The whole performens of the group
shows the typical tribal dance, which is very interesting for the civilised society.

POOGDI DANCE OF SIDDI WOMEN

ARTS

kawandi Making

kawandi making is one of the important arts among the siddis,it is considered
mainly as a quilting art form of the siddis,though it is a common technique and art
form practiced by most of the communities in north karnataka.usualy women sew
kawndi in their free time. Kawandi is made of rags which they use for mattress.
Passed down generationally, kawandi are lively and dense, characterized by strong
broad stitches holding together multiple layers of scrap material placed on top of a
single large "sari" which serves as the bottom layer. Each added layer consists of
smaller sized cloths.
Hobbies

Siddhis are fond of tobacco as most of them consume it. Eating betel leaves (pan)
has become common among Siddhi men and women. The youth consume pan but
not below the age of 16. Very few Siddhi smoke but pan suparee (minted arucknut)
and betel leaves are more consumed. The old people grind them in a small iron
vessel as they are unable to chew. Some Siddis would smoke with a pipe made of
wood or mud. Drinking alcohol is common among the elders, men as well as
women drink during special occasions. They do not make any alcohol rather some
of them tap toddy for their drink or prepare rice beer. Among other hobbies
hunting, playing indoor games, dance and singing are common to all.
SIDDIS FESTIVAL

Festivals serve as occasions to bring together people of the same village. People
belonging to the same family lineage come together at the time of the festival.
During the festivals food is exchanged among the relatives, friends, neighbours.
Thus festivals serve as occasions to establish closer relationship among the people.
During the festivals like Deepavali, Nagapanchami, Navaratri, the Siddis also get
special food from the neighbour people belonging to the other castes or same caste.
This exchange of food brings about a closer relationship among different people,
families, castes.

The Siddis of all the three religions celebrate festivals which are pertaining
to their own religion, Hiremath-1993. The Siddis celebrate the festival according
to their religion. But Siddis of all the three religion are not specific for any
particular festivals. Apart from their own religion festivals they also practice other
religion festivals as their local people. The Siddis are not religious in the sense of
observing the prescriptions of their religion. The various festivals of the different
religions are not celebrated in any special way – Prasad-(2005).

Muslim Siddis celebrate Islamic festivals like Ramzan, Ead-Bakrid,

Moharm, and not only they are restrict for their religion festivals but also they
participate in Deepavali, Ugadi, Navaratri nagara panchmi ,they also prepare
sweet meals on these accasions. And they participate in village fair like
Durgamma, Karemma, they participate in (Udi tumbuvudu), “Betle leaves”,
“Coconut”, “Jaggery”, “Rice”, they offer to goddess.They offer this practice
fulfilment of their wishes. It is their belive that theire forefathers were also
practicing these rituals therefore they are continuing these practices. Thay have
belived that if they do not practice these rituals the village godess may get angry
over them and some evil things may accur to their family.

Hindu Siddis practice Hindu festivals like Deepavali, Ganesh Chaturthi,

Navaratri, Nagapanchami and others. They celebrate these festivals as their local
people. Hindu Siddis also participate in Moharam, on that day also participate in
the celebration.

HIRIYARU POOJA

Festival of “Hiriyaru Pooja” is celebrated among the 3 groups of siddis.

Hiriyaru pooja is a festival of worshiping the spirits of their dead parents. These
spirits are benevolent and guard the members of the family against outside dangers
they believe their spirits maintain constant communication with the living
members of the family.They appear in dreams and on occasions they came upon
someone in the house and speak out their wishes or point out any failures on the
part of living members. Even the living members may inquive of the dead as to
their failures. Thus the living and the dead are mutually dependent and couple
mentally death, the living believe are due to the neglect of duties either by or
towards the ‘spirits’ of parents. They ask for explanation from these on occasions.

The pooja of the ‘Hiriyaru’ among the siddis constitute a major event in the
family. The performance of ‘Hiriyaru’ pooja is both social and religious. From
the religious point of view it refers to the remembrance of the parents-year and
also the securing of assurances from them that they would keep vigil over the
family in the succeeding year. From the social point of view, it refers to the
renewal of kinship relationship it is obligatory on the part of all the relatives to
attend the function the ‘ Hiriyaru’ pooja is performed once a year on a large scale
and delay by the ‘ Kartha’ (mota gharthala) of the family. It takes place normally
in the first week of November during ‘Navarathri’ festival this time siddi also
celebrated the ‘Hiriyaru pooja’. But if anyone is missed due to ill health or it is
again performed in April-May during the major festival. These dates may not, of
course, correspond with the dates when the parents died. Even the local Hindu
castes perform the ‘Hiriyaru’ pooja during these periods but they are different type
‘ Hiriyaru’ pooja celebrated this other casts Hindu celebrated pooja Brahmins.
Siddis own family and relative ‘Hiriyaru’ pooja
celebrated. The Christians siddi and Muslim siddi do not keep the coconut as
ritual symbols. Problem of the religious non Christian siddi and non Muslim siddi
don’t like this ritual symbols but a small place in the house is preserved as the ‘
Hiriyaru’ place. A candle is lit daily by the ‘Kartha’ at the place specified. The
Muslims siddi on the other hand burn incense sticks on Fridays and on other
special occasions in the space reserved for the ‘Hiriyaru’. Hindu siddi keep
thecoconut as rituas

“SYMBOL OF “HIRIYARU POOJA”

ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE SIDDI

Siddi tribal people are economically the poorest people of karnataka. Majority of
them are living below the poverty line. Majority of the households lie below the
poverty line and only one or two households in a tribe possess the APL card. They
are living in rural area or very thickness forest area. Siddis are working as
agricultural labourers, Many of the men and women are involved in collecting
forest produce.They do not have their ownagricultural land. Siddis are
economically very low other caste people have a locally dominant population and
income.
Daily wage Labourers:

Siddhis work as agricultural wage labours in their village.they depended on daily

wage labouring works, because they don’t have any agriculture land. Siddis do
agricultural work like ‘ploughing’, ‘sowing’, ‘weeding’, ‘planting’ etc. Some siddi
families migrate to town areas like Banglore, Udupi, Maharastra and Goa Banglore
in search of work, where they get Rs. 250-300 Rs per day.Usually they migrate to
town areas during the summer season November to may.durinng the mansoon they
live in their village itself, during the mansoon season they get agricultural works in
the village.In the village they get 100 to 150 Rs per day.

Usual wages given for the agricultural wage labaur is Rs. 130/men and 100
for women per day. Though the wages are low, the siddhis prefer to seek these
works for their survival.

Harvesting wild honey:

Siddis of Uttara Kannada, Belagavi and Dharwad districts harvest honey in the
forest. During the month of April-May and August –September Some Siddis
engage themselves in the collection of honey in the forest. They gather honey
from the forest on contract with the forest department, Maratha and Brahmins also
get the honey collected by the Siddis. While export honey men are three or five
Siddis males join together and work. They collect about 15-20 kg of honey per
day Siddis are experts in collecting honey in the forest.

Normally the contractors pay the Siddis Rs. 90 per 1 kg. Per day 15-20 kg
of honey is collected from each tree at the base of each tree in which bees have
built combs, they light a fire to create smoke which causes the bees to swarm.
When the bees swarm from that hive, one man climbs the tree and loosens the
combs from the branch. The comb is allowed to fall in the plastic net kept below it
and the honey is extracted from the comb.

Athikraman land:

This land includes under the control of forest department. Siddis don’t have
agricultural land so that they cut down the trees of their sorounding and made
space for cultivation. Here they grow Paddy, Millet, vegetables for food porpus.
And also they grow some commercial crops like Sugar cane, Coconut, Betle nut,
etc.

Hunting:

Hunting constitutes part of their agricultural activity, because the crops in the
region stand in constant danger of being destroyed by the wild animals from the
forest especially the ‘boar’ ( pigs) in the order to protect their crops the local
people belonging to the village along with the Siddis under take hunting with guns
and thota. Some of the Siddis who cannot own a gun act as helpers in hunting to
save crops. Some siddi familes have own gun with licence.

Causes for the economic backwardness of the siddis

Political Organisation

After Uttara-Kannada districts siddis are socially, politically, economic condition

have been improved

Siddis in Uttara Kannada district are included to ST category in the year 2002 and
they are getting all the Government benefits meant for ST category they are
improd politically. Dharwad, Balagavi district siddis are non-Scheduled
Tribe.Therefore they don’t have any reservations and also siddis in dharwad and
belagavi are very less in population.so that siddis of dharwad and belagavi have
not participated in elections.but the siddis uttara kannada are gradually entering
into the political field like Gram panchayath, taluk panchayath.there are 32 Gram
Panchayt members in Uttara-Kannada district.

Siddhi Sabha The organization of Siddis for justice, punishment as well as for
taking important decisions is in line with the typical primitive tribes. The
settlement forms the ultimate unit of authority and arbitration observes Kiran
Kamal Prasad every village inhabited by the Siddi, which is independent in itself,
there is a traditional council called Siddi Sabha, who are elected leaders or hold
hereditary posts. Palakshappa points out that Sabha which he writes as „subha‟ is a
politicol judicial body within a settlement. Siddi sabha is a settlement body with a
domain of its own action and authority. The researcher noticed that the number
of leaders for such Sabha varied according to settlements. They are called jante,
which literally would mean the elders. It is a powerful organ of the social structure
among them. It is headed by one, designated as budwont (theWiseman) and
assisted by kolkar (orderly) or khajandar (treasurer).This body ensures the
continuity and has the power to dispatch verdicts and punish the guilty or even to
excommunicate a person concerned. Kiran Kamal Prasad.

Chapter-4
 INTENSIVE FIELDWORK

BELAGAVI DISTRICT

Borunaki village of Khanapur taluk, Belagavi District

For this present ethnographic study intensive field work was conducted in
Borunaki village, Khanapur taluk, Belagavi district. The village is 35k.m. away
from the taluka place and 13k.m. in distance from Alnavar.The village is 3k.m.
inside from Alnavar-Khanapur highway. The village joins the highway by small tar
road.

The Siddis who are living in Borunaki, all are practicing Islam religion and
they are known as “Muslim Siddis”. In Belagavi district Khanpur taluk majarity of
the siddi houses are found in this village .Therefor intensive fieldwork was carried
out in this village. During our fieldwork we stayed in PEERSAB SIDDI house for
15 days.

In Borumaki, the Siddis are living with other casts of the village. They are
Maratha, Muslim, Vaddar, Bedar, Madar, Christian, Brahmin. Total population of
the village is 1798.

population of the siddis in the village

Siddi houses- 16

Siddi Families - 27

Siddi Male - 55

Siddi Female - 45

Total population of the Siddis- 100

Temples of the village

Vitob temple

Alla masjid

Karemma temple

History

The village is set in the middle of the forest. Earlier the village was known
as “Habsyar Uru” (village of Habsis) The Siddis are called as “ Habsi, Hubsi,
Habshi, Hiremath (1993). The village was called as “Habsyar uru”, because siddis
were the first settlers of this village. In the earlier days only Siddis were living in
the village. The Siddis are the first settlers of this village. In the beginning, there
were few Siddi families settled in the platue of the mid forest, says ‘Pheersab
Siddi’, a 50year local Siddi man, it was a thick forest area when his grand fathers
started their life in this area, there were no other community people found except
siddis in this village. Later, as days passed the families increased and people of
other caste like Maratha, Muslim, Vaddar, Harijan started to come to live here.
Then the village grew in to a multi caste village. Then the name of the village
Habsyar uru changed in to Borunaki.

BORUNAKI VILLAGE MAP

 Settlement

In Belagavi district, the Siddis are existed in Khanapur taluk only, which is knwon
for thick forest. In Khanapur taluk, the Siddis are living in three villages. They
are Tavaragatta, Godoli and Borunaki. Borunaki is 3k.m. inside from the highway
road Alnavar -Khanapur. The village joins from the highway by tar road. The
village is surrounded by the thick forest. About 60 to 70 years back the village was
in the mid forest, later as population grew, the surrounding trees were cut down to
build houses and forest was cleared for cultivation. The forest has been cleared up
to 2 to 3 k.m. from the surroundings of the village.

Siddi Houses

There are 16 Siddi houses found in the village Borunaki. Siddi houses are
not found living together exclucing in area, but they are scattered in different
localities of the village. About 50 to 60 years back, Siddis were living in a cluster
in one particular place of the village. An eighty year old Siddi woman said that
when she came to this village by marrying a local Siddi man, the siddis were living
in huts in one area of the village. As the days passed, Government houses were
given to Siddis, the houses built in government schemes were not built in one
cluster, but were built in different localities of the village. So the Siddis are spread
out in the village. Those who have not got government scheme house, they have
built their own house according to their convenience in the village.

Siddi house

Transportation:

The village Borunaki joins by the small tar road from the highway road
passing highway Alnavar and Khanapur. This village is 3k.m. inside from the
highway. The village has very least bus fecility only 2 to 3 times bus fecility is
avalble to the village this is not convenience for the villagers. Since this is not
adequate the villagers depend to a great extent on a tempo, rikshwo, motor cycle,
for transportation. People say till about 10 to 15 years back , they had to walk upto
the highway says Pheersab Siddi, local siddi man.

Water fecility:

There is water tanker facility for drinking water in the village. All the
people of the village depend on this water tank for drinking water including the
Siddis. Siddis also take water from the same tank where the other people take in
the village. In this village siddis are not found in a separate area but in different
areas so that they take water from their nearby water tank in the village.
A local siddi woman ....... told that, “in the earlier days mainly higher caste people
like Brahmin lingayat Marata, gouli were doing castism, they see them as inferor
and on a level with the lowest caste and dalits (untouchables) not allowed to touch
their vessels at the water tank they were not.........

EDUCATION

In the village up to 8th standard formal education is available. Government primary

kannada medium school provides educational facility up to 8th standard. There is
one primary Urdu medium school in the village up to 5TH standard. Siddi children
also go to Urdu medium school. For higher education they have to go to school
and college in Alnavara.

Electricity

All the houses of the village have electric facility. The siddis have
Bhagyajoti electric facility. There are 1 to 2 electric bulbs used in the siddi
houses and they are exempted from paying the expenditure incurred on one
bulb.there is only one bulb allow under the Govt scheme. Even the siddis use only
one bulb, because they are not able to pay the electric bill. If they use 3 to 4 bulbs
and other electric materials like mixer, grinder, iron, television, tape-recorder,
electric bill will be heavy for them. Thus we don’t find any electric materials in
their houses. All the siddis have 2 to 3 lamps in their house, if there is no power
supply, they use lamps for that the use kerosene.

Household Equipments

The siddis have minimum daily usage equipments in their house. They use
earthen pots ( madake) aluminium vessels for cooking , rarely use steel.even now
siddis use pots for cooking.there are 3 to 4 eating plates we found in their house,
which are aluminium and steel. The siddis use traditional grinder (vatathala
gonad) made of stone for grinding curried, chatni. In very few houses they have.
There are three to four mats in their house which are woven out of rags and 1 to 2
chapes(dali) that they bring from the market. A few of cloths, rarely in the
accasions like marriage, they buy new new cloths. They sew the mattresses out of
rags (koudi) they use kawandi as mattress.Threre are 1 to 2 drums in the house to
store water for their daily usage and a steel vessel and earthen pot (Harave) to
stock drinking water.There is least number of agriculture equipments in their
house. Cultivation equipments like Rake( ), Ploughing equipment and
sometimes they borrow cultivation equipments from other community people.

DHARWAD DISTRICT

INTESIVE FIELD WORK IN BAICHWAD VILLAGE

Baichwad of Kalaghatagi taluk,Dharwad district

For this present ethnographic study, intensive fieldwork was conducted in

“Baichwad” village, Kalaghatagi taluk, Dharwad District. The village is 13 km
away from the taluka place. The village is 60 km inside from kalahatagi –Yallapur
main road. The village joins from main road by small mud road (kachcha road)
and the village is located in the middle of the forest.During our fieldwork We
stayed for 15 days in Gousu siddi house. Baichwad is included in ‘ Sulekatti
Grama Panchyati. There is nursery and up to 5th standard formal education is
available in the village. There are 27 siddi families are living in this village with
12 Gouli families and 05 Maratha families.

Total population of the village is 163.

Siddi population of the village is 67

Male Female Total

37 30 67

The siddis, who are living in this village all are practicing Islam religion,
they are commonly known as Muslim Siddis. There are also other community
people living in the village like Gouli and Maratha.

BAICHWAD VILLAGE MAP

 HISTORY OF SIDDIS IN THE VILLAGE

During the fieldwork as we traced the background of the siddis in village by

asking elderly siddis of the village, “Ibrahimsab siddi”, and “Imamsab siddi”. They
told that there were 2 Desai families (maratha) living in this village having
hundreds of acres agricultural land Ibrahimsab siddi 60-year old local siddi man
told that his father Karimsab siddi and his brothers were the first siddi settlers in
this village.bacically they belong to Gunjavati village,Mundgod taluk uttara
kannada district.They were migrated to this village for better livelihood. They
came to this village in search of work from Gunjavathi, Mundagod talk to
Baichwad, Kalaghatagi taluk. These are the first siddi settlers of their village.
They started their living in huts as they work in Desai’s farms, siddi were doing
agricultural works. As the days passed siddi families increased. They cleaned their
surrounding forest to build the houses. As they cut down the trees and built their
huts, they cleaned their surrounding for cultivation, they started growing like
paddy vegetables. The siddis who are living in this village belong to single lineage
which belongs to Gunjavati, even now in Baichwad, they are called as Gunjavati
family.

SIDDI HOUSES

In the village siddi houses are found at the entrance of the village. There are 18
siddi houses in the village. The houses are built with cement and briks which are
roofing with red tiles. Before 10 to 15 years siddis were living in huts, now they
have firm constructed houses.some of the families have got government scheme
houses These houses are built out of bricks and cement having two rooms, one for
kitchen and another for sitting. All the houses are fencing. Backside and beside
the house they planted vegetables like Tomato, Chilli, Beans which they use for
their food.

There are also found fruits plants like Banana (keli), Jackfruit etc., beside
and in front of their house. Siddis are not able to bring vegetables, fruits from the
market as they are poor, therefore they plant vegetable and fruits plant around their
house.

Facilities:

TRANSPORTATION
The village is 6k.m. inside from the main road Kalaghatagi-Yallapur. The village
joins by small mud road (Kachcha road) from main road. The village has least
transportation facilities as it is located in the forest. There is hardly 3 times bus
facility is available in the village, morning, afternoon and evening. There is no
private vehicles like bus, tempo, auto rikshaw transportation facilities in the
village.The siddis go to marketing to town areas like ‘ Devikoppa’ , Kalaghatagi ,
by bus. Sometimes they go by walk to Devikoppa, which is 6 km away from the
village. The siddis don’t have own vehicles like motor cycle. So they need to
walk if they miss bus in the time. In the situation like serious health problem,
delivery they face problems as they don’t have any private vehicles and there is no
transportation facility in the village.

Electricity

The village has electric facility. Siddi houses have electric facility in the village.
Usually all the houses have Baghyjyoti electric facility. Bagyajyoti is an electric
facility given by the government for those who are living under the poverty level.
Siddis use 1 to 2 bulbs in their house. As siddis are not able to pay heavy amount
of electric bill, therefore they use only 1 to 2 bulbs. There are 2 to 3 lamps in their
house; they use lamps during the absence of electricity. Even before 10 to 15 years,
there was no electric facility in their houses. Thus they still keep 2 to 3 lamps
(chimney) in their house and they use kerosene for lamps. There is 6 to 8 hours
electricity is available for a day in the village. During the rainy season, they face
electric facility as trees fell on the wire; it takes time 20-30 days to repair.

Drinking Water

There is water tank facility is available for drinking water in the village. There
is only one water tank in the village. So all the villagers are depending on this.
Siddis take water from the water tank and they use this water for both drinking and
daily use. Siddis have drums in their house. They stock water in drums for daily
use like washing clots, vessels, bathing etc. They stock water in steel vessels for
drinking. Single water tank is not sufficient for the village. Therefore the siddis
use lake water for daily use.

WATER TANK
Agriculture:

In the village siddis have land 1 to 2 acres (Atikramana). Siddis do agricultural

works like ploughing, sowing, weeding, planting etc. Siddis have made clear their
surrounding , they grow paddy, vegetables, cowpea etc. Siddis have agricultural
instruments like Rake in their house. Siddis those who don’t have agricultural
land, they work as agricultural wage labourers in the village. They work in the
forms of Maratha, Gouli for that they get 100 to 150 Rs. Per day. Both Siddis men
and women do agricultural works. In the village during the monsoon season,
siddis get agricultural works. After the monsoon, they go for brick works as they
don’t get works in the village. After the monsoon they don’t get works in the
village. So they go to brick works near by the village as Devikoppa,
Sangameshwara, Masalikatti etc
 UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT

Intensive field work in Sambrani village

Sambrani

For this present Ethnographic study intensive fieldwork was conducted in ‘

Sambrani’ village, Haliyal taluk, Uttara kannada district. The village is 13 km
away from the taluka place. The village is set beside the Haliya-Yallapur
main-road. The village joins from the main-road by smaller tar road. The village
is surrounded by the thick forest. Sambrani is a multi caste
village,Brahmin,lingayath,Maratha,medar,madar,valmiki,siddi,muslim,Christian.
Sambrani village has historical background, It was kingdom of Swadi, dynasty
during 17thcentury.during our fieldwork we stayed in IMAMBI SIDDI house for
15 days in the village.

Sambrani village history

The history of the village as we traced during our fieldwork, history of

Sambrani village was narrated by ‘ Ishwar Pattanashetty’, a retaired post master of
the village. He has published an article on the historical background of Sambrani.
He narrated that during 17th Century ‘Sambasadashiva’, king of ‘ Swadi ’ dynasty
was ruling this region. The kings of swadi said to be under the control of
‘ Kadamba’ kings.

The king ‘Sambasadashiva ’ built a fort ( Kille) for his queen near the
village and it is known as ‘ Ranikille’. There are a few historically significant
witness survived like ‘Ranikille,Anehouda, Siddi Rehaman tomb’ near this village.
The king ‘Sambasadashiva’ had a vast region under his, but after his and his
descendents the region got split into several small villages.

The name of the village ‘Sambrani’ has its origin name as the village of ‘
Sambana rani ’. As days passed it got modified as ‘Sambarani’ and now called as
‘ Sambrani’

History of the Siddis in Sambrani village

The existence of siddis in sambrani has its origion from the ruling period of
Swadi dynasty during 17th Century. During the period of the king ‘
Sambasadashiva’, siddis were living in his kingdom. A siddi man called ‘Siddi
Rehaman’ was the protecter for the queen of‘Sambasadashiva’. There is a tomb of
Siddi Rehaman in the village, called ‘Siddi Rehaman gori .Once in a year the
villagers worship and celebratefair ( Urusu) in the name of Siddi Rehaman.

There is a folkstory associated with ‘Siddi Rehaman’. Once a drought

occurred in the Swadi kingdom. The king got to build a tank(houda) in sambrani
village, for the benefit of the village formers. Siddi Rehman selected by the king
to build the tank with the help of his fellow siddis. The tank was dug and springs
appeared in the bed of the tank and the tank was filled with water. This brought
great joy to ‘Siddi Rehaman’ and his fellow workers. ‘Siddi Rehaman’ went to
the king to convey the happy news. While narrating with enthusiasm Siddi
Rehaman compared the flow of the stream with the milk of the breast of the queen.
This made the king very angry, the king ordered his commanders to burry Siddi
Rehman alive. The ministers and the courtiers begged the king to forgive Siddi
Rehaman. But the king did not relent and Siddi Rehaman was buried alive.
 The people of the village made him into a saint and began worshipping his
tomb. The tomb of Siddi Rehaman in Sambrani is a place of pilgrimage for
‘Hindus, Muslims & Christians’. It is believed that by worshipping Siddi
Rehaman , one’s wishes are fulfilled

SAMBRANI VILLAGE MAP

TEMPLES

There are few temples in the village. They are as follows.

DyamavvaDurgavva temple.

Anjaneya temple, Anjaneya temple, Shiva temple, Shiva temple

 Dyamavva Durgavva and Siddi Rehaman fairs take place in the village. In
dyamavva Durgavva fair all the villagers participate and they perform “Udi
tumbuvudu” to fulfil their wishes and also they believed that godess Dyamavva
Durgavva protect the village from evil things. Along with other villagers Siddis
participate in the fair. Siddis go to the temple and participate in “Udi tumbuvudu”
to fulfil their wishes. Siddis contribute about 50 to 100 Rupees for this village fair.
‘Siddi Rehaman’s’ fair (Urusu) also celebrated in the village, all the people of the
village celebrate the Urusu (fair). Siddi Rehaman’s tomb, which is considered as a
place of pilgrimage for all the people belongs to different castes and religions.

Siddi Houses

In the village Siddi houses are found at the edge of the village. The siddis
are living in a separate area, it is commonly known as siddi colony. As most of the
siddi houses are there in this area. Therefore it is called as siddi colony. Very few
houses of other castes also found with the siddi houses, like Muslim, Medar,
Maratha. In the village all the siddi houses are particularly government scheme
houses. Before 20 to 30 years, siddis were living in huts.

Government introduced house scheme for the poor people, siddis get government
houses and presently the siddis of this village are living in government scheme
houses. But those who have not got government scheme houses are living in huts,
because they are unable to build a house of their own. These houses are
surrounded by wood fencing, backside of the house they have space for plants,
vegetable like tomato, chilly. There are also plants of fruits like Banana, jackfruit
in front of thehouses

Facilities

Water Facilities

The villagers get water from one big water tank. There is water supply facility
through pipes to each house in the village. Siddi houses also have water supply
facility; water comes trice in a week. They use this water for both drinking and
daily usage. They have drums in their house to stock water for the next two days.
This system will continue. The siddis also pay the water bill every month. If some
problems occur in water supply, they collect water from bore wells and water tank
in the village which other communities also take.

Electricity

The village has electric facility. All the siddi houses have the electric facility.
They use 2 to 3 bulbs in their house. All the houses have ‘Bagyajyoti’ electric
facility, this facility is given by the government for those who don’t have electric
facility. There is allow for only one bulb under this scheme. Before twenty years,
the siddis were using lamps in their house. There were no electric facility
available but when the government introduced the Bagyajyothi scheme, they use
only 2 to 3 bulbs in their houses and even they use only one bulb, because they are
not able to pay the electric bill. If they use 3 to 4 bulbs and other electric materials
like mixer, grinder, iron, television, tape-recorder, electric bill will be heavy for
them. Thus we don’t find any electric materials in their houses. All the siddis
have 2 to 3 lamps in their house, if there is no power supply, they use lamps for
that the use kerosene. Solar light fecility is provided for the siddi coloney under
the ST government scheme.

Agriculture

The siddis do all kinds of agricultural work like ploughing, planting,

weeding, sowing, plucking betel nut etc. In the village siddis don’t own
agricultural land but they work as agricultural wage labourers in the farms of
Brahmins, Maratha, lingayath and others for that they get Rs. 100 to 150 per
day.During the monsoon season siddis get agricultural works in the village. Siddi
men and women go to agricultural work. But after the monsoon, they hard to get
agricultural works as men go to the cement work to the town areas and women
stays at the house.After the monsoon siddi men go to the other districts, other
states like Maharastra, Goa, Rajastan in search of work for the better livelihood.
They work in the cities, where they can get better wages. They do cement works,
hotel work and here they get Rs. 400 to 500 per day. Some amount they send to
their house every month for the rest of the members of the family.
Transportation

The village has better transportation facilities as it is located by Haliya-Yallapur

main road. There is N.W.K.R.T.C. bus facility for the villagers to travel to places
like Haliyal. Private vehicles like bus, tempo, auto rickshaws are also available for
the transportation. Siddis go for marketing to town areas like Haliyal, Yallapur by
bus, tempo, rickshaws etc. Siddis go to marketing to Haliyal usually it is once in a
week. Men and women also go to the marketing. When they go by bus and
tempo, even by motor cycle etc.

Social Structure of Siddhis in Karnataka

While Siddhis came into India they procured various positions in accordance with their
abilities and luck. Thus the researcher observes various streams of Siddhis the first one
being those employed as soldiers, as bodyguards, as guards for kings‟ harem and as
generals leading the army at battles. This section of Siddhis did enjoy a better status in
the society both in the eyes of the citizens and the royalty as well. They did enjoy
security, were treated with respect, better fed in order to keep them fit for the future
battles and to preserve law and order in the kingdom. Some of the Siddhis won the
hearts of their kings and queens to an extent that they were given gifts both in the form
of land grants and gold.The second stream of Siddhis was those employed in the
houses, fields and other domestic sectors. Pinto reveals to us that the prestige of
Portuguese in Goa in the 16 19th century was measured according to the number of
slaves each possessed. Though many slaves served a single household Siddhis must
have not had much to converse with each other as they were not of the same tribe and
kinship.The third stream of Siddhis are those bought by the local Bhatts, Muslim
land lords and the Christian land owners sold by the Portuguese. These Siddhis
lived away from the masters‟ residence and were totally secluded from others.
Their world was their master as he would take care of their needs. Besides, Siddhis .