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CULTURE, LANGUAGE, ART AND LIFESTYLES
ABTRACT
The present study was conducted in Seethampeta, Palakonda and Kuthuru mandals of
Srikakulam district. These mandals were predominantly inhabited by tribal communities and thus
sample drawn for the study was also consists of tribal communities. Among the tribal
communities that inhabit in the study area, three of the tribal communities were very
predominant and these are Jatapu, Savara and adaba. The most significant feature of the social
orgnisation of the savaras of Andhra Pradesh is the absence of clan organi!ation. As a people, the
Jatapu are developing both materially and politically. They own fertile lands and rich forests, and
possess more wealth in cash, "ewelry, and property than their neighbors. #n addition, they hold
most of the local government positions. They are now aspiring to higher district and legislative
positions. #n general, the Jatapu have a friendly, considerate spirit that prevails at all times. They
are e$ceptionally clean, and most Jatapu men are loving fathers. adaba or utub is a %undari
language spoken by the adaba, a Scheduled Tribe living in the Agency Area of north coastal
Andhra Pradesh. They call themselves &%ogililu& or &%odililu& in their own dialect in the
Srikakulam 'istrict. The adaba were formerly employed as palan(uin)bearers. There is a low
level of literacy among the adaba, and their language is rarely written.
INTRODUCTION
The schedule tribe population in Andhra Pradesh is about *+ lakhs which constitutes .-
percent of the population / lakhs0. The tribal women population in Andhra Pradesh is **.
lakhs as per the provisional figures of +112 statistics0. The 33 schedule tribes of Andhra
Pradesh form a very large component in the entire South #ndia. Tribal concentration in Andhra
Pradesh is in the districts of Srikakulam, 4i!ianagaram, 4isakhapatnam, 5ast odavari,
Khammam, 6arangal andAdilabad.
There are about *+/ tribes each having its own socio economic and political setup in the
country. The tribal communities are differentiated from non tribals as their social affairs are to a
large e$tent guided by mutual obligations and moral bindings. Their institutions and traditions
are based on co)operation and community oriented. Tribal society is usually small, isolated,
closely knit and is based on kinship. Tribal people are normally honest, simple, heroic and true,
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they live in varied socio)economic conditions, and the tribal setting is so comple$ in its nature.
The ma"or source of income of the tribal7s besides agriculture was forest and forest
produce. 8eing close to forest they took to honey and gum collection and other medical herbs.
The tribal economy of the region was, therefore, based on two ma"or sources9 agriculture and
forest.
The tribal7s are at the bottom of the socio)economic level. True, economic opportunities
have brought some changes in the position of tribal7s though they largely continue to remain
below the poverty line. Their historical isolation has not yet been fully overcome.
To raise their standard of living and also restructuring their society, it is essential to
provide them new status opportunities. The tribal7s have to be taught to identify resources for
obtaining capital, developing managerial skills and prepare themselves for decision making and
risk taking.
METHODOLOGY
Srikakulam district was purposively selected for the study as it has the mandals under
the "urisdiction of #T'A Seetampeta. #T'A Seethampeta was purposively selected because the
concentration of tribal population is dense in this #T'A. 6ithin the district, the %andals
spread over under the "urisdiction of #ntegrated Tribal 'evelopment Agency, Seethampeta
were specifically selected. 6ithin the "urisdiction of #T'A, Seethampeta, three %andals vi!.
Seethampeta, Palakonda and Kothuru, were selected.
Profile of Savara Tribe
Savara, a Scheduled Tribe is found inhabiting the 5astern hats of Srikakulam and
4i!ianagaram district. The Savara population in Andhra Pradesh is 2,1-,*- as per 2::2 census.
The total literacy rate among Savara as per 2::2 ;ensus reports is 23.
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names. #n the absence of e$ogamous family names and clans, they resort to cross cousin
marriages as a way to regulate their matrimonial alliances and thus avoid incest. >evirate,
sororate and widow remarriages are socially approved. =our methods of ac(uiring mates vi!.,
marriage by negotiations Pankui0, marriage by elopement 'ingdengboi0, marriage by service
Kinersung0 and marriage by e$change ?laiboi0 are socially accepted among Savaras. %ost of
the Savara families are nuclear. 'ivorce is permitted on the grounds of impotency, continued
(uarrels in the family etc.
A t!i"al Savara tribe #o$a%
The Savaras subsist on agriculture. Savara agriculture consists of &podu& or shifting
cultivation and terrace cultivation on hill slopes besides dry and wet farming. The implements
are manufactured mostly by using indigenous techni(ues and locally available materials. =orest
labour, collection and sale of @on)Timber =orest Produce, fishing and hunting are important
subsidiary occupations. Similar to most of the primitive societies, group cohesion and intra)tribal
solidarity is maintained among Savaras through social control institutions decreed by tradition.
There are three grades in the traditional leadership in social precedence i.e. the &amang&,
the &8uyya& and the &Par"a&. The amang is the civil head of the village. The 8uyya is the
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religious head. Savaras consider a amang to be rich with lands and other property. &'esari&
another religious functionary of Savaras attends for fi$ing up of auspicious days for the
performance of both social and religious ceremonies. &Kudan& is also a religious functionary who
recites hymns and conducts social and religious ceremonies. The festivals of first eating of the
crops, propitiation of the deities and ancestral spirits, name giving ceremony are some of the
ritual functions at which &Kudan& recites hymns, conducts the rituals and offers sacrifices. e
chants hymns while playing on a musical instrument called &Kudansngrai&. Savaras propitiate
various deities and ancestral spirits. The ods and spirit beings of Savaras can be classified into
benign and malign. The benevolent gods are those of earth, hill, pot, sun, rain, wind, stream etc.
The malignant deities are associated with tiger, small po$, bloodsuckers and sorcerer. There are
as many malignant spirits as there are diseases known to the Savaras.
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&o$e% !arti"i!ate' i% "(lt(re ba)e' a"tivitie)
The Savaras draw certain designs on the walls known as &5dising&. #t is also known as
&>ingor&. These designs are drawn in honuor of the dead, to avert diseases to promote and on the
occasion of certain festivals. These &5dising& designs are common among Savaras inhabiting
interior hilly tracts. These drawings depict the moon, the sun, animals and all the ob"ects, which
come across in their daily life.
The most significant feature regarding the social organi!ation of the Savaras of Andhra
Pradesh is the absence of a clan structure. =or all practical social purposes, e.g., marriage, the
group having a common surname is e$ogamous. Some sections of the Savaras of the Seethampet,
Pathapatnam and Sompet areas have not even adopted family names. #n the absence of
e$ogamous family names and clans, they resort to inter)cousin marriages as a way to regulate
their matrimonial alliances and thus avoid incest 8ehera B Pfeffer 2:::0.
>evirate, sororate and widow remarriages are socially approved. =our methods of
ac(uiring mating partners are used C marriage by negotiations Pankui0, marriage by elopement
'ingdengboi0, marriage by service Kinersung0 and marriage by e$change. %ost of the Savara
families are nuclear. 'ivorce is permitted on the grounds of impotency, continuous (uarrels in
the family, etc. The Savaras subsist on agriculture. Savara agriculture consists of podu or shifting
cultivation and terrace cultivation on hill slopes besides dry and wet farming. Savaras
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manufacture their own agricultural implements suited to their shifting, terrace, dry and wet
farming. The tools are manufactured mostly by using indigenous techni(ues and locally available
materials. =orest labour, collection and sale of non)timber forest produce, fishing and hunting are
important subsidiary occupations.
Similar to most of the primitive societies, group cohesion and intra)tribal solidarity is
maintained among the Savaras through social control institutions decreed by tradition 8oal
2::/0. There are three grades in the traditional leadership in social precedence, i.e. the amang,
the 8uyya and the Par"a. The amang is the civic head of the village. The 8uyya is the religious
head and Savaras consider a amang to be rich with lands and other property. 'esari, nother
religious functionary of the Savaras attends to the arranging of auspicious days for the
performance of both social and religious ceremonies. The Kundan is also a religious functionary
who recites hymns and conducts social and religious ceremonies. The festivals of the first eating
of crops, propitiation of deities and ancestral spirits and the name)giving ceremony are some of
the ritual functions at which the Kundan recites hymns, conducts the rituals and offers sacrifices.
e chants hymns while playing on a musical instrument called kundan singrai. Kundanboi, the
female counterpart of the Kundan, conducts birth deliveries, diagnoses and cures diseases. She is
a soothsayer and employs magical charms as part of the curative prescription.
Profile of *ata!( Tribe
The Jatapu are located in the hills of central #ndia. They are mainly concentrated in the
Srikakulam and 4isadhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, although there are some
communities in the states of Tamil @adu and Drissa. The Jatapu have no deep history or heritage.
%any have even forgotten their original language, Jatapu, which belongs to the Kui)Kuvi branch
of ;entral 'ravidian languages. %ost of the Jatapu speakers have adopted Telugu as their
mother tongue.
As a people, the Jatapu are developing both materially and politically. They own fertile
lands and rich forests, and possess more wealth in cash, "ewelry, and property than their
neighbors. #n addition, they hold most of the local government positions. They are now aspiring
to higher district and legislative positions. #n general, the Jatapu have a friendly, considerate
spirit that prevails at all times. They are e$ceptionally clean, and most Jatapu men are loving
fathers.
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The Jatapu predominantly work as farmers and forest laborers. Eice is their staple crop, and
grains, peas, beans, chilies, and tobacco leaves are also grown. #n addition, they collect and sell
minor forest produce. A few Jatapu sell pottery, baskets, or bangles, but very few work as
craftsmen. They generally do not spin, weave, make pottery, or work as carpenters until they
come in greater contact with the plains peoples.
A t!i"al *ata!( tribe #o$e%
A typical Jatapu village consists of mud houses lined in rows. The homes are "oined to
each other with common outer walls and a long thatched roof. There are usually four separate
rooms in each house to provide privacy. The homes have very few possessions, mainly earthen
pots, baskets for grains, and mats for sitting. There is no bedding materialF they stay warm in the
winter by burning fires. The village street serves as a courtyard and playground. ;attle are either
kept in sheds or tied to posts in the middle of the streets to avoid cattle theft. The streets are kept
e$tremely tidy at all times.
Among the Jatapu, lineage is patrilineal traced through the males0 and leadership always
rests with the men. owever, the women en"oy e(ual status with men and share in family
decisions. 8oys begin working in the fields and forests at the age of five. 6omen rear the
children, draw water, cook, clean, and keep the house. They take special care of their hair and
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also use artificial hair pieces that are sold in the markets. Shining black tassels are gathered into a
hair bun. They also en"oy wearing necklaces, bangle bracelets, several nose rings, and many
earrings.
&o$e% !arti"i!ate' i% Cere$o%ial a"tivitie)
Among the Jatapu, there are three types of marriages9 by consent, by elopement, and by
bride)service the groom works for the bride&s parents0. The Jatapu only marry within their own
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tribe, but never within the same clan e$tended family0. They prefer to live as nuclear families
husband, wife, and their children0F however, some live as e$tended families.
The Jatapu are virtually all indus, worshipping millions of gods and goddesses. The
only native god of the Jatapu is Jakeramma, who has one shrine in each village. #n general, there
are no sayings, superstitions, or taboos among the Jatapu. There are no idols and sacred places of
worship in their homesF neither are there temples in or around the villages. They offer buffalo in
animal sacrifices, but do not eat its meat. They have hardly any myths about "ungle gods, spirits,
or ghosts. This is perhaps because they have been stripped of their beautiful forests through
Gslash and burnG agriculture and commercial e$ploitation of trees.
A ma"ority of these precious people have not yet heard a clear presentation of the ospel.
Their focus on the family and fatherly love has already prepared their hearts to understand the
=ather&s love for them. They simply need to hear the Truth. ;ompassionate ;hristians are needed
to minister >ife and love to the Jatapu.
Profile of Ga'aba Tribe
adaba or utub is a %undari language spoken by the adaba, a Scheduled Tribe living
in the Agency Area of north coastal Andhra Pradesh. They call themselves &%ogililu& or&%odililu& in their own dialect in the Srikakulam 'istrict. The adaba were formerly employed
as palan(uin)bearers.
This tribe owes its name to the fact that its ancestors emigrated from the banks of the
adabari odavari0 river, and settled at @andapur, the former capital of the Ea"as of Jeypore.
Some evidence say that they can be called Kadava, as in Tamil, because of their prominent
earrings ) Kaduin Tamil meaning ear. #t may be more proper to derive their name from the three
Sanskrit gatvara, which in Driya means locomotive and palan(uin)bearers may deserve thead"ective &gatvara&. Another derivation may be from the Sanskrit kadavada, which means
speaking indistinctly. There is no more indistinct speech than that of the adaba, for their words
are rarely heard. Kadavada also means vile or contemptible.
The adaba are distributed in the Agency Area of 4isakhapatnam, 4i!anagaram and
Srikakulam districts and in certain agency tracts of Koraput and an"am districts of Drissa.
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According to the 2:/2 ;ensus the total population of the adaba was +-,21
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&o$e% !arti"i!ate' i% E%tertai%$e%t a"tivitie)
The adaba tribe is divided into different sub divisions vi!, 8odo or utob, Katheri,
Kollari etc., 5ach sub division which is ndogamous is divided into various e$ogamous clans. The
modes of ac(uiring mates among adabas are marriage by negotiations, by mutual love and
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elopement, by capture and by service. =amily is nuclear. 6idow re)marriage and divorce are
permitted.
At present adabas are cultivators and agricultural labourers. Those who inhabit the hilly
areas practice shifting cultivation and they cultivate Eagi, Eed gram, @iger in their Podu lands.
They collect @on)Timber =orest Produce for household consumption and sale.
They worship Sankudevudu, Peddadevudu, %oda Kondamma, Jakaridevatha,
#ppapolamma etc., and they celebrate festivals like, 5etelapanduga, Ashadapanduga
Korrakotha0, Kothamasa and %aridamma Panduga. #n addition to the above festivals, they
worship the spirits of their ancestors.
adabas have their own traditional council. The traditional village headman is known as
G@aikoG. is office is hereditory. e is assisted by &;hallan&, messenger0 and &8arika& 4illage
servant0. #n the fields of religious activities, &'esari& or 4illage Pu"ari officiates all the religious
ceremonies. adabas are recogni!ed as Primitive Tribal roup in A.P.