Article: On Bhovi Community

 Link: ‘parliamentofindia.nic.in/lsdeb/ls10/ses3/12120392.htm

1. 12.03.92 *t12

(ii) Need to enlist 'Voddar' community as Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe.
SHRI ANIANTHA VENKATA REDDY (Anantpur): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Vodde, Voddera, Vaddila are the different names of Voddar Community whose main occupation, from time immemorial, had been digging wells.
excavating canals, digging earth, cutting stones and construction works ranging from houses to dams. Poverty had been ailing this community, educationally, culturally and financially. This community is very poor and its position is not better than the present Scheduled Castes people.
It is learnt that Central Government intends to introduce the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Bill to have a real look into the fate of various communities and in fitting cases, to include them in the SC or the ST List.
These communities have already been listed as the Sechuled Castes in six States, that is, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Gujarat. The same status may be extended to them in Andhra Pradesh also.
I, therefore, request the Central Government to include the above said communities in the List of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes.

 

2.Bhoi

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The Bhois (Marathi: भोई) are an ethnic community native to Maharashtra, Gujarat,Western Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states in India. In Maharashtra, the Bhois originally lived in Mumbai, Nashik,Dhulia, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Pune, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sholapur districts of Maharshtra. Presently, the members of the Bhoi community have spread over whole Maharashtra. After independence of India in 1947, they have been included in the list of the Nomadic tribes in Maharashtra. The total 22 sub-groups of the community speak in Ahirani language in the family and within kin groups but speak in Marathi, while talking to the others.^[1] They had migrated to Mumbai from Rajasthan during the 13th century during the reign of Raja Bhimdev.

In Maharastra, the Bhois were the palanquin bearers or doli carriers. There are altogether 22 sub-groups namely Zinga Bhoi, Pardesh Bhoi, Raj bhoi, Kahar Bhoi, Gadia Bhoi, Dhuria Kahar Bhoi, Kirat Machwa Bhoi, Hanzi, Jati, Kewat, Dhiwar, Dingar, palewar, Macchindra,Havadi, Halhar, Gadhav Bhoi, Khodi Bhoi, Khare Bhoi and Devra.

In Gujarat, the Bhois consist of seven sub-groups, namely, Bhoiraj, Dhiman Zinga Bhoi or Kevat-Bhoi, Macchindra Bhoi, Paleshwar Bhoi, Kirat Bhoi, Kahar Bhoi, Parbishin Bhoi and Shrimali Bhoi. The community are traditionally associated with fishing. ^[2]

In Andhra Pradesh, the Bhois comprise two sub-castes, Besta and Gundlodu, It appears to have originally sprung from same stock, but have subsequently broken up into endogamous divisions by reason of their long occupation of different tracts of land.

In Orissa, the bhois consist of two sub-groups,namely,Jiatkar and Madkukria. This commununity has huge lands and are the head of the villages.

Etymology

The etymology of the word ‘Bhoi’ is from the word bhovi meaning the leader or headman of group of vaddars community speaks vaddar language originated from Rayala seema meaning the land of rocks. The vaddars also known as vodde, vaddila, odda, odde, bhovi, odeyar, wadeyar from place to place who are nomadic tribe travel in search of occupations like land levelling for cultivation for farmer community, digging of earth and canals, making of roads, cutting of rocks and stones for the purpose of construction of water tanks, houses and making roads. They are called as Uru oddar or Uru bhovis in the region of Banavasi of Karnataka who are known for surveying of lands to settlement of villages, the Uru means village therefore, those who make land levelling for location of villages and cultivation are known as uru bhovis, similarly the earth diggers and land suppliers of sands to make roads and other construction are known to be matti voddars or mannu vaddaru. Those who transport sand from river beds on the back of donkeys and horses are called as katte vadders or rahuth vadders. those who cut huge rocks and roll out them on huge carts known as Bande vadders or bandi vadders or Gaali vadders. those who mill stone and crush as jelly stone are known as Girini vaddars and those who work on stones, slabs,quarries and Mining are known as Kallu vadders. there are arstisans in this community who make grinding stones and other house hold articles are known as Pathrots. They claim to be the clan of Bhagirath Ganga who formed canal of Ganga From the Himalayas when there was drought of 100 years in the northern India. This Bhagirath was requested by then Kshathriyas to find a solution, inturn he was given the status of Kshathriya and he was successful in excavation of huge canals from Himalayas to the Prayag and diverted the huge Ganga to the whole of northern part of India. Hence the Bhagirath was remembered as saviour of northern part of India and they remember him as the son of Ganga. Therefore, these wadders being the oldest community in India claim them as builders of India. They speak ODDE languange out of which the Telugu, Kannada, Tulu and after which Tamil, Malayalam and Sihamlese languages said to have taken origin. The wadders were the first to scribe on Rocks during the reign of the Asoka the Great. The King Kharavela claim him as the great Odda and his hathigumpa Inscription subscribes with superscripture as sri odde, meaning the blessings of Odda, the fore father of present Orissa. Bhovi Waddar or Vaddar, Vaddar, Od, Odde, have common Gothras all over Karnataka, Andhara Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Gotra is a term applied to an ancestor or an originator through whom a particular family has originated. A Gotra is the lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. In most cases, the system is patrilineal and the gotra assigned is the gotra of the persons father.

Lineage segment within an Indian caste, indicating common descent from a mythical ancestor. Marriage by members of the same gotra is traditionally prohibited. The custom is intended to prevent inbreeding as well as to broaden the influence of each gotra through marriage alliances.

A common mistake is to consider gotra to be synonymous with cult or 'Kula'. A 'kula' is basically a set of people following similar rituals, often worshipping the same God (the Kula-Devata - the God of the cult). Kula has nothing to do with lineage or caste and it is possible to change ones Kula based on faith or ista devtha.

Bhovi caste consists several Gotras(Kulams) which has same meaning in Telugu and Tamil language. These gotras are believed to be shared from Reddi. As per a folklore belief the Odda was the is elder brother among Radda,the Reddy, Kamma and Komati.

Gotras In Telugu

The following are examples of exogamous septs among the Bhovis and Odes:

Alkunta Burasu or Oorsu or Poola ( Flower ) Bantula ( Soldier ) Bandi ( Cart ) Bandollu ( Rock ) Cheemala ( Ants ) Cheruku ( Sugar ) Dandu ( Army ) Deringula Gandikota Gampa ( Basket ) Goddali ( axe ) Idakotta ( Break-down ) Janjapu or Kunchapu ( Sacred Thread ) Jeri Bothula or jadebila ( Centipede ) Kotala ( Fort ) Koniali ( Clown ) Mekala or Makali ( Herdsmen ) Nalla Bothula ( Good ) Peetalu ( Strength ) Panthikottu ( pig-killer ) Pasupu ( Turmeric ) Rajulu ( Prince ) Santhalu ( Fair ) Thapta ( Drum ) Thatichettu ( Palymra ) Uppu tolla ( Salt ) Vallapu or Bellappu ( Jaggery ) Vemulu ( Neem ) Thaalluri ( Landlords )

In Tamil

Aalam Kulam ( Banyan Tree ) Eecham Kulam ( Palymra Tree ) Dhandu Kulam ( Army ) Dyarangam Kulam ( Tent ) Karumbu Kulam ( Sugar cane ) Komali Kulam ( Clown ) Manjal Kulam ( Turmeric ) Nallam Kulam ( Good ) Poosam Kulam ( Flower ) Raja Kulam ( Prince ) Raasi Kulam ( Luck ) Semavar Kulam ( Ants ) Theku Kulam ( Teak Tree) Vembu Kulam ( Neem Tree) Uppu Kulam ( salt )

In Kannada

Akshantala (Rice grain) Arashina (Turmeric) Huvvina (flowers) Honna (gold) Uppu ( salt ) The names of Wadders for example Waddar Basappa or Vaddar Basanna, Bhalachandra Alakunte (Ex.MLA of Sholapur) in Maharashtra and Govindaraj Wodeyar, Sunil Valyapure (Ex.MLA from Gulbarga) northern Karnatka, Vadde Basavaraju in Andhra Pradesh, Basappa Bhovi or Basya bhovi, Thimmabhovi (EX.Deputy Speaker and MLA from Mudigere in Chikmagalur dist,Goudara Basavanyappa EX.Minister a Uru waddar from Shikaripur in southern Karnataka depict the caste and family name of this community people

Common gotras found in other castes for example :-

Dandu (army) — A sub-division of Idiga, and an exogamous sept of Boya and Kapu. Gandikota. — A sub-division of Kamma.

It is supposed to be a Telugu word, derived from Boya or Boyar caste but this derivation appears to be fictitious and has probably been suggested because of the similarities between the names "Bhoi", "Bhovi" and "Boya".^[3]

Notes

1.       ↑ Singh, K.S. (ed.). (2004) People of India:Maharshtra, Vol.XXX, Part I, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan, ISBN 8179911004, pp.342-8

2.       ↑ Ghatak, N.K.. (2003). K.S. Singh. ed. Gujarat, Part 1. Mumbai: Popular Prakashan. pp. 239–42. ISBN 81-7991-104-7.

3.       ↑ Siraj ul Hassan, Syed (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions. 1. Delhi: Asian Educational Service. p. 77. ISBN 8120604881.

References