Bhovijana notes

Vaddera


Vaddera (alternatively Vadde, Vadderaju or Waddera) is a caste in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and some other states in India. Their ancestors were stonecutters and diggers of wells.
Alternatively Vaddera people known as Wadders in Maharashtra, Vadde, vaddila in Andhra Pradesh and as Bhovi in Karnataka are an ethnic community native to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat,Western Orissa and other states in India.
The Vaddar, have various other names too such as Bhovi, Wadda, Tudugvaddar, Voddar, Vaddar, Girinivaddar, Od and Odde.
The Vaddar have decreased in population considerably during british rule. They are basically from Rayala seema, meaning the country of rocks and hills located in Southern India mainly from Andhra Pradesh and bordering Karnataka. They warriors by caste, due to the decline of Indian imperial power and invasion of muslims and british rule turned to be many went fugitives and the captive were put to laboureous works like stone cutting, earth digging and therefore, the warrior class reduced dust. These unfortunates turned out be permanently stone cutter, earth-workers, and are constantly moving about in search of work.
There are three main groups in the Bhovis, namely Kallu Bhovi who are stone cutters, Mannu Bhovi who are earth-workers and Uppar Bhovi who work as menial laborers in the municipality. They speak Telugu and Kannada.
The Bhovi women have a role in the economic, social and religious spheres of their community and contribute to the family income. While earth digging, stone cutting and daily wage labors are their traditional and primary occupations, agriculture is the secondary occupation for those settled in villages.

The etymology of the word ‘Bhovi’ 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 built a canal from the Ganges in the Himalayas when there was a hundred-year drought in 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 Ganges to the whole northern part of India. Hence the Bhagirath was remembered as saviour of northern part of India and they remember him as the son of the Ganges. 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.

Some statistics about Wadders:
Continent: Asia
Region: South Asia
Rank by population: 32
Population in Indian Country: 3,307,000 Largest States: Andhra Pradesh (1,108,000) Karnataka (1,028,000)
Tamil Nadu (425,000) Maharashtra (294,000)
Haryana (119,000) Gujarat (73,000)
Delhi (40,000) Odisha (34,000)
Punjab (15,000) Kerala (7,100)
Alternate People Names:
Beldar Rajput / od Rajput Bandi Wadder Bandaloru Bandollu Bande Waddaru Bhagirath Vanshi
Bhovi: Ettina Oddaru Girani Oddar / Gundu Waddaru / Kalkar /Nungar Beesuva Kallu oddaru Bisi kallu oddaru Hasi kallu oddaru Kallu oddaru /Rala Waddalu /Raja Waddalu /Ralavaru Katte Oddaru /Maralu oddaru Kudre Oddaru / rahutt oddaru Lodha
Mannu Oddaru
Od Odayar Odde Odhar Patrot Shilpi Tudug Vaddar Vadar Vadda Vadi Wadar Wadda Odeyar





Population Language Religion
3,307,000 Telugu
Hinduism