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Kummari caste

Kummari caste

The Kummari caste (also known as Salivahana is related to the Wodeyar caste in Karnataka and Tamilnadu and to Prajapathi castes in western India) comes under BC-b category in Andhra Pradesh. [1]

The Kummaras (or Kumhars) are potters who make earthen vessels, water pots, decorative home-ware, toys and idols of gods and goddesses. The name Kumhar denotes a maker of pots and pitchers, or someone who creates. They are an integral part of Indian society because their creations were an integral part of daily life in ancient India.

Location

One of the largest castes, the Kummari are reportedly spread across 212 districts of India, predominantly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

They are known by different names in each state.

Origin

Each state has its own legend of their origin.They

claim that they emerged on earth with the blessing of the Hindu trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma

the creator gave them his art, Vishnu the preserver his wheel and Shiva the destroyer, his form. Their

first product was a water pot.

According to a legend prevalent among them, one day Brahma divided sugarcane among his sons and each of them ate his share, but Kumhara, who was greatly absorbed in his work, forgot to eat.

The piece, which he had kept near his clay lump, struck root and soon grew into a sugarcane plant.

A few days later, when Brahma asked his sons for sugarcane, none of them could give it to him, except for Kumhara, who offered a full plant.Brahma

was pleased by the devotion of the potter to his work and awarded him the title Prajapati.

Shalivahans

Salivahana caste is recognized as Kummara caste by the Government of India and the Government of Telangana according to GpO.Ms.No. 28 BCW (M1) Dept., dated 1995.

It has been used in many Indian inscriptions and in ancient Sanskrit inscriptions in Indochina and Indonesia. The reformed calendar promulgated by the Indian government from 1957 is reckoned by this era. It is alleged to have been founded by King Kanishka.

Salivahana Era

The Shalivahana era, also known as the Saka era, is used with Hindu calendars, the Indian national calendar, the Balinese calendar, the Javanese calendar and the Cambodian Buddhist calendar. Its year zero begins near the vernal equinox of the year 78.

The Western Kshatrapas (35–405 BCE) were Saka rulers of southwestern India (Saurashtra, Malwa modern Gujarat, Southern Sindh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka).

They were successors to the Indo-Scythians who invaded Ujjain and established the Saka era and calendar, marking the beginning of the Saka Western Satraps kingdom.

The satavahana king (Gautamiputra Satakarni was titled as Shalivahana) is credited with the initiation of the era known as Shalivahana Saka to celebrate his victory against the Sakas in the year 78 CE.

Prior to this, in 56 BCE the Vikrama Samvat era was founded by the emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain in a similar fashion following his victory over the Sakas.

Some scholars contend that Saka era was founded by the Kushana ruler Kanishka to commemorate his victory over Western Kshatrapas. Dating of Kanishka's accession remains contentious.

The Wodeyar caste is predominantly found in Mysore state of erstwhile India being Mysore as a royal seat to Wodeyar dynasty.

A golden potter wheel is even kept today at Mysore palace reckoning the rulers skills in articraft.

As time progressed exogamy between subgroups had increased resulting in wide spread of community in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and predominantly Karnataka.ap and tamilnadu

References

[1]
Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).
Jul 28, 2016, 12:51 AM
[2]
Citation Linkthehindu.com"Kummari group launches hunger strike"
Jul 28, 2016, 12:51 AM