Rituals and Festivals of Golla Communities in Telangana State A Study

Abstract

India is home to many communities that eke their livelihoods based exclusively on animal rearing. Of these, those rearing sheep, goat, buffaloes and cows are the prominent ones. These communities have been living on this occupation since ancient times. They are known in the Puranas as Gopalas, and have settled in various places across the country and came to be known locally with a variety of names. Of late, all these castes and their dependent castes, across the country, are being referred to as shepherds or Yadavas. They account for a considerable percentage of the population, and continue to live in the plains in modest dwellings. In search of fodder for their animals, they lead a semi-nomadic life going for months on end along with their herds to mountainous regions or into dense forests that can provide adequate forage. They are, therefore, identified as a semi-nomadic community among the Sudras, rearing animals. newlineHistorically, the Golla caste, one of the occupational communities, has quite some historicity. It is no exaggeration that it was the Gollas who could understand the Nature, and hence have taken-up the occupation of animal rearing, thereby fulfilling the necessities of the human race. There are sufficient enough historical references, to justify this statement. They have domesticated animals like sheep, goats, cows, and buffaloes, and supplied dairy and meat products to the people, thus playing a critical role in catering to the food needs of human race. They cut wool from the sheep, made quality threads out of the wool, and made woolen blankets, thus affording protection to the humans from the vagaries of nature. They reared bullocks and oxen for tilling and transportation of agricultural produce, and also provided manure, thereby helping develop agriculture too. It can be said that the Gollas were the ones who have introduced the axe, flint stone, knife, drums, Oggu and such other traditional articles. They played an important role even in the development of Ayurvedic system of treatment to cure