Draft:KrishnaBalija

KRISHNABALIJA

In India, this KrishnaBalija is a caste included in the Central list of OBCs for the state of Andhra Pradesh. They are a separated sect derived from SriVaishnava Dāsars whose existence was rooted into centuries old History.

Social life, career

KrishnaBalija is a separated sect of people who belong to SriVaishnava Dāsars existing in South India way back even prior to 11^th CenturyAD. These people are a sect of Vaishnavites of whom some were engaged as temple servants and the others administered the spiritual and ritual needs of the lower classes in the society. They were followers of the Hindu and Rāmānuja religions, singing divine hymns to spread devotional literature among the people of scattered habitations under the then Kingdoms and Samsthāns. With devotional worship and Vairāgya Tathwa they were fondly chanting the names of God in the practice of singing DaivaSamkeerthanās while they were traveling across the country on foot, earning good respect from the common people everywhere. As they were leading a sort of nomadic life, they had no practice of acquiring and accumulating properties anywhere which lead their successor generations into poverty and backwardness. Subsequently they drifted away from their routine and shifted to stationary occupations for earning their livelihood.  With the knowledge they acquired while travelling across different regions and places  they improved new skills and started manufacturing the fancy, beauty care and ornamental items mainly used by the women. And some of these people were engaged in selling those items in the Janapadās(Habitations) while moving from place to place. Mainly they started production of Sindhūr(Kumkum) by blending natural materials in a traditional method and it was widely being used for all auspicious Temple ritual procedures and also was a regular need for all women and men for the everyday use.  They also make Bukkā, the colour powders like red, amber, yellow, green, indigo and blue etc., for mixing coloured water to sprinkle in joy during the popular spring festive celebrations. It was prepared by blending Sandalwood powder, Vattivéllu, Uttréni roots etc with other natural ingredients. In addition to Sindhur, they were preparing not only Bukka but also Gulāb and Pannípru etc which were also widely used in the Spring time festivals and in the traditional marriage celebrations etc.

The people who make Sindhur(Kumkum) were known as Kumkapuvāndlu and those who prepare Bukka were known as Bukkavāndlu in Telugu states. Sindhur, Kajal(Kātuka), Bangles, Beads, Low cost Ornaments, HairPins, Hair dressing material made of natural hair, Hair oils and other cosmetics used by women were also being sold by these people. The manufacturing business of fancy goods of those times was one of their major occupations for earning livelihood.

Because of their nomadic way of life in the earlier centuries, they had no practice of acquiring fixed assets. That is why economically they remain far behind by few generations compared to others. Moreover, due to the bad habits inherited from the nomadic sort of life for generations, majority of them have been left far behind the social development and had no access to formal education.

With the social changes after independence, their conditions started to change significantly. As their economic levels improved steadily, they started establishing permanent residences and small fancy shops and cloth shops. In place of the itinerant trades they started agriculture and small businesses stationarily and settled better. Those entered in agriculture also started cattle farming, dairy business, Indigo blue powder manufacturing (used to mix with lime to whitewash the walls of houses), small finance businesses etc. and changed their way of life and career in the past two centuries. Some of them settled in small businesses, running grocery shops and tiffin centers, doing small jobs, tailoring etc. From the condition of selling goods across the streets and villages, they started selling goods in their fancy shops, marginally got developed and started providing opportunities of better education for their successor generations. Those who have achieved educational advancement are getting job opportunities and settling down.

The sects who socially separated from the nomadic people and opted stationary life have acquired separate identity and were named as KrishnaBalija community in the society and later they were recognised by the State and Central Governments as a separate caste.

Even though the Krishnabalija people, like all social groups, are growing and changing their living standards after independence, they are still in intense need of economic and social support from the Government and need better opportunities for higher education and for acquiring jobs. Their megre representation in politics may also be a reason for their diminutive development and therefore they also need encouragement on political platforms.

In Telugu states, KrishnaBalija caste people may be mainly seen in Vijayawada, Gudivada, Guntur, Mangalagiri, Tenali, Ponnur, Cherukumpalem, Narasaraopeta, Bapatla, Chirala, Ongole, Kavali, Nellore, Buchireddypalem, Guduru, Tirupati, Anantapuram, Khammam, Bhadrachalam, Eluru, Koyalagudem, Jangareddygudem, Dwarakathirumala, Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, and some are getting settled in the cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi etc. The following surnames are most common among the Krishnabalijās. Those people with surnames like Vissā, Veesam, Kuppam, Tirluka, Battula, Nāidu, Maddinéni, Koravi, Kōlā, Gantā, Gaddam, Chennūri, Dandā, Dandé, Kuppāla, Pasupuléti, Gudlūri, Pappu etc. are having marriage relations commonly with people having surnames Annam, Tupākula, Bānāla, Atthulūri, Gōrantla, Tanníru, Pallā, Podili, Chéjerla, Gaddam, Muvvā, Muvvala, Kāveti, Chénu, Chéni, Pāsham, etc. in Andhra region. It is also seen that they are getting married with people of other castes such as Pūsalabalija, Dāsari, Telaga, Kapu, Munnurukapu, Settibalija, Lingabalija etc. who are by and large at the same level socially. This may be seen as a progressive step forward and can be appreciated as an idealistic trend towards the hope of removing the barriers of the caste among the coming generations.

.Krishnabalija