Padmashali - Padmashalis Today

Padmashalis Today

Today, Padmashalis are spread in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and also in parts of the Indian states of Maharashtra, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. They are the third largest backward caste in Andhra Pradesh with an estimated population of 90,00,000, roughly about 10% of the state's total population. The mother tongue of most members of the community is Telugu, even in areas where they have migrated generations ago such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, except in the Dakshina Kannada district of Coastal Karnataka, where they speak Tulu. They have a visible tendency towards urbanisation since the occupation of weaving and marketing cloth is easy from urban and semi-urban centers. Some urban Padmashalis have abandoned their ancestral profession and have diversified into secular professions such as engineering, medicine, law, academia, administration, politics and business to name a few. A few of them have also migrated to foreign countries like the USA, UK and Australia. In spite of this, the majority of the Padmashalis are still economically, educationally and socially backward, as a result of which in the present day, Padmashalis are categorised as an Other Backward Class (OBC) by the Government of India despite its Brahminical origin.

Padmashalis are divided into subcastes based on the type of cloth they weaved such as Kaikala, Karna Bhaktulu, Pattusali, Senapathulu and Thogata Sali. For example, the Pattusalis wove only silk cloth. These subcastes are further divided into two groups based on Sampradaya- the Shaivas and the Vaishnavas. While the Shaivas give preference to worshipping Lord Shiva, the Vaishnavas give preference to worshipping Lord Vishnu. These religious and occupational distinctions are no bar to intermarriage and interdining.

Padmashalis are less Brahminical in practice compared to other weaving castes such as the Devangas. Barring the Pattusalis, the members of the other Padmashali subcastes do not wear the sacred thread and have embraced non-vegetarianism. Their culture is a mix of both Aryan as well as Dravidian cultures. However, in terms of social consciousness, this caste is more traditional than any other OBC caste in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Because they largely stay indoors or because of characteristics genes, the community members have developed reddish skin and are hence known as erra kulamu (red caste) among the OBCs.