8/9/2019 Tracing Traditional Roots of Telugus Settled in Tamil Nadu - The Hindu

1/2

2/2/2015 Tr aci ng tr adi tional r oots of Tel ugus settl ed in Tam il Nadu - The Hi ndu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tracing-traditional-roots-of-telugus-settled-in-tamil-nadu/article3614947.ece?css=print

Today's Paper NATIONAL

Published: July 8, 2012 00:00 IST | Updated: July 8, 2012 04:29 IST

Tracing traditional roots of Telugus settled in Tamil Nadu

S. Vijay Kumar

esearcher uses folk narratives to plot the map of their origin

Sagili Sudharani.Photo: K. Pichumani

Tracing the traditional roots of Telugus who migrated from their homeland centuries ago and settled in different partsof Tamil Nadu has become a passion for Sagili Sudharani of Hyderabad.

When her research on The folk narrative of diasporic Telugu women of Tamil Nadu commenced in 2008, Ms.Sudharanis guide Pulikonda Subbachary of Dravidian University, Kuppam, advised her to travel to as many districts apossible and meet Telugus settled there. While focusing on how the Telugus managed to preserve their culturalpractices, Ms. Sudharani found that a majority of them had little knowledge about their roots or relatives.

The folk narratives had several clues about their origin. The stories/songs written centuries ago by their ancestorsexplained the features of forests, mountains, rivers and other terrains they traversed while migrating. For instance, thfolk song of a family settled in Dindigul district clearly indicates that they originated from Karnataka and migratedduring the Vijayanagar empire to reach Dindigul via Andhra Pradesh, she said.

The surnames were also useful in tracking the family connections in Andhra Pradesh. The Telugus have uniquesurnames that refer to a particular group of families or community. The surnames are maintained for generations. InTamil Nadu, the migrant Telugus are very conservative and marriages outside the community are restricted. Recentlya girl aged about 16, was married to her maternal uncle aged 50 because there was no other suitable groom.

Though the Telugus could manage to preserve their cultural practices and other rituals, their language took a beating.

Only the aged can speak some Telugu nowtheir children and grandchildren reply only in Tamil. Since schools in theState have made Tamil a compulsory language, there is not much scope for the migrant Telugu population scattered indifferent districts to preserve their language. About 90 per cent of Telugus cannot speak or write in their mothertongue. Even those who speak use many Tamil words.

The folk narratives that surface during special occasions have some Telugu words that are not used in modernliterature. Some families use words like konthi (kothi) for monkey and andathi (adathi) for women. I interacted withundreds of Telugu families settled in over 200 villages in 16 districts, Ms. Sudharani said.

In Thanjavur, she said a group of Telugus settled in Salyamangalam, Then Perumal Nallur and Melattur villagescelebrated a festival every year on the Vaisakha Pournami day. Hundreds of their relatives settled across India andabroad come to the village on that day to participate and perform in events like Yaksha Gana Pradarsana in whichskits on Telugu mythological stories like Bhaktha Prahhalada are played. Such occasions are also used to fix alliances

Even as her Ph.D. is complete, Ms. Sudharani wants to continue her efforts to help the Telugus settled in the State to

http://www.thehindu.com/

8/9/2019 Tracing Traditional Roots of Telugus Settled in Tamil Nadu - The Hindu

2/2

2/2/2015 Tr aci ng tr adi tional r oots of Tel ugus settl ed in Tam il Nadu - The Hi ndu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tracing-traditional-roots-of-telugus-settled-in-tamil-nadu/article3614947.ece?css=print

connect with their roots in Andhra Pradesh.

Surnames useful in tracking family connections in Andhra Pradesh, says Sagili Sudharani

About 90 p.c. of Telugus settled in Tamil Nadu cannot speak or write in their mother tongue

Printable version | Feb 2, 2015 8:16:00 AM | http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tracing-traditionaroots-of-telugus-settled-in-tamil-nadu/article3614947.ece

The Hindu