Kuruba

Kuruba / Kuruba Gowda or Kuruma is a caste of Hindus who mainly were shepherds in the past. The community is present in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. They are known as Dhangars in Maharashtra, Kurumba / Kurumans / Kurumbar in Tamil Nadu, Kuruba Gowda or Halumatha Gowda in Karnataka and Kurma in Andhra Pradesh. Unofficial population estimate Karnataka is about 16 million.

Kuruba
Classification:	Caste Kuruba / Dhangar/Kurma
Significant populations in:	Southern India
Language	Kannada, Kuruba language, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil
Religion	Hinduism

Etymology

The word Kuruba means "warriors" and "trustworthy people."^{[citation needed]} The word "Kuru" means "do or seek" in Sanskrit, and "Kuruhu" means "trust" in Kannada.^{[citation needed]} Majority of Kuruba Gowdas were shepherds in ancient times, not anymore. In fact, animal breeding was a very early profession; just after hunting-gathering and just before farming. According to British historian Reginald Edward Enthoven, Kurumas are none other than Ahirs of the south. Kurubas are among the most ancient and original inhabitants of India and were a pastoral community,an occupation which predates agriculture and farming. Majority of the Kurubas have abandoned their traditional profession as pastoralists, who at some point in history had a foresight about shrinking pastoral landscapes which influenced their occupational shift from pastoralists to settled agriculturalists, hence asserting themselves in this region where they settled down and in the process a few of them grew powerful. It signifies the transition of the ancient animal rearing and nomadic humans into more settled and farming communities. People have branched out of Kuruba community and developed into other communities over the ages when they started professions other than animal husbandry.

Kurubas are of two major divisions: the larger one is the Kannada-speaking pastoral middle caste of Western Karnataka while the other is the Kurumba language speaking tribe of Nilgiris and surrounding parts.

Culture

Kurubas are Hindus who follow Halumatha. Halumatha is also referred to as palamatha in some parts of India. Religion of the Palakas. Worshiping Almighty Source in stone (Linga) form might have originated from Halumatha. Stone is the source for the soil. Soil is the source for the plants. Plants are the source for the animals. This may be the reason for worshiping Almighty in Stone. Through the ages, this stone worship tradition might have led to worshiping Shiva (Pashupati) as Beeralingeswara, Mailara Linga, [[^Khandoba]], Mahadeshwara, Nanjundeswara, Hemagiri Varadharaja Swami, Mallappa, Mallara, Mallikarjuna, Junjappa, Malingaraya,Bommagondeshwara etc. Even the worshiping of shakti as Manchamma, (Temple in Naganahalli, Kunigal Taluk, Tumkur District, Karnataka, Yellamma, Renuka, Chowdamma, Kariyamma, Hulluramma, Hallehoramma, Thottilhiramma, Chamundi, Bhanashankari, Gullamma etc. might have come from this tradition. Even today ancestral worship as deities is very common. The worship of ancestors like Revanasidda, Rama, Hanuman, Krishna, Keshava, Ranganatha, Eera Thimmanna, Tirupati Thimmappa, Venkateswara, Kalidasa, Siddarama, Kanakadasa, etc. as Devaru very much exists in Kuruba traditions.

Beeralingeswara temples have Balaga with Gowda, Buddhivanta, Bandari, Kolkara, Heggade etc. Generally priests in Beeralingeshwara and Milaralingeshwara temples are Kurubas. The forefathers of these people were of the major Indian dynasties.

Kurubas are known by different names in different regions of the country. In some locations in Karnataka, people from the Kuruba community use Naiker as surname. It means the same as Gowda (a leader of village or temple). The following are used:

Andar, Ahiyaru, Ahir, Appugol, Maldhari / Bharwad / Rabari, Bharavadaru, Dhangar, Dhangad / Dhanwar / Dhanka /Dhangod, Doddi Gowda, Goravar,Gadhariya, Gadaria, Gowda, Gaddi, Gadri, Gollavadu[Yerra Golla, Asthanthra Golla, Puna Golla, Karuveppilla Golla], Gounder, Halumatha, Heggades, Idyar, Kaude, Khuruk, Kuda, Kuruba, Kuruba Gowda, Korama, Kurumba, Kurmar, Kurumbar, Kalavar, Koruma, Korumavaaru, Kurkhi, Kurupu, Naikers, Nikhers, Oraon, Pal / Pala, Palaru, Paalakyatriya, Poduvar, Yadavalu,Mane(being the upper class of the following),Metre, Mehtre, Madgond, Malgond, Pujari.

Kuruba Gowda Festivals

• Mailara Jaatre
• Karnikotsava
• Dodda Dayvara Jatre
• Tenginakai Pavada
• Kanakadasa Jayanthi

Sub-castes

• Kadu Kuruba
• Jenu Kuruba
• Betta Kuruba
• Gonda Kuruba
• Sanchari Kuruba
• Hosa Kuruba
• Harasu Kuruba
• Hire Kuruba

Kuruba Gowda Deities

• Siddeshwara
• Beeralingeswara
• Mailara Linga
• Mahadeshwara
• Khandoba
• Yellamma
• Sadguru Shri Saint Balumama[1]
• Siddharameshwara
• Hulijenti Maalingraya
• Naga lingeswara

Kuruba Language

Kurubas are probably the only major caste in south India with a distinct Kuruba Language spoken by Betta Kurubas and Jenu Kurubas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Kuruba Gowdas today

Traditionally warriors and farmers, Kurubas were late to take up modern education, but have made rapid progress in many fields. They reached the zenith of prosperity under the Vijayanagara empire

Traditions

Dollukunitha.

Traditionally Kuruba Gowdas celebrate most Hindu festivals. They have their own costumes, songs, ballads and plays in praise of god such as:

• Kamsale - Sung in praise of Mahadeshwara
• Dollu Kunitha
• Kurubara Kunitha
• Oggu Kathas
• Lingada Birana Kunitha
• Goravayyalu of Andhra Pradesh.
• Goravara Kunitha
• Beeredevara Kunitha

Kuruba Gowda epics

• Halumatha Kuruba Purana - Story of Kuruba Gowdas
• Epic of Katamaraju - Telugu Epic
• The Story of Mahadeshwara
• Itagi Bhimambika Purana - Story of Itagi Bhimambika

Pastoral Community interlinks in India

• Dhangar
• Yadavas
• Kurumbar
• Kuruba Movies

See also

• Mudha Mooppan

Related External websites about the community and its history

• Kurubara sene Website
• Kuruba / Dhangar / Shepherds – Politically Deprived Community !
• http://www.bellary.nic.in/History.htm
• http://www.india9.com/i9show/-Tamil-Nadu/Pallavas-21797.htm
• http://www.india9.com/i9show/Kurumba-Tribe-50325.htm
• http://www.apkuruma.org