Khammam district
Encyclopedia
Khammam District is a district in Andhra Pradesh
, India
. It had a population of 2,565,412 of which 19.81% were urban as of 2001 census. Khammam
town is the district headquarters. The present name of Khammam is derived from the old name Kammamet. Later it was called Khammam Mettu and subsequently as Khammam. The Godavari River
enters Khammam district from Warangal district
and flows nearly 250 km across the district.Khammam district is one of the "Coal mining districts of India."The district has the Singareni Colleries head town , Kothagudem which is also called "Coal town of South India." It is currently a part of the Red Corridor
.
, Yellandu, Burgampadu
and Paloncha (Now Kothagudem
) were carved out as a new district with Khammam as headquarters.
In 1959 Bhadrachalam Revenue Division consisting of Bhadrachalam and Nuguru Venkatapuram Taluks of East Godavari district, which were on the other side of the river Godavari were merged into Khammam on grounds of geographical contiguity and administrative viability. Ashwaraopet are also part of West Godavari
District up to 1959. In the event of Telangana state formation Bhadrachalam Revenue Division (Wazedu
, Charla, Venkatapuram
, Dummugudam, Kunavaram
, Bhadrachalam, Vara Ramachandara Puram and Chinturu Mandals) will be transferred to parent district East Godavari and Aswaraopet Mandal will also be merged with West Godavari.
In 1973 a new taluk with Sathupalli
as headquarters was carved out from Madhira and Kothagudem taluks. In the year 1976 four new taluks were formed viz., Tirumalayapalem
, Sudimalla, Aswaraopeta
and Manuguru
by bifurcating Khammam, Yellandu, Kothagudem and Burgampadu taluks respectively.
In the year 1985, following the introduction of the Mandal system, the district has been divided into 46 mandals, under four Revenue Divisions - Khammam, Kothagudem, Paloncha and Bhadrachalam.
's Bathurst Island
.
(out of a total of 640
). It is one of the thirteen districts in Andhra Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
crops like mango
, banana
, cashew
, coconut
, oil palm
, cocoa, pepper
etc. are grown. Production and distribution of various kinds of fruits, vegetables and flowers and their seeds are the major activities supported by the horticulture Department.
Irrigation projects include:
Major projects
Medium Projects
, 32.1% toilet facilities, and 28.6% lived in a pucca
(permanent) home
. 33.6% of girls wed before the legal age
of 18 and 81.7% of interviewees carried a BPL
card.
s.
Khammam district has a population
of 2,798,214 , roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica
or the US state of Utah
. This gives it a ranking of 140th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 175 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 8.5 %. Khammam has a sex ratio
of 1010 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 65.46 %.
The density of population has grown from 51 to 160 per km². Among the population, there are about 3,60,154 Scheduled Castes 5,58,958 Scheduled Tribes. About 80% of the population lives in rural areas. The sex ratio is 974 females for every 1000 male population in rural areas and about 977 females for 1000 males in the urban areas.
The tradition and culture of Khammam district is a conglomeration of mosaic culture representing Hindus, Muslims and Christians. There are sizable number of scheduled tribes, who constitute an integral part of Hindu community. Among the tribes, Koyas and Lambada
s are in domination. These tribal people still follow their own traditions and customs in their social life.
Khammam district is the largest tribal populated district in Andhra Pradesh followed by Adilabad district
.
forests. In general, Koyas are short statured, lean and rather diffident. They speak koya language which does not have any script. They do not own much property and the crime rate in Koya communities is generally low. Alcohol consumption is permitted among both men and women.
Koyas are an ethnic tribe found in Andhra Pradesh state and confined to Godavari valley and neighbouring Malkangiri District of Orisha State and Chhatisgarh State. They are found mostly in Bhadrachalam division of Khammam District in Andhrapradesh. They speak a dialect that is part of Gond language considered to be a major Dravidian group of languages. It more or less resembles the Telugu (the official language of Andhrapradesh) language.
Culture of Koyas
They constitute one of the indigenous schedule tribes of the State. Their native tongue is “koi” which to a great extent resembles Telugu language as they borrowed many words from Telugu. The songs, dances, music and games played by the Koyas reflect their life style and culture. They have strong spiritual [magico-religious] beliefs and consider nature as their Goddess. They term their gods and goddesses as Devaras. But many of the tribes identify themselves as Hindus and even worship Hindu Gods and Goddesses. They usually perform ceremonies (Jatara) of the martyrs who laid down their lives for a [tribal] cause; they adore them as their spiritual heroes. Sammakka and Saaralamma are of such sort. The regard for them, probably, has led to the genesis of this jatara. Dance and songs start from there. The Koyas have an interesting dance form in which the men tie buffalo or bison horns on their heads, wear traditional costumes and beat large sized drums, while the women wearing traditional costumes dance prettily in a circular formation with their hands clasped with each other. These are popularly known as rela songs, as they normally start with the expression rela rela rela rela rela rerela…. In any ceremony whether it is death or marriage meat and homemade liquor consumption are very widely prevalent. Normally chicken or Mutton is served, but even beef consumption is very high. Among Koyas, some years ago-may be a decade ago men would attire only in a loin cloth (a small piece of cloth to cover their genitals), except that they would not wear anything. Women would attire themselves in saris but the way they would wear them was entirely different from the way the ladies of non-tribal communities wear. Even now some old women who stick to old tradition would wear the sari in the same fashion. But as they came in contact with the other communities, there is a gradual change in their life style. They to a great extent, discarded they old lifestyle and try to look like other communities. Even the government is taking measures to bring about faster development among them. In spite of all these measures, even now, most of them are poor and only a small percentage of population has achieved economic prosperity. Christian missionaries are very active in these tribal areas and converted a large number of tribals. They even translated Bible into Koi language and are preaching them.
Livelihood
The livelihood of Koyas is mainly agriculture though they would do Podu, (i.e. slash and burn technique) and collect the local forest produce like tamarind, emblics, honey, Palm kernels and tender tamarind leaves. Even some of these things are a rare sight nowadays, as there is large scale deforestation. Now they no longer carry out Podu, as the forest cover has already dwindled. Most of these tribes own small land holdings and thanks to ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Bhadrachalam; they started using modern methods in agriculture like the usage of HYV seeds, Pesticides, Fertilizers and Power sprays. So they gave up their traditional organic forming and went modern.
With the passage of time, the wildlife habitat dwindled and the productivity of the land decreased due to deforestation and non-tribal settlements. The ethnic agriculture has given place for modern agriculture, with high-yielding varieties replacing the traditional ones. The culture and tradition of Koyas suffered a great deal in the process of modernization. They domesticate animals like pigs, oxen, goat and birds like fowls. These animals constitute the food items which give them protein.
Recreation
Hunting is one of the favorite recreations of the Koya people. They use lethal bows and arrows to hunt animals, but as it has already been mentioned the forest cover decreased to a great extent and all the wild animals were hunted down and eaten up. So they consider going on hunting a sheer waste of time. As they adopted modern life style, watching movies has become their main recreation. Scores of palm trees which are termed as toddy trees are found in the vicinity of tribal hamlets and the koya tribes men extract a whitish sap from these trees. It is a popular intoxicant which is widely consumed by them. They even consume homemade liquor. The usage of these intoxicants show lot of adverse impact on their health and as a result, their life expectancy esp. men is low.
Language
The people of Koya tribe speak a language called Koi or Koya. Though the origins of Koya community is still obscure they are said to be the members of the great Gond community of Dravidian
family. So Koya language is considered to be a dialect of gond language. Even in the Koi language there are some variants. A small town called Chintoor not far away from Bhadrachalam, is considered to be the linguistic centre of Koi language and the language spoken by them is considered to be the finest variant of the language. Koi language does not have many words. Its Lexicon is very much limited. The most important reason might be the Koyas, being primitive tribes were mainly hunter gatherers. Their day to day activities were very limited. They were in no need of a sophisticated language like English which has Lakhs of words and can support the formation of a wide range of expressions. Since these tribes lead a very simple and austere life they have very small number of their own genuine, native words. So there is a strong link between the language they speak and their life style. For example being hunter gatherers they have their own words to refer to trees, animals, weapons, food etc.
This language does not have a script and Telugu script is commonly used to write this language. A government sponsored programme called Rajeev Vidya Mission has prepared some text books from class I to class V with the intention of imparting education to tribal children in their mother tongue. All those books are written in Telugu script.
. In general, they are reserved in behaviour and often do not trust people from the plains. They are good craftsmen, who use Bamboo
to make a variety of items.
.In entire Khammam District Manga puram is the largest gram panchayathi which is having cent percent lambadas.
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It had a population of 2,565,412 of which 19.81% were urban as of 2001 census. Khammam
Khammam
Khammam , is the headquarters of the Khammam District in Andhra Pradesh state of India and is located about east of state capital, Hyderabad...
town is the district headquarters. The present name of Khammam is derived from the old name Kammamet. Later it was called Khammam Mettu and subsequently as Khammam. The Godavari River
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
enters Khammam district from Warangal district
Warangal district
Warangal District is located in the northern area in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The administrative seat is Warangal.Warangal District has an area of 12,846 km², and a population of 3,246,004 of which 19.20% was urban as of 2001...
and flows nearly 250 km across the district.Khammam district is one of the "Coal mining districts of India."The district has the Singareni Colleries head town , Kothagudem which is also called "Coal town of South India." It is currently a part of the Red Corridor
Red corridor
The Red Corridor is a term used to describe an impoverished region in the east of India that experiences considerable Naxalite communist insurgency...
.
History
Khammam town which was the seat of Taluk Administration was a part of the larger Warangal district, till 1 October 1953. Five taluks of the Warangal district viz., Khammam, MadhiraMadhira
Madhira is a one of the major grama Panchayaths in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India, formerly part of the Kakatiya dynasty. It is well connected by train and bus with cities like Khammam and Vijayawada....
, Yellandu, Burgampadu
Burgampadu
Borgampad, Burgampadu , Burgampahad is the headquarters of Burgampadu mandal in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh of India. It falls under the revenue division of Paloncha in that district.-Geography:Borgampad is located at...
and Paloncha (Now Kothagudem
Kothagudem
Kothagudem is an industrial town in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, about 270 km from Hyderabad. It is also known as the coal town of South India. Kothagudem and palvancha are the twin industrial towns in the state. Kothagudem is located at . It has an average elevation of...
) were carved out as a new district with Khammam as headquarters.
In 1959 Bhadrachalam Revenue Division consisting of Bhadrachalam and Nuguru Venkatapuram Taluks of East Godavari district, which were on the other side of the river Godavari were merged into Khammam on grounds of geographical contiguity and administrative viability. Ashwaraopet are also part of West Godavari
West Godavari
West Godavari District is one of the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. Eluru, is the district headquarter...
District up to 1959. In the event of Telangana state formation Bhadrachalam Revenue Division (Wazedu
Wazedu
Wazed, Wazedu or Wazeed is a Mandal in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Wazeed mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 23,545 in 5,690 Households...
, Charla, Venkatapuram
Venkatapuram
VenkataPuram is a village in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. This is the village of Vekatapuram panchayat. The village population is 1500. This village is 100% literate....
, Dummugudam, Kunavaram
Kunavaram
-Geography:Kunavaram is located at . It has an average elevation of 28 metres .-Villages:The villages in Kunavaram mandal include:* Abhicherla* Chinarkur* Chuchirevulagudem* Jaggavaram* Kachavaram* Karakagudem* Kondrajupeta* Kunavaram...
, Bhadrachalam, Vara Ramachandara Puram and Chinturu Mandals) will be transferred to parent district East Godavari and Aswaraopet Mandal will also be merged with West Godavari.
In 1973 a new taluk with Sathupalli
Sathupalli
Sathupalli or Sathupally is one of the major towns and Mandal headquarters in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is so named because it is the combination of seven villages....
as headquarters was carved out from Madhira and Kothagudem taluks. In the year 1976 four new taluks were formed viz., Tirumalayapalem
Tirumalayapalem
-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Thirumalayapalem mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 60,568 in 14,299 Households...
, Sudimalla, Aswaraopeta
Aswaraopeta
Aswaraopeta or Ashwaraopeta is a Mandal in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh.-Geography:Ashwaraopeta is located at . It has an average elevation of 166 metres...
and Manuguru
Manuguru
MANUGURU or MANUGUR is a census town and mandal in Khammam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comes under Mahaboobabad parliamentary constituency and Pinapaka Assembly constituency. Manuguru is an urban area, situated on the banks of Godavari River.-Demographics: India census,...
by bifurcating Khammam, Yellandu, Kothagudem and Burgampadu taluks respectively.
In the year 1985, following the introduction of the Mandal system, the district has been divided into 46 mandals, under four Revenue Divisions - Khammam, Kothagudem, Paloncha and Bhadrachalam.
Geography
Khammam district occupies an area of approximately 16000 square kilometres (6,177.6 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Bathurst Island
Bathurst Island
A member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Bathurst Island is one of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Nunavut Territory, Canada. The area of the island is estimated at , making it the 54th largest island in the world and Canada's 13th largest island. It is uninhabited.The island is low-lying with...
.
Economy
In 2006 the Indian government named Khammam one of the country's 250 most backward districtsPoverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...
(out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). It is one of the thirteen districts in Andhra Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Agriculture
Khammam District is endowed with Agro climatic and soil conditions in which a wide range of horticultureHorticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
crops like mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, oil palm
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
, cocoa, pepper
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
etc. are grown. Production and distribution of various kinds of fruits, vegetables and flowers and their seeds are the major activities supported by the horticulture Department.
Irrigation projects include:
Major projects
- Nagarjunasagar Project channels
Medium Projects
- WyraWyraWyra is a town and mandal headquarters in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at a distance of 25 km from the district headquarters, Khammam.-Demography:...
- Thaliperu
- BayyaramBayyaram-Bayyaram Mines:There is a recent controversy regarding lease of 56,690 hectares of land in Bayyaram, Garla and Nelakondapally mandals. This has finally resulted in cancellation of the lease by Ministry of Mines.-Villages:The villages in Bayyaram mandal include:...
- Bathupally
- Lankasagar
- Mukamamidi
- Pedawagu
- Palair reservoir
Household indicators
In 2007–2008 the International Institute for Population Sciences interviewed 1258 households in 38 villages across the district. They found that 85.8% had access to electricity, 92.2% had drinking waterWater supply and sanitation in India
Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate, despite longstanding efforts by the various levels of government and communities at improving coverage. The level of investment in water and sanitation, albeit low by international standards, has increased during the 2000s. Access has...
, 32.1% toilet facilities, and 28.6% lived in a pucca
Pucca housing
Pucca housing refers to dwellings that are designed to be solid and permanent. The term is applied to housing in South Asia built of substantial material such as stone, brick, cement, concrete, or timber....
(permanent) home
Housing in India
Housing in India varies greatly and reflects the socio-economic mix of its vast population.Housing varies from palaces of erstwhile maharajas in Rajasthan to swanky apartment buildings in big cities to tiny huts in far-flung villages...
. 33.6% of girls wed before the legal age
Marriageable age
Marriageable age is the age at which a person is allowed to marry, either as of right or subject to parental or other forms of consent. The age and other requirements vary between countries, but generally it is set at 18, although most jurisdictions allow marriage at slightly younger ages with...
of 18 and 81.7% of interviewees carried a BPL
Below Poverty Line
Below Poverty Line is an economic benchmark and poverty threshold used by the government of India to indicate economic disadvantage and to identify individuals and households in need of government assistance and aid. It is determined using various parameters which vary from state to state and...
card.
Divisions
Administratively Khammam district is divided into four revenue divisions and 46 mandalMandal
is a town and municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Mandal.The town of Mandal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
s.
- AswapuramAswapuram-Institutions:* Atomic Energy Central School* Atomic Energy Junior College* State Bank of Hyderabad-Villages:The villages in Aswapuram mandal include:* Amerda * Ammagaripalli * Anandapuram * Aswapuram * Chintriyala * Gollagudem * Gondigudem...
- AswaraopetaAswaraopetaAswaraopeta or Ashwaraopeta is a Mandal in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh.-Geography:Ashwaraopeta is located at . It has an average elevation of 166 metres...
- BayyaramBayyaram-Bayyaram Mines:There is a recent controversy regarding lease of 56,690 hectares of land in Bayyaram, Garla and Nelakondapally mandals. This has finally resulted in cancellation of the lease by Ministry of Mines.-Villages:The villages in Bayyaram mandal include:...
- BhadrachalamBhadrachalamBhadrachalam , a town known for the Sri Rama Temple constructed in the year 1674 A.D., is a Municipality in Khammam district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located east of state capital, Hyderabad. The Bhadrachalam Temple, where the presiding deity is Lord Rama, is an important site...
- BonakalBonakalBonakal is a subdivision of Khammam District of Andhra Pradesh state in India. There is a Railway station in this village named Bonakalu in Indian Railways...
- BurgampaduBurgampaduBorgampad, Burgampadu , Burgampahad is the headquarters of Burgampadu mandal in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh of India. It falls under the revenue division of Paloncha in that district.-Geography:Borgampad is located at...
- ChandrugondaChandrugondaChandrugonda is a Village and Mandal in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Chandrugonda mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 47,517 in 10,810 Households...
- ChintakaniChintakaniChintakani or Chinthakani is a Mandal in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.-Demographics:* Total Population: 47,962 in 11,898 Households...
- ChintoorChintoor-Geography:Chinturu is located at . It has an average elevation of 35 metres .-Villages:The villages in Chintoor mandal include:* A.g.koderu * Chadalavada * Chatti * Chidumuru * Chintoor * Edugurallapalli * Guduru * Kalleru...
- CherlaCherla[]Cherla is a tehsil in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River Godavari.-Geography:Cherla is located on the banks of River Godavari at...
- Chimmapudi
- DammapetaDammapeta-Geography:Dammapeta is located at . It has an average elevation of 206 metres .-Villages:The villages in Dammapeta mandal include:* Akinepalli * Ankampalem * Dammapeta * Gandugulapalli * Ganeshpadu * Jaggaram * Jamedarbanjar...
- DummugudemDummugudemDummagudem or Dummugudem is a subdivision in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Dummugudem which is also the name of the subdivision headquarters is 25 km from Bhadrachalam. Here, in Treatayuga, Lord Rama killed 14000 demons headed by the brothers Khara and Dushana...
- EnkoorEnkoorEnkoor is a sub division in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh , India . It has a total population of 33,151 as per 2001 census -Villages:Villages in Enkoor Mandal are :*Raimadaram*Thimmaraopeta*Burda Raghavapuram*Kesupally*Nacharam*Medepalle...
- JulurpaduJulurpaduJulurpad or Julurpadu is a Mandal in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Julurpad mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 31,739 in 7,448 Households...
- GarlaGarla-Institutions:* Zilla Parishad High School* Government Junior College* There is an ancient lord venkateswara temple of 15th century and Goda Devi Temple in the village.-Villages:The villages in Garla mandal include:* Buddharam * Garla * Gopalapuram...
- GundalaGundalaGundala the movie was a hoax perpetrated by Iskandar Salim, a photographer and graphic designer who created promotional material for a movie that was not actually being made about Gundala, a lightning powered superhero. Salim noticed that there had never been a movie featuring an Indonesian...
- KalluruKalluru-About:Kalluru or Kallur is a mandal in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at between Khammam and Sathupalli. Kalluru is connected by national highway and it is 50 kilometers from Khammam.-Economy:...
- KamepalliKamepalliKamepalli or Kamepally is a mandal in Khammam district in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh. It is located from Khammam town.-Villages:Villages in Kamepalli mandal:* Ramakrishnapuram* Gopala Puram* Vutukuru* marrigudem* Thallagudem...
- KarepalliKarepalliKarepalli is the only railway junction in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh, where the railway track from Singareni collieries meets Manuguru-Dornakal railway line. Karepally is the Mandal head quarter of Singareni Mandal. It comes under Wyra assembly constituency. The first name for karepalli is...
- KhammamKhammamKhammam , is the headquarters of the Khammam District in Andhra Pradesh state of India and is located about east of state capital, Hyderabad...
(Urban) - KhammamKhammamKhammam , is the headquarters of the Khammam District in Andhra Pradesh state of India and is located about east of state capital, Hyderabad...
(Rural) - KusumanchiKusumanchiKusumanchi is a sub division in Khammam district , Andhra Pradesh, India . Kusumanchi town is the headquarters of Kusumanchi sub division and is located at and is between Khammam and Suryapet-Attractions:...
- KonijerlaKonijerlaKonijerala is the headquarters of one of the 46 mandals in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh of India. It is very near to Khammam town. The mandal is named after this town as Konijerla mandal.-Villages in Konijerla mandal:* konijerla* Mangapuram...
- KothagudemKothagudemKothagudem is an industrial town in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, about 270 km from Hyderabad. It is also known as the coal town of South India. Kothagudem and palvancha are the twin industrial towns in the state. Kothagudem is located at . It has an average elevation of...
- KukkunoorKukkunoor-Geography:Kukunuru is located at . It has an average elevation of 29 metres .-Villages:The villages in villages in Kukkunur mandal include:* Amaravaram * Dacharam * Damaracharla * Gommugudem * Kivvaka * Kukkunur * Madharam...
- KunavaramKunavaram-Geography:Kunavaram is located at . It has an average elevation of 28 metres .-Villages:The villages in Kunavaram mandal include:* Abhicherla* Chinarkur* Chuchirevulagudem* Jaggavaram* Kachavaram* Karakagudem* Kondrajupeta* Kunavaram...
- MadhiraMadhiraMadhira is a one of the major grama Panchayaths in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India, formerly part of the Kakatiya dynasty. It is well connected by train and bus with cities like Khammam and Vijayawada....
- ManuguruManuguruMANUGURU or MANUGUR is a census town and mandal in Khammam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comes under Mahaboobabad parliamentary constituency and Pinapaka Assembly constituency. Manuguru is an urban area, situated on the banks of Godavari River.-Demographics: India census,...
- MudigondaMudigondaMudigonda is a town and revenue-divisional headquarters located 14 km away from Khammam, the headquarters of the Khammam District of Andhra Pradesh, India.- Introduction :...
- MulakalapalliMulakalapalliMulkalapalle, Mulakalapalli or Mulakalapally is a Mandal in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Mulkalapalle mandal is as follows:...
- NelakondapalliNelakondapalliNelaKondapally is the headquarter of a mandal in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh of India, located 21 km from Khammam.-HISTORY:Nelakondapally is a historic site encompassed by a mud fortification wall covering nearly...
- Paloncha
- PenuballiPenuballiPenuballi is a Mandal in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.-History:Penuballi is the headquarters of Penuballi Mandal. Near this village there two historical places which are located nearly 8 to 10 km distance. One is Neeladri temple near Bhavannapalem village in deep forest, this...
- PinapakaPinapaka-Assembly constituency:It is an Assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Pinapaka, Manuguru, Gundala, Burgampahad and Aswapuram mandals comes under this constituency.-Demographics:* Total Population: 46,597 in 10,619 Households...
- SathupalliSathupalliSathupalli or Sathupally is one of the major towns and Mandal headquarters in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is so named because it is the combination of seven villages....
- SingareniSingareniSingareni is a village located in Khammam district. Coal reserves in Telangana were first found at village Singareni. There is a railway line from village Singareni that meets Manuguru-Dornakal railway at Karepalli junction....
- Tallada
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- TekulapalliTekulapalliTekulapalle, Tekulapalli or Tekulapally is a Mandal in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Tekulapalle mandal is as follows:...
- TirumalayapalemTirumalayapalem-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Thirumalayapalem mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 60,568 in 14,299 Households...
- VararamachandrapuramVararamachandrapuramVara-rama-chandra-puram , shortly V.R.Puram is a Mandal in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Vararamachandrapuram mandal is as follows:...
- VelerupaduVelerupadu-Villages:The villages in Velairpad mandal include:* Katkur * Koida * Medepalli * Narlavaram * Ramavaram * Repakagommu * Rudramkota * Thatkurgommu* Tirlapuram * Velairpad* Bhudevipeta* Nadimigomu...
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- VenkatapuramVenkatapuram, Khammam district-Geography:Venkatapuram is located at . It has an average elevation of 69 metres .-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Venkatapuram mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 29,045 in 7,046 Households....
- WazeduWazeduWazed, Wazedu or Wazeed is a Mandal in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh.-Demographics:According to Indian census, 2001, the demographic details of Wazeed mandal is as follows:* Total Population: 23,545 in 5,690 Households...
- WyraWyraWyra is a town and mandal headquarters in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at a distance of 25 km from the district headquarters, Khammam.-Demography:...
- Yellandu
- YerrupalemYerrupalem-Villages in Yerru palem Mandal:*Ayyavari gudem*Banigandlapadu*Banjara*Beemavaram*BUCHI REDDY PALEM*Choppakatlapalem*Guntu palli gopavaram*Inagali*Jamala puram*Kandrika*kaasa varam*Kottha Palli*Laxmi puram*Mamunoor*Meenavolu*NARAYANA PURAM...
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Khammam district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 2,798,214 , roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
or the US state of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. This gives it a ranking of 140th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 175 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 8.5 %. Khammam has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 1010 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 65.46 %.
The density of population has grown from 51 to 160 per km². Among the population, there are about 3,60,154 Scheduled Castes 5,58,958 Scheduled Tribes. About 80% of the population lives in rural areas. The sex ratio is 974 females for every 1000 male population in rural areas and about 977 females for 1000 males in the urban areas.
The tradition and culture of Khammam district is a conglomeration of mosaic culture representing Hindus, Muslims and Christians. There are sizable number of scheduled tribes, who constitute an integral part of Hindu community. Among the tribes, Koyas and Lambada
Lambada
Lambada is a dance from Pará, Brazil. The dance became internationally popular in the 1980s, especially in Latin America and Caribbean countries...
s are in domination. These tribal people still follow their own traditions and customs in their social life.
Khammam district is the largest tribal populated district in Andhra Pradesh followed by Adilabad district
Adilabad district
Adilabad District is a district in Andhra Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is at Adilabad town. A famous Temple of the Goddess Saraswathi, the Hindu Goddess of Education, is located here in the town of Basara.-Origin of name:...
.
Tribals
The Khammam district has a tribal population of 5,58,958, which is about 13.29% of the total tribal population of the state, Andhra Pradesh.Koyas
The meaning of Koya is “a good person living on the hills”. Koyas constitute about 80% of the tribal population living in the DandakaranyaDandakaranya
Dandakaranya is a spiritually significant region in India. It is roughly equivalent to the Bastar District in the central east part of India...
forests. In general, Koyas are short statured, lean and rather diffident. They speak koya language which does not have any script. They do not own much property and the crime rate in Koya communities is generally low. Alcohol consumption is permitted among both men and women.
Koyas are an ethnic tribe found in Andhra Pradesh state and confined to Godavari valley and neighbouring Malkangiri District of Orisha State and Chhatisgarh State. They are found mostly in Bhadrachalam division of Khammam District in Andhrapradesh. They speak a dialect that is part of Gond language considered to be a major Dravidian group of languages. It more or less resembles the Telugu (the official language of Andhrapradesh) language.
Culture of Koyas
They constitute one of the indigenous schedule tribes of the State. Their native tongue is “koi” which to a great extent resembles Telugu language as they borrowed many words from Telugu. The songs, dances, music and games played by the Koyas reflect their life style and culture. They have strong spiritual [magico-religious] beliefs and consider nature as their Goddess. They term their gods and goddesses as Devaras. But many of the tribes identify themselves as Hindus and even worship Hindu Gods and Goddesses. They usually perform ceremonies (Jatara) of the martyrs who laid down their lives for a [tribal] cause; they adore them as their spiritual heroes. Sammakka and Saaralamma are of such sort. The regard for them, probably, has led to the genesis of this jatara. Dance and songs start from there. The Koyas have an interesting dance form in which the men tie buffalo or bison horns on their heads, wear traditional costumes and beat large sized drums, while the women wearing traditional costumes dance prettily in a circular formation with their hands clasped with each other. These are popularly known as rela songs, as they normally start with the expression rela rela rela rela rela rerela…. In any ceremony whether it is death or marriage meat and homemade liquor consumption are very widely prevalent. Normally chicken or Mutton is served, but even beef consumption is very high. Among Koyas, some years ago-may be a decade ago men would attire only in a loin cloth (a small piece of cloth to cover their genitals), except that they would not wear anything. Women would attire themselves in saris but the way they would wear them was entirely different from the way the ladies of non-tribal communities wear. Even now some old women who stick to old tradition would wear the sari in the same fashion. But as they came in contact with the other communities, there is a gradual change in their life style. They to a great extent, discarded they old lifestyle and try to look like other communities. Even the government is taking measures to bring about faster development among them. In spite of all these measures, even now, most of them are poor and only a small percentage of population has achieved economic prosperity. Christian missionaries are very active in these tribal areas and converted a large number of tribals. They even translated Bible into Koi language and are preaching them.
Livelihood
The livelihood of Koyas is mainly agriculture though they would do Podu, (i.e. slash and burn technique) and collect the local forest produce like tamarind, emblics, honey, Palm kernels and tender tamarind leaves. Even some of these things are a rare sight nowadays, as there is large scale deforestation. Now they no longer carry out Podu, as the forest cover has already dwindled. Most of these tribes own small land holdings and thanks to ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Bhadrachalam; they started using modern methods in agriculture like the usage of HYV seeds, Pesticides, Fertilizers and Power sprays. So they gave up their traditional organic forming and went modern.
With the passage of time, the wildlife habitat dwindled and the productivity of the land decreased due to deforestation and non-tribal settlements. The ethnic agriculture has given place for modern agriculture, with high-yielding varieties replacing the traditional ones. The culture and tradition of Koyas suffered a great deal in the process of modernization. They domesticate animals like pigs, oxen, goat and birds like fowls. These animals constitute the food items which give them protein.
Recreation
Hunting is one of the favorite recreations of the Koya people. They use lethal bows and arrows to hunt animals, but as it has already been mentioned the forest cover decreased to a great extent and all the wild animals were hunted down and eaten up. So they consider going on hunting a sheer waste of time. As they adopted modern life style, watching movies has become their main recreation. Scores of palm trees which are termed as toddy trees are found in the vicinity of tribal hamlets and the koya tribes men extract a whitish sap from these trees. It is a popular intoxicant which is widely consumed by them. They even consume homemade liquor. The usage of these intoxicants show lot of adverse impact on their health and as a result, their life expectancy esp. men is low.
Language
The people of Koya tribe speak a language called Koi or Koya. Though the origins of Koya community is still obscure they are said to be the members of the great Gond community of Dravidian
Dravidian languages
The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...
family. So Koya language is considered to be a dialect of gond language. Even in the Koi language there are some variants. A small town called Chintoor not far away from Bhadrachalam, is considered to be the linguistic centre of Koi language and the language spoken by them is considered to be the finest variant of the language. Koi language does not have many words. Its Lexicon is very much limited. The most important reason might be the Koyas, being primitive tribes were mainly hunter gatherers. Their day to day activities were very limited. They were in no need of a sophisticated language like English which has Lakhs of words and can support the formation of a wide range of expressions. Since these tribes lead a very simple and austere life they have very small number of their own genuine, native words. So there is a strong link between the language they speak and their life style. For example being hunter gatherers they have their own words to refer to trees, animals, weapons, food etc.
This language does not have a script and Telugu script is commonly used to write this language. A government sponsored programme called Rajeev Vidya Mission has prepared some text books from class I to class V with the intention of imparting education to tribal children in their mother tongue. All those books are written in Telugu script.
Konda Reddis
Konda Reddis live in thick forests on high mountains. They speak an ancient dialect of TeluguTelugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
. In general, they are reserved in behaviour and often do not trust people from the plains. They are good craftsmen, who use Bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
to make a variety of items.
Lambadas
They are also called Sugalies or Banjaras. They are often dressed in colourful clothes which are studded with mirrors, beads and other decorative items. Men wear head turbans and many sport thick moustacheMoustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
.In entire Khammam District Manga puram is the largest gram panchayathi which is having cent percent lambadas.