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'Kurubas' or 'Kurumas' are Hindus concentrated mainly in the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. They are also known as Dhangars in Maharashtra, Idaiyar in Tamilnadu, Gaddi, Bharwad, Gadaria, Pal, Baghel in North India and Oraon in Eastern India. Unofficial population estimate in Andra Pradesh and Karnataka is about 16 million.

Kuruba
Classification:	Caste/Dhangar (Shepherd)(Kshatriya)
Significant populations in:	Northern India, Western India, Southern India, and Central India
Language	Primarily Kannada and Telugu
Religion	Hinduism

Contents

Etymology

History

Culture

Other Names

Kuruba Kingdoms

Sub-Castes

Tribal communities

Kurubas Today

Traditions

Kuruba Epics

Famous kuruba gowdas

Movies

Marriages

Discussion Forum

See also

Etymology

The word Kuruba has a powerful meaning, It means 'warriors' and 'trustworthy people'. The word "Kuru" means "do or seek" in Sanskrit, and "Kuruhu" means "trust" in Kannada. "Kuruba" can be inferred to mean "doers" or "trustworthy (male person)". Kuruba can also be inferred to mean Seeker of Knowledge, Kuru (seek), Bha (Knowledge, Light).

History

The Kuruba community is one of the oldest existing communities of India, tracing its history back to Mahabharata times. People of the Kuruba community have long essayed a variety of professions, and have not been confined to their traditional (and still predominant) occupation as shepherds and farmers. They have sprung several ruling dynasties, most recently the Holkars of Indore; It has also been surmised by some scholars that the Hoysala dynasty may have hailed from this community. Undeniably, a very large section of rural gentry in Karnataka, and many chieftains and feudal barons in past eras, have belonged to the Kuruba community.
Most prominent Kurubas have been Hakkaraya and Bukkaraya, founders of Vijayanagara Empire, Hoysalas, Pallavas, Holkars, Sangolli Rayanna, Mauryas, Yadavas etc. Kurubas have also few social thinker and poets. Great poets like Kalidasa, Kanakadasa are Kurubas.

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 Almight in Stone. Through the ages, this stone worship tradition might have led to worshiping Shiva(Pashupati) as Beeralingeswara, Mailara Linga, Khandoba, Mahadeshwara, Nanjundeswara, Mallappa, Mallara, Mallikarjuna, Junjappa etc. Even the worshiping of shakti as Yellamma, Renuka, Chowdamma, Kariyamma, Chamundi, Bhanashankari, Gullamma etc. might have come from this tradition. Even today ancestoral 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 etc. Generally priets in Beeralingeshwara and Milaralingeshwara temples are kurubas. Kurubas were great warriors and had established many ancient kingdoms such as the Hoysala kingdom in Karnataka and Pallava kingdom in present day Tamil Nadu; they reached their zenith of prosperity between AD.1300 & AD.1600 under the great Vijayanagara Empire.

Other Names

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, Gadhariya, Gadaria, Gowda, Gaddi, Gadri, Gollavadu, Gounder,Halumatha, Heggades, Idyar, Khuruk, Kuda, Kuruba, Kuruba Gowda,Kurama, Kurumba, Kurmar, Kurumbar, Kalavar, Kuruma, Kurumavaaru, Kurkhi, Kurupu, Naikers, Nikhers, Oraon, Pal / Pala, Palaru, Paalakyatriya, Poduvar, Yadavalu.

Kuruba Kingdoms

★ Pallavas

★ Rashtrakutas

★ Maurya

★ Hoysalas

★ Vijayanagar Empire

★ Holkars

Sub-Castes

★ Kadu Kuruba

★ Jenu Kuruba

★ Betta Kuruba

★ Gonda Kuruba

★ Hosa Kuruba

★ Hale Kuruba

★ Harasu Kuruba

Tribal communities

These may be part of kuruba communities. There may be more than 500 bedagus in kuruba community.

★ Heluvaru

★ Sudagadu Siddaru

★ Gidabudaki

★ Jogi

★ Handi Jogi

★ Handhi Gollaru

★ Kadu Gollaru

★ Waddaru

★ Oddar

★ Mannu waddaru

★ Kallu waddaru

★ Bandi waddaru

Kurubas Today

Traditionally warriors and farmers, Kurubas were late to take up modern education, but have made rapid progress in many fields. They are today developing into a vibrant and dynamic community coming out of the inferiority complex imposed on them since the fall of Vijayanagara empire. The community is ably led by many politicians and social thinkers who are today not only leading the kuruba community but also all deprived sections of the society. Kurubas today have become the voice of all the deprived communities of the society grouped under Backward Castes. More work has to be done to help the vast majority of Kuruba Gowdas living in the villages to come out of the inferiority complex and make a life for themselves.
But, cream of the Kuruba community are setting a new standards. By getting well-educated and going to different parts of the world.

Traditions

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

★ Kamsale - Sung in praise of Mahadeshwara

★ Dollu Kunitha

★ Kurubara Kunitha

★ Oggu Kathas

★ Lingada Birana Kunitha

★ Goravayyalu of Andhra Pradesh.

Kuruba Epics

★ Halumatha Kuruba Purana - Story of Kuruba Gowdas

★ Epic of Katamaraju - Telugu Epic

★ The Story of Mahadeshwara

Famous kuruba gowdas

★ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famous_Kuruba_Gowdas

★ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuruba_Representatives

Movies

Kuruba Gowdas are a favourite topic for movies, since the community has produced many historical figures and have become household names.

Marriages

Kuruba Gowdas have their own matrimonial website, where only kuruba brides & grooms are allowed to register freely.

★ Kuruba Matrimony

Discussion Forum

http://kurubagowda.myfastforum.org/index.php

See also

★ Dhangar

★ Kurumbar

★ Kuruba Movies