East Arama Dravida: know your Roots

By Bhallamudi Sriramasankara Prasad

Around 600 years ago (approximately between 1300-1400 AD), a Brahmin community migrated from Saurashtra towards the south of the Vindhya Mountains and settled along the banks of the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, adopting Tamil as their language. Some of these Brahmins later migrated northward to the coastal Andhra region and established settlements along the banks of the Godavari River. This is how they came to be known as Dravidian Brahmins. Pallava Vijayaditya Varma granted 204 Agraharas (Brahmin settlements) in the Vengi region to these Brahmins. Among these villages were Kakaraparru, Kanuru, and Thiparru. By the 10th century, they had moved to the Godavari region and became known as the Agrahara Brahmins of the Gostani River. In this process, some families moved further north into the Northern Andhra regions, settling in the Sharada, Nagavali, and Vamsadhara river basins. During the British era, in the Madras Presidency, the Vizagapatnam district extended from Rajahmundry district to Ganjam district. When Orissa was separated from Bengal, the areas of Rayagada and Parlakimidi near Parvathipuram in Srikakulam were merged into Orissa. After Andhra Pradesh was separated from the Madras Presidency, the Visakhapatnam district was divided into three parts, forming the districts of Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram, and Srikakulam. Recently, new districts such as Anakapalli and Parvathipuram were created. It is customary to refer to the "Arama Dravidians "who settled in the former Vizagapatnam district--now encompassing Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, VIjayanagaram, Srikakulam, and Parvathipuram (Manyam) districts--as Eastern Arama Dravidians. In those days, when transportation facilities were limited, there was little intermarriage between the Western Arama Dravidians of the Godavari region and the Eastern Arama Dravidians. After India gained independence in 1947, the Tenancy Act of 1956 (also known as the "Land to the Tiller" Act) was enacted, leading to many losing their lands and facing difficult times. However, with the development of railways and increased employment opportunities in the railways and Tata companies, many Eastern Arama Dravidians migrated to northern states of India. Till 70 's inter-caste and inter-subcaste marriages were virtually unheard of. Until the previous generation, Eastern Arama Dravidians who migrated to northern states like Jharkhand (Tata, Adra, Bilaspur) and Nagpur maintained strong ties with their ancestral villages and primarily married within their own community. Examining family trees spanning 7-8 generations from around 1800, it is evident that until the fifth generation, there were no inter-subcaste marriages. However, in the present era, not only inter-subcaste but even inter-caste marriages are becoming common, which would have been considered unthinkable or even laughable in the past. Yet, in today's society, where familial bonds are fading, many in this generation struggle to even remember the names of their cousins or extended family members. This highlights the importance of preserving family history and connections. Even in cases of inter-caste, inter-subcaste, or inter-religious marriages, no one abandons their family name (surname). As long as the family name is retained--whether as a first or last name--there remains an opportunity to document and preserve the family tree. Whether this is necessary or not is a personal decision. However, the desire to know one's roots--who one's father, siblings, and maternal and paternal relatives are--is a natural and universal longing. This curiosity often grows stronger with age, becoming a powerful urge to understand one's origins. It is this very sentiment that has motivated my efforts to compile this work for everyone. This is my humble attempt to help everyone reconnect with their roots and preserve their family history.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F66X16MG
• ISBN13: 9798280987388
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 544 Pages
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.2" x 8.0"