Kammari caste is mostly found in the areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and rural areas of India. The Hindu upper caste is traditionally found involved in the occupation of blacksmiths. Kammari interchangeably uses Dravid as their surname.
The group originally migrated from the northern Indian parts as warriors to occupy the places of armies and kingdoms in the South Indian region.
The name Kammari is originally derived from the Tamil term Kammu which represents ‘to work or do laborious activity’. The community has played a very vital role in shaping up the economic status of Telangana region with their immense contribution.
The South Indian caste members speak the local languages where their descendants migrated and settled. Originally, they belong to the upper Egypt who came to India from the roots of Iran, Balochistan and Mesopotamia. Mostly wheatish colour, the mixed breed of people originally spoke their ancient Dravidian language. The agrarian community centres around Buddhism. Their roots still reflect their pride of warrior ancestry. Earlier, the Kammari ancestors were mainly the warriors who helped in the stability and protection of the dynasties and empires.
Even till date, more than 40% of Kammaris are brownish-black in colour. Only 10% of them are fair and have quite Close reference with their Indo Aryan culture. The history of Kammaris can be traced back during the time of Aryan. They were originally cattle feeders and tribes who were categorised amongst the lower caste Hindus – sudra.
In the current times, many Kammari groups have migrated in different parts of India and have found settlement there. Earlier, the group that settled near the Krishna River Valley and Guntur Prakasam district were called Kammaris. Community members mostly believe in the teachings of karma from Buddhism. They often use surnames like reddy, modaliar and Nair. The cultivators and warriors are a ethnic group of people who were a part of famous dynasties in the previous era. The famous Kammari Dynasty includes durjaya vamsam dynasty, Kakatiya Dynasty and velanati Choda dynasty.
The traditional matrimonial ceremonies in the caste System takes place within the community itself. The members follow Hindu marriage customs and verify gotra to follow vital principles and customs and rituals.
Kammari gotra details
Kammari caste gotra lays down the foundation of rules and regulation for the community. The most common gotra include MuthuRaju, Kumari, kambham and Naidu. Each gotra has a prominent age-old tradition such as agriculture, dairy farming, blacksmith and pottery making.
Kammaris are kshathriyas who follow a mix of traditions and agricultural activity. They are unique because of having distinctive traits. The local language spoken by the community members commonly remains Tamil, Telugu and Kannada because of their geographical distribution. Festivals like Ugadi and Makar Sankranti remain a vital part of their celebration. The individuals follow family traditions and customs when it comes to handling wedding ceremonies and festive rituals. The community has a rich cultural heritage and a social setup. It reflects great family values and organisational form.