Padma Sale caste is surname of many people in southern India. Padma Sale caste meaning is The Padma (lotus) Sales are a Telugu-speaking caste of weavers, who are scattered all over the Madras Presidency. The majority are engaged in their hereditary occupation, but only the minority possess looms of their own, and they work, for the most part, for the more prosperous owners of hand-looms. As a class they are poor, being addicted to strong drinks, and in the hands of the money-lenders, who take care that their customers always remain in debt to them. Like the Kaikolans, the Padma Sales weave the coarser kinds of cotton cloths, and cannot compete with the Patnulkarans and Khatres in the manufacture of the finer kinds.
The Padma Sales have only one gotra, Markandeya. But, like other Telugu castes, they have a number of [449]exogamous septs or intiperus, of which the following are examples
Bandari, treasurer. Bomma, an idol. Canji, gruel. Chinthaginjala, tamarind seeds. Gorantla, Lawsonia alba. Jinka, gazelle. Kalava, ditch. Kasulu, copper coins. Kongara, crane. Kadavala, pots. Manchi, good. Nili, indigo. Nukalu, flour of grain or pulse. Nyayam, justice. Utla, rope for hanging pots. Pothu, male. Paththi, cotton. Putta, ant-hill. Thelu, scorpion. Tangedla, Cassia auriculata. Tumma, Acacia arabica. Avari, indigo plant. Chinnam, gold? Gurram, horse. Geddam, beard. Kota, fort. Meda, raised mound Middala, storeyed house. Mamidla, mango. Narala, nerves. Pula, flowers. Sadhu, quiet or meek.
The Padma Sales profess to be Vaishnavites, but some are Saivites. All the families of the exogamous sept Sadhu are said to be lingam-wearing Saivites. In addition to their house-god Venkateswara, they worship Pulikondla Rangaswami, Maremma, Durgamma, Narasappa, Sunkalamma, Urukundhi Viranna, Gangamma, Kinkiniamma, Mutyalamma, Kalelamma, Ankamma, and Padvetiamma. Their caste deity is Bhavana Rishi, to whom, in some places, a special temple is dedicated. A festival in honour of this deity is celebrated annually, during which the god and goddess are represented by two decorated pots placed on a model of a tiger (vyagra vahanam), to which, on the last day of the ceremonial, large quantities of rice and vegetables are offered, which are distributed among the loom-owners, pujari, headman, fasting celebrants, etc.
The Padma Sales belong to the right-hand, and the Devangas to the left-hand faction, and the latter aver [450]that the Padma Sales took away the body of the goddess Chaudeswari, leaving them the head.
Three kinds of beggars are attached to the Padma Sales, viz, Sadhana Surulu, Padiga Rajulu or Koonapilli vandlu, and Inaka-mukku Bhatrazus. Concerning the Sadhana Surulu, Buchanan writes as follows.1 The Vaishnavite section of the Samay Sale is called Padma Sale. The whole Shalay formerly wore the linga, but, a house having been possessed by a devil, and this sect having been called on to cast him out, all their prayers were of no avail. At length ten persons, having thrown aside their linga, and offered up their supplications to Vishnu, they succeeded in expelling the enemy, and ever afterwards they followed the worship of this god, in which they have been initiated by their brethren. The descendants of these men, who are called Sadana Asholu (Sadana Surulu), or the celebrated heroes, never work, and, having dedicated themselves to god, live upon the charity of the industrious part of the caste, with whom they disdain to marry.
The Padiga Rajulu are supposed to be the descendants of three persons, Adigadu, Padigadu and Baludu, who sprang from the sweat of Bhavana Rishi, and the following legend is current concerning the origin of the Padma Sales and Padiga Rajulu. At the creation of the world, men were naked, and one Markandeya, who was sixteen years old, was asked to weave cloths. To enable him to do so, he did thapas (penance), and from the sacred fire arose Bhavana Rishi, bearing a bundle of thread obtained from the lotus which sprang from Vishnus navel. Bhavana Rishi made cloths, and presented them to the Devatas, and offered a cloth to Bhairava also. [451]This he refused to accept, as it was the last, and not the first, which is usually rolled up, and kept on the loom. Finding it unsuitable for wearing, Bhairava uttered a curse that the cloths made should wear out in six months. Accordingly, Siva asked Bhavana to procure him a tigers skin for wearing. Narada came to the assistance of Bhavana, and told him to go to Udayagiri, where Bhadravati, the daughter of Surya, was doing penance to secure Bhavana as her husband. She promised to secure a skin, if he would marry her. To this he consented, and, in due course, received the tigers skin. Making the tiger his vahanam (vehicle), he proceeded to the abode of Siva (Kailasam), and on his way thither met a Rakshasa, whom he killed in a fight, in the course of which he sweated profusely. From the sweat proceeded Adigadu, Padigadu, and Baludu. When he eventually reached Siva, the tiger, on the sacred ashes being thrown over it, cast its skin, which Siva appropriated. In consequence of this legend, tigers are held in reverence by the Padma Sales, who believe that they will not molest them.
The legendary origin of the Padma Sales is given as follows in the Baramahal Records.2 In former days, the other sects of weavers used annually to present a piece of cloth to a rishi or saint, named Markandeyulu. One year they omitted to make their offering at the customary period, which neglect enraged the rishi, who performed a yaga or sacrifice of fire, and, by the power of mantras or prayers, he caused a man to spring up out of the fire of the sacrifice, and called him Padma Saliwarlu, and directed him to weave a piece of cloth for his use. This he did, and presented [452]it to the rishi, sayingOh! Swami, who is thy servant to worship, and how is he to obtain moksham or admittance to the presence of the Supreme? The rishi answeredPay adoration to me, and thou wilt obtain moksham.
The office of headman (Setti or Gaudu) is hereditary. The headman has under him an assistant, called Ummidi Setti or Ganumukhi, who is the caste messenger, and is exempt from the various subscriptions for temple festivals, etc.
When a girl reaches puberty, she is forbidden to eat meat or Amarantus during the period of ceremonial pollution. In settling the preliminaries of a marriage, a Brahman purohit takes part. With some Padma Sales it is etiquette not to give direct answers when a marriage is being fixed up. For example, those who have come to seek the hand of a girl say We have come for a sumptuous meal, to which the girls parents, if consenting to the match, will reply We are ready to feed you. You are our near relations. The marriage rites are a blend of the Canarese and Telugu types. In the Ceded districts, the bride is conveyed to the house of the bridegroom, seated on a bull, after worship has been done to Hanuman. As she enters the house, a cocoanut is waved, and thrown on the ground. She then bathes in an enclosure with four posts, round which cotton thread has been wound nine times. Wrist-threads of cotton and wool are tied on the bride and bridegroom. The bottu (marriage badge) is tied round the brides neck, and she stands on a pile of cholum (Sorghum vulgare- millet) on the floor or in a basket. The bridegroom stands on a mill-stone. While the bottu is being tied, a screen is interposed between the contracting couple. The brides nose-screw ornament is dropped into a plate of milk, [453]from which she has to pick it out five times. Towards evening, the bridal couple go in procession through the streets, and to the temple, if there is one. On their return to the house, the bridegroom picks up the bride, and dances for a short time before entering. This ceremony is called dega-ata, and is performed by several Telugu castes.
Some Padma Sales bury their dead in the usual manner, others, like the Lingayats, in a sitting posture. It is customary, in some places, to offer up a fowl to the corpse before it is removed from the house, and, if a death occurs on a Saturday or Sunday, a fowl is tied to the bier, and burnt with the corpse. This is done in the belief that otherwise another death would very soon take place. The Tamilians, in like manner, have a proverb A Saturday corpse will not go alone. On the way to the burial-ground, the corpse is laid down, and water poured into the mouth. The son takes a pot of water round the grave, and holes are made in it by the Ummidi Setti, through which the water trickles out. On the fifth day, a sheep is killed, and eaten. During the evening the Satani comes, and, after doing puja (worship), gives the relatives of the deceased sacred arrack (liquor) in lieu of holy water (thirtham) and meat, for which he receives payment. On the last day of the death ceremonies (karmandiram), the Satani again comes with arrack, and, according to a note before me, all get drunk. (See Sale.)
Padma Sale caste is one of the many castes subcastes of India.
India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. They were created to solve the problem of division of labor. Padma Sale caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Padma Sale caste do or did in earlier times. Many last names in India indicate the place the person originally belongs to. All castes sub castes are primarily divided into 4 categories:
1.Brahmins – The learned or priestly class
2.Khastriyas – The warrior class or those with governing functions
3.Vaishyas – The trader, agriculturalists or cattle rearers class
4.Shudra – The class that serves other three categories
Padma Sale caste belongs to one of the above 4 categories. Indian caste system is the best system to solve the problem of division of labor. In earlier times there was no rigidity in caste system. Indian caste system is still the best solution for the problem of division of labor, the only change that is needed as per changed times is that rather than having a vertical hierarchical system with Brahmins on top and Shudras at bottom, it would be good to have a horizontal socialist system with Brahmins, Khastriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras all at same level.
The caste system of India is in ruins at present. It is also cause of bloody quarrels in certain parts of the rural India. People of backward castes have reservations in government jobs, this facility is widely misused in India. Many of the backward caste people have become rich and still use the facility for their benefit. Many in India believe reservation in jobs should be given on the basis of poverty rather than caste because there are many poors in upper castes as well.
Many criticize the Indian caste system because of bad material condition of lower castes but if they observe in an unbiased way they would find that there are many in upper castes with bad material conditions. The problem lies in power not in castes, power can corrupt anyone be it from upper caste or lower caste.
All cultures, all countries, all religions have caste system in one form or the other. Christians have different churches depending on the region or language or skin color of people. Muslims have a priestly class that tries to control everything. Arab Muslims before the oil boom were so much divided among tribes that if you drank water from a well of a different tribe you could be shot dead. Tribal divisions still exists among Muslims. You can also see the caste system in a different form in your corporate companies. I had seen different food and drinking facilities for people at different levels.
Padma Sale caste is also known as Padma Sale Gotra.
Caste situation is quiet different in urban India, people in urban areas especially youngsters don?t bother about castes. Inter caste, inter religious, inter lingual marriages are quiet common in urban India. Inter caste, inter religious and inter lingual marriages in rural areas attract severe criticism and many times people are expelled from community for not marrying as per religious and caste rules.