Thoti

Thoti

The Thoti is one of the Scheduled tribes of India. They inhabit Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in India, and are primarily found in the Adilabad, Warangal, Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts of the state. The 1991 census reports their population at 3654, and a decline to only 2074 in the 2001 census. The Thoti community were earlier excluded from mainstream society and lived in seclusion and faced exclusion from other social groups in the past. However, such discriminatory attitudes and practices towards the community have lessened today and there is gradual integration of the Thotis with the wider community.

The social structure of this community is hierarchically organized, wherein the village head and elders of the community exercise authority over most social, political, and legal matters related to the community and its members, with the village head acting as the prime decision maker of the community. In the past the men and women of the community and their families were distinctly identified by their tattoos and the people wore unique adornments that represented culturally significant notions of the tribe. The Thotis have been known to practice endogamy, laying restrictions on inter-caste and inter-faith marriages of their members.

Occupation and Religion

The Thoti people are a non-agricultural community and have traditionally derived their livelihood from performing songs of Pandava Kathas and Bharatam (stories from Indian epic Mahabharata) which required them to travel often. Some of the musical instruments used by the tribe are Burra (a mono-stringed instrument), harmonium, maddela (percussion instrument), and tAlalu (cymbals). “Burra” for instance is a hand-made instrument, that the Thotis have learned from their forefathers to make from bamboo sticks. Learning and playing these musical instruments form an integral part of their culture, and this was particularly taken up by the male population in the past wherein they travelled to various places to perform their arts for livelihood. However, with modernisation such traditions have slowly declined, and the younger generation now venture out to find other livelihood opportunities.

The Thoti people follow a belief system of their own. Known to be strong believers in the idea of rebirth, this is also evidenced in their traditional songs. They worship and believe in their community God called “Persapen” and other village deities, and celebrate a festival known as “Nagappa Jathara” (Chariot festival). Animal sacrifice is common within the community and is frequently incorporated in various rituals and festivals to gain blessings and favour from their god. The Thoti people also practice and have their medicinal knowledge system, which they’ve traditionally relied on for centuries.