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| HISTORY - Bhovi |
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- The Bhovi’s of Karnataka are actually a combination of three subgroups. The ‘Kallu Bhovi’ are the stonecutter caste, the ‘Mannu Bhovi’ are the earth working caste, and the ‘Uppar Bhovi’ are the salt and lime quarry workers. The Bhovis' main language is Telugu, but they can speak Kannada. They also engage in agriculture, though this is a secondary occupation. Very few of them are city dwellers.
- For Bhovis, it is normal to marry ones cousin. The Bhovi peoples have their own patron deities and have their own guruji Siddha Rameshwara of Sholapur, Sri Sharanaswamiji of Bagalkote Bhovi peeta and Sri Immadi Siddarameshwaraswamiji of Chitradurga Bhovi peeta, a great reformers. Sri Sharanaswamiji of Bagalkote Bhovi peeta made many community developments from 14 century in building of tanks and shelters.
- It is known that the Mudiraju / Mutracha people were engaged in guarding granite quarries during medieval times. The reason could be that these people were known to be good soldiers. It also appears that the Mudiraju people who had their origins in Bhil- Koli dravidian block of tribes were closely associated in stone cutting, stone grinding and other such jobs. Bhovis are closely related to Mudiraju in connection with fishing and granite mining.
- The Bhovis are experts in cutting granite rocks and in almost all granite quarries in the state, work as bonded labourers. Bovis or Boyis are closely related to Bedars in their origins. The Telugu Boyas of Andhra, the Tamil Vedans of Tamil Nadu, are closely related to Bedars & Ramoshis of Maharastra.
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