Mannerwarlu

The Mannerwarlu people are native to the state of Maharashtra, India. They are mainly located in the border regions of Maharashtra and Telangana, primarily in the Nanded district and Hingoli district of Maharashtra. They speak dialects of the Marathi and Telugu languages with adopted Hindi and Urdu words.

Culture

The Mannerwarlu tribe celebrates festivals such as Nagpanchami, Dasara, and Diwali and have a distinct culture and customs. Local deities include Bijjamma near indirachowk Hingoli, Pochamma and the goddess Yellama The Mannerwarlu people also worship the Pandavas, the five acknowledged sons of Pandu from the Mahabharata. The region's plain topography together with large scale deforestation during and after the reign of Nizam of Hyderabad left the tribe exposed to outside influences, unlike other tribes that were protected by either dense forest or hills.

An old custom is the offering of a goat or sheep to the local Goddess on the occasion of births, weddings and other big events. the ceremony takes place at the 'ancestral temple' which is dedicated to her, normally situated inside the house of a tribal elder.

The Mannerwarlu were forest hunter-gatherers. In more recent history, men worked as guides on tiger-hunting expeditions for the British in colonial times and for Nizam. Many are farm laborers, tenant farmers and marginal farmers. Those who live near remaining forest areas gather and trade medicinal plants and forest produce. However, the majority of men migrate to West Maharashtra and Hyderabad in search of work and employment. The tribe has a generation of people who are educated, community members who became government officials. Balanna Ramanna Ratnalu (Dhamniwale) Hingoli were the great forefathers and their relation expanded among all the Maharashtra mannervarlu caste peoples mainly in Pune, Nagpur, Akola, Nagar, Khamgaon and Hyderabad.

Typical surnames include: Ramod, Ratnallu (Bagichewale) Yammalwad, Komwad, Pallewad, Pupulwad, Nalmelwar, Bodhgire, Badalwad, Ingewad, Nallewad, Bodemwad, Perke, Parodwad, Jethewad, Sathewad, Ungratwad, Sallawar, Akule, Thakarwad, Kantewad, Ambulgekar, Undratwad, Nainwad, Arsewad, Abulkod, Bachewad, Kaslod, Raulwar, Shirsetwar and Shirgurwar, Kurewar and Chabilwad. Mainly in Hingoli district there are surnames as Ratnalu, Puppalu, Vithallu, Pillay, Bollalu, Ponganty, Mutyalu, Akulwar, Bachrallu, Tote, Helchal, Sanpawar, Korvi, Suddulwar, Badamkar, Kamtewad and Menthewad.

Tribal history passed down through tribal elders suggests that they organised themselves to resist the integration of Hyderabad State into the Dominion of India by fighting the Razakars, who were a private militia led by Qasim Razvi to support the rule of Nizam Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII.