Who are Chenchus?

About Chenchus:

• The Chenchus are a Telugu-speaking food-gathering tribe living in the Nallamalai forests of Andhra Pradesh.
• They are listed as Scheduled Tribe in Andhra Pradesh.
• They are a conservative tribal group and have not made many changes in their lifestyle or tried to adapt to modernity.
• They live in an enclosed space and geography, leading a life of an unbroken continuity.
• The Chenchu live life with exemplary simplicity. Most of them still gather food from the forest and roam in it to find things to meet their needs.
  • The bow and arrow and a small knife are all the Chenchus possess to hunt and live.
  • The Chenchus collect forest products like roots, fruits, tubers, beedi leaf, mohua flower, honey, gum, tamarind and green leaves and make a meagre income from it by selling these to traders and government cooperatives.
• A Chenchu village is known as “Penta”.
  • Each penta consists of a few huts that are spaced apart and are grouped together based on kinship pattern.
• "Peddamanishi", or the village elder, is generally the authority to maintain social harmony in a family or a village.
  • Generally, his counsel and word are final in all matters of the village.
• Small conjugal families predominate, with women taking equal rank with men and marrying only upon maturity.
• Chenchus worship a number of deities. Chenchus have also adopted certain religious practices from Hindus.
• For ages, the Chenchus have been associated with the famous Srisailam temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva and Devi Brahmaramba) in Andhra Pradesh, situated at the heart of Chenchu land. 
  • The Chenchus enjoy special privileges at Srisailam temple.