KARNATAKA In the state of KARNATAKA , the population of the SIDDIS tribe is about 16 to 17 thousands . They live mostly inYellapur , Haliyal, Ankola , Joida and Mundgod . They are also scattered in Sisri taluka of the north KARNATAKA , Khanapur of Belgaum and Kalghatgi of the Darwar district . As per 2011 census , about 41.8 % population is of them are Hindu , about 30.6 % population is of them Muslims and the rest 27.4 % population is from the Christian community . The ghat areas of Yellapur and Ankola have population of Hindus while the Haliyal taluka has Muslim population . The HARIYARU worship is the special feature of the SIDDIS in India . HARIYARU worship is meant for ancestors worship . They always find their ancestors nearby . In their birth , marriage and death their ancestors play role , they believe . It is part of their obligation for the family members and their relatives to attend such functions in which their ancestors are being worshiped . The head of the family , called KARTHA , celebrates this festival in the month of October or November during the Navratra or in the month of March or April during the Holi . But the Christian or Muslim SIDDIS don’t celebrate such festivals as such . They , in KARNATAKA , speak Konkani , Kannada or Marathi .
GUJARAT The SIDDIS in the state of GUJARAT , is brought by the Portuguese as slaves and presented to the Nawab of Junagadh . The most of their population live in the forest areas of Gir . Their concentration is in the village called Jambur of Talala Taluka . The SIDDIS community associate or marry among themselves . So , their genes have not been mixed with the local people . That’s why their inhabitants are termed as ‘Little Africa’ in the state of GUJARAT . They , now , follow GUJARATI traditions forgetting their own past . But their genes still follow the GOMA music and the dance of the BANTU tribe of Africa . They also perform Dhamal dance whenever they get time . They don’t wear any thing above the loins and below loins they decorate themselves with peacock feathers with shells while performing. Their way of living is very simple and they speak GUJARATI langyage fluently . They prefer GUJARATI dishes and local foods as such . The total population of the tribe in Junagadh , GUJARAT is about 5000 .
HYDERABAD The prime locations of the SIDDIS in Hyderabad are Chinral Basti , Tolichoki , First Lancer , Erramanzil and Barkas . Most of the SIDDIS were brought to Hyderabad from Sub-Saharan Africa including Sudan and Somalia . The Raja of Wanaparthi donated about 300 troops of guard to the Nizam of Hyderabad . During Mir Mahboob Ali Khan , the Nizam-6 , the SIDDIS were most favoured due to their skills in music , dance and military . The MARFA AND DUFF music champion , Abu Pahalwan , was a famous Hockey player from SIDDI community from Hyderabad . Unlike the Gujarati SIDDIS , the SIDDIS from Hyderabad wear traditional local dresses like stripped Lungis and green or red colours Scarves while performing . They don’t paint their faces like Zulu as we see in the Gujarati SIDDIS while dancing . Again unlike the Gujarati SIDDIS , the SIDDIS from Hyderabad are assimilating among the Indian community fadtly . Muslims with Muslim Indians and Christians with both : the Indian Christians and the Indian Hindus . Speaking Telgu , Hindi and English ( new generation people ) the SIDDIS as a distinct Ethnic groups would vanish away in years to come if not protected from their cultural erosion . They would loose their distinct identities as such ……etc .
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