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Will the hopes of Orugunti Reddys flower?
Will the hopes of Orugunti Reddys flower. They are descendants of warriors from Orugallu. They landed in Prakasam district after fleeing from Orugallu, now Warangal, in the year 1323.
This erstwhile warrior clan now ekes a living selling garlands
Ongole: They are descendants of warriors from Orugallu. They landed in Prakasam district after fleeing from Orugallu, now Warangal, in the year 1323. Their forefathers were known to be fierce warriors, known as as Orugunti Reddys’ locally, they are now eking out a living by selling garlands.
The Orugunti Reddys were forced to flee for their lives with their families after the king Pratapa Rudra-ll committed suicide by jumping into the River Narmada when the forces of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq took him as prisoner. The enemy forces, fearing that the army of Pratap Rudra had reassembled and declare war against them, ordered the massacre of all Reddy soldiers.
After landing in an unfamiliar place, the soldiers did not stand on prestige and declared that they were warriors. But they mingled with local population and started following the latter’s customs and habits. The local people showered much affection on the soldiers as the latter won their hearts and minds. When the enemy forces returned in search of these Reddy soldiers, the locals saved them.
At first, these soldiers had teamed up with fishermen folk. After their compatriots in Orugallu rejected them, their gurus advised them to come out of fishermen colonies and build a new village. It was how Varada Reddy Palem, now known as Vajji Reddy Palem, had come up. It is near Kotthpatnam and just 1.5 km away from Bay of Bengal.
Their descendants are now leading a placid life as vendors of garlands. Women in almost all houses in the village make garlands which are lapped up by devotees in Ongole, headquarters of Prakasam district. As they abandoned their Saivism sect, their compatriots at first rejected them. There is no history of inter-caste marriage by the Orugunti Reddy families.
Though they established a village of their own and are now doing floristry. They had approached Dr Marri Channa Reddy when he was the chief minister, but there was no response from the government. These Reddys are now pinning hopes on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, to help them, as he claims to have fought for a separate Telangana State to help the ‘sons of the soil’. Will KCR fulfil their hopes?
By Naresh Nandam
