Pattusali is a regional name referring Saurashtra

Saurashtra

Saurashtra is a region of western India, located on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is a peninsula also called Kathiawar after the Kathi Darbar who ruled part of the region once. The Peninsula is shared with the Kachchh region which occupies the north, Saurashtra or Sorath forming the...

, a Kannada and Telugu

Telugu people

The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...

 weavers

Weaving

Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...

 social group found largely in the Indian

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 states of Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

 and Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

, particularly in Keralapura, Hassan, Mysore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Srikakulam, Vizag, Vijayanagaram, Godavari, Prakasam and Anantapur Districts. They are identified by different names in various regions throughout India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Major centers of the Pattusali population are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chennai, Malaysia, Mayiladuthurai, Ayyampet, Patteswaram and Pondicherry.

Origin

"Saali" means "spider" in Telugu

Telugu language

Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...

. This word was applied to weavers, probably comparing weaving to the spider's web. In Tamil, the word is Saalikan or Saaliyan. In Kannada, it's Shaaliga or Shaaliya. In Malayalam, it is Chaaliyan. "Pattu" is the Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 word for "silk." The weaving community that specialized in silk weaving might have become a separate segment and community. Oral history also says that the Pattusali community is also called Saurashtra

Saurashtra

Saurashtra is a region of western India, located on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is a peninsula also called Kathiawar after the Kathi Darbar who ruled part of the region once. The Peninsula is shared with the Kachchh region which occupies the north, Saurashtra or Sorath forming the...

 Brahmins. People have migrated from Saurashtra in Gujarat and settled down in various states like Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chennai, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

For more information visit: http://www.pattusali.org

Practices

Food habits of the caste differ from region to region. Most follow a vegetarian diet.
Pattusali people originating from Andhra Pradesh also settled in Orissa, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Most of the community is Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 and Vaishnava

Vaishnavism

Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....

. There is a significant proportion of Shivites

Shaivism

Shaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...

as well. Community temples in Chirala and Dharmavaram are known for their Vaishnava celebrations each year, which are deemed town events.