The Reddi Yānādis are a settled class, employed chiefly as cooks by the Panta Reddis. They do not mingle with the Challa and Adivi sections, whom they regard as out-castes. If a Reddi Yānādi woman's husband dies, abandons, or divorces her, she may marry his brother, and, in the case of separation or divorce, the two brothers will live on friendly terms with each other. The Challas are also known as Garappa (dry-land) or Chatla (tree). They reside in huts on the borders of villages in the service of the community, and live on jungle produce, and by snaring and hunting game. The Reddi and Challa Yānādis are occasionally employed as kavalgars, or village watchmen, in the Kistna and Godāvari districts. In the Venkatagiri Zemindāri the Yānādis are among the recognised servants of the village community as procurers of charcoal for the blacksmith. The Adavi Yānādis are, as the name implies, jungle-men. The Manchi or good Yānādis are a small superior class. The Yānādis of the North Arcot district, it may be noted, are Chenchu worshippers, and go by that name. They are non-frog-eaters, and do not permit the Kappala, or frog-eaters, even to touch their pots. Some Yānādis of the Nellore district feed on the refuse of the table. The Somari, or idle Yānādis, live in the Kavali tāluk of that district. They do scavenging work, and eat the refuse food thrown away by people from the leaf plate after a meal.
The following are some of the house-names of families living in Nellore, Sriharikota, Tada, and Kāmbakam: —
(a) Manchi Yanadis —
Bandi, cart. | Illa, of a house. |
Chembetti, hammer. | Kathtlula, sword. |
Chilakala, paroquet. | Kānūr, a village. |
Dhoddi, sheep-fold. | Kotlu, cow-shed. |
Īgala, house-fly. | Mēkala, goat |
Enthodu, a village. | Mānikala, measure. |