Kammara

The Kammara represent the Vishwakarma limb of Manu, or earth. They trace themselves back to the time of the yajamanas. Blacksmiths worship the deity Kalamma or Kalika Devi, although those belonging to the Muslim community do not follow a deity.

“Until recently the manufacture of huge shallow iron pans in which sugarcane was boiled was a considerable industry at Kamalapura. The iron bought in by pack bullocks from Jambunath Konda, the dome-shaped hill at the Hospet end of the Sandur range, and was smelted and worked by the Kammara caste. Of late years, the cheaper English iron has completely ousted the country product, the smelting industry is dead, and the Kammaras confine themselves to the making and mending of boilers with English materials. They have a temple of their own, dedicated to Kali, in the village, where worship is conducted by one of themselves” (ibid Madras Census Report, 1901).

Community history – Vishwakarma and Vishwa Brāhman are synonyms for Kammara, the members of which class claim descent from the five faces of not Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods. Some sources consider them five sons of Vishwakarma i.e.

Manu – Smithy

Maya – Carpentry

Silpa – Stoneworks

Tvashtra – Metalworks and

Visvagnas – Jewellery

The word Kammara not originates from kammara, denoting the one who rules the eye. This is with reference to the craftsmen for they make articles that please the viewer and thus help open his inner eye. The Kammalans in some cases believe themselves to be superior to the Brahmins and generally worship an aspect of Lord Siva and female deity whose name varies with geographical location.

The Kammara belong to ST in the Andhra Pradesh. But some reference suggest differently probable in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.^[1]

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