Hakku Patra of Soma Sambaiah [19th Century ]

Contributor / Caste / Performance: Korraju. Medium of original material: copper plate. Description of material: Korrajulu own a painted scroll and a copper plate as deeds. Dimensions: height 15 cm, width 12 cm. On the front side of the copper plate are carved Nandi, Sun, Moon, Shiva Lingam, a fish and a lotus flower. It is observed by the Surveyor that if Korraju sings for others, than their assigned villages, singers do not use the painted scroll. They use only a stringed musical instrument. They do not even sing the ‘Padmanayaka Katha’ on these occasions. At the end of the copper plate, the list of the villages is given, which are assigned to them in Grant. The copper plate gives the details of the rights of the Korraju and further describes that each hearth (Kitchen) has to pay five hundred rupees. Otherwise the particular person would be outcasted from the community. The person, who owns copper plate, visit each assigned villages in two or three years. No other Korraju visit except the owner of copper plate. Korraju is the devotee of padmanayakulu. Hence, he is entitled to sing the ‘Pandava Katha’.