How festival are linked with the life of koyas in penugolu
Answers
ther Names: Kavor, Kaya, Koa, Koi, Koi Gondi, Koitar, Koitor, Koithur, Koitur, Koyato, Koyi, Raj Koya
Language: Dravidian family, Gondi-Kui branch
The koyas are one of the few multi-lingual and multi-racial tribal communities living in India. They are also one of the major peasant tribes of Andhra Pradesh numbering 3.60 lakhs in 1981. Physically they are classified as Australoid. The Koyas call themselves as "Koithur". The land of Koithur or the Koya land includes the Indravati, Godavari, Sabari, Sileru rivers and the thickly wooded Eastern Ghats, covering parts of Bastar (Chhsatishgarh), Koraput(Orissa), Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar and the East and West Godavari districts. This region is situated at a height of 150-300 metres. The Koyas speak the language called "Koyi". It is blended with Telugu in Andhra Pradesh. [Editor's note. The linguistic classification of languages spoken by the Koya people is still uncertain.]
The story of the Koyas goes back to pre-historic times. They seem to have had a highly evolved civilization in the past in which they were a ruling Tribe.
According to the Koya mythology, life originated from water. The friction between the fourteen seas resulted in the emergence of moss, toads, fish and saints. The last saint was God and He first created Tuniki and Regu fruits.