Meet the Yenadi

by Isaiah Malcolm

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart. — Helen Keller

The sun rises over the brackish water of Pulicat Lake. To the east is Sriharikota; the launch site of ISRO’s groundbreaking lunar mission. To the west is the coast of Andhra Pradesh; a lush green landscape sprinkled with towns and cities. As day’s first light reflects off the tranquil lake, birds begin to sing their morning song and take to the air. At the same time, fishermen begin preparing their boats and nets. These fishermen are Yenadis – a group that has called this area their home for generations.

▲ A photo of Yenadis captured between 1901 and 1909, as published in Castes and Tribes of Southern India Volume 7 (1909).

The Yenadi are a tribal group with a long history in the Pulicat Lake region. The name Yenadi is most likely derived from the Sanskrit word “anadi” which refers to a people whose origin is not traceable. Their past is shrouded in a certain degree of mystery but it is clear that they are an ancient people whose livelihood is tied to the land.

In the 1909 publication Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Edgar Thurston describes the Yenadi as being in a “primitive stage of culture” (417). At the time, the Yenadi people had not made the transition to an agricultural society and still relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering while using friction to start fires instead of charcoal which was more prevalent at the time.

▲ Yenadis starting a fire using friction between two sticks (Picture taken between 1901 and 1909 as published in Castes and Tribes of Southern India Volume 7).

The Yenadis are known to be skilled marksmen, anglers, trappers, and snake catchers. They were described as “carrying bows and arrows, living on roots, honey, or reptiles” (Taylor 466) and as “good shikāris (huntsmen), [who are] devoid of fear in the jungle” (Thurston 430). Under the Arms Act of 1878, the Yenadi held licenses to own firearms which they used to hunt animals as large and fearsome as tigers and leopards. The following story was recounted to Thurston regarding a man who was unable to track down a spotted deer: “... the Yānādis engaged therein erected a cairn of twigs and stones several feet high, round which they danced with gradually quickening step, to the refrain in Telugu ‘Nothing comes.’ Then, to the same tune, they danced round it in the opposite direction. The incantation concluded, the beat was continued and a stag duly appeared on the scene—and was missed!” (Thurston 430). Perhaps the man should have let the Yenadis take the shot.

As anglers, the Yenadis have a diverse skill set. For some fish, they utilized nets and baskets. For others that are found in crevices and rocks, the Yenadis would dive in and catch them. Today their methods have changed as some of them have access to motorized boats and more modern fishing equipment. However, their livelihood and the principles that guide it remain surprisingly constant.

▲ Fishermen in present day Bapatla, preparing to launch a fishing vessel into the Bay of Bengal.

The Yenadis are excellent trappers. They are often sought by farmers to catch rats that would otherwise destroy a crop. One method of trapping was to fill a pot with grass and light a fire. The fire would be used to fill a bandicoot rat’s den with smoke which would force the animal out of its hole where a Yenadi would wait to catch or kill it. Because of their familiarity with the jungle, Yenadis were also employed to extract honey and wax from beehives. These Yenadis would climb to hills and cliffs to access the beehives. While suspended from a rope, a Yenadi would use burning grass to drive away the bees after which he would pierce a hole into the hive and drain it into a basket.

The Yenadis are also known as snake catchers. They catch and kill snakes of any kind – including cobras. South India is home to the king cobra and the Indian cobra; two of the most venomous snakes in the world. Without treatment, a cobra’s bite may kill within thirty minutes. However, the Yenadis do not fear these venomous creatures. In the Pulicat Lake area, they are often called to remove and kill snakes that have wandered into homes and buildings. However, it seems inevitable that dealing with snakes will eventually lead to getting bitten. For these situations, the Yenadi have great knowledge of natural cures and remedies.

Yenadi natural medicine has a wide variety of applications. Dr. Vedathy writes, “The Yenadis have a rich traditional health knowledge, including knowledge for everyday healthcare and specialized knowledge (e.g., snake bite cures). The traditional health knowledge of the Yenadis is closely interlinked with bioresources and medicinal plants for healthcare are derived by continuous access to and observation of the natural resource,” (Vedathy 2010). Their traditional health knowledge also includes remedies for scorpion stings, fevers, rheumatism, and certain chronic conditions. These remedies are largely made from local herbs and roots which the Yenadis gather with great skill. Gathering these herbs and roots requires a robust knowledge of plant life cycles and growth conditions to ensure that resources are harvested at the right time and in a sustainable manner. Conversely, modern commercial harvesting has led to the scarcity of certain herbs and roots once carefully guarded and preserved by the Yenadis.

Historically, Sriharikota was the Yenadis’ chief place of residence. The tribe once had a single hereditary leader but over time it began to splinter into many smaller groups. Today there are four broad social classes that can be observed:

• Reddi Yenadi (servants and cultivators)

• Adivi Yenadi (tend to live in forests)

• Paki Yenadi (scavengers)

• Chella Yenadi (those who collect leftover food from banana leaves)

Restoration Humanity’s target group in Naidupet is primarily made up of the Paki and Chella Yenadis. The Paki and Chella are regarded as unclean among the Yenadis and represent the lowest social classes. Today, many of them are found in poverty and even extreme situations like bonded labor. They rarely live in cities which limits access to healthcare, education, and employment. SFIRD has made great efforts to help combat the effects of poverty and help Yenadi communities gain access to healthcare, education, and housing. We at Restoration Humanity are honored to work alongside SFIRD as we pledge ourselves to the upliftment and development of Yenadi communities.

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. — Albert Schweitzer

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Works Cited

Taylor, William. A Catalogue Raisonné of Oriental Manuscripts ... by ... William Taylor.  Graves, Cookson, & Co., Pr, 1862.

Thurston, Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India: Vol. 7 of 7 K. Rangachari and Edgar Thurston. Project Gutenberg, 2013.

Vedathy, S. Protecting the Traditional Knowledge, Customary Laws and Forest Rights of the Yanadi Tribals of Andhra Pradesh. Herbal Folklore Research Centre, 2010.