Koppula Velama or Koppu Velama is a

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

caste found in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. They are primarily found in the

Uttarandhra North Andhra or Uttara Andhra (IAST: ''Uttara Āndhra''), also known as Kalinga Andhra (IAST: ''Kaḷiṅga Āndhra''), is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is between the Eastern Ghats and the coast of the Bay of B ...

region with smaller populations in other districts of the state. They are classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by the

Government of Andhra Pradesh The Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as GoAP, is the Administrative division, state government and the administrative body responsible for the governance of the States of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati is the capital ...

. They are politically well-represented in the Uttarandhra region.

Etymology

The caste name possibly originated from the practice of their men not cutting their hair but tying it on their heads in the form of a knot, known in

as ''Koppu (''కొప్పు). Hence, they are named as ''Koppu Velama'' or ''Koppula Velama''.

History

In 1972, the

included the Koppula Velama community in the Backward Castes-D (BC-D) category due to their backwardness. But the community leaders resent the inclusion of new communities in BC-D category and demanded the state government to stop including any new communities in the list. Koppula Velama community is also seeking their inclusion in Backward Castes-A (BC-A) list of Andhra Pradesh government. Koppu Velamas are a kindred group to Polinati

Velama Velama are a Hindu caste found mainly in Telangana and AP. The term "Velama" was first recorded for the community in a 17th century inscription. The text "Velugoti Vari Vamsavali" documents the medieval military history of Velama rulers. Orig ...

caste who are also present in Uttarandhra region. Koppula Velamas hold key positions in erstwhile Visakahapatnam district along with Kapu and Gavara castes. These three castes are economically and numerically dominant in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts.

Notable People

Puri Jagannadh Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut in 2000 with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kaly ...

Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu (23 February 1957 – 2 November 2012) was an Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh. He served as the Union Minister in H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral Cabinets. Formerly, he was the Legislator of Andhra Pradesh, won ...

Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu (born 4 September 1957) is an Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh. He is a seven time MLA from Narsipatnam Assembly constituency. He is serving as the 21st and current speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Ass ...

* Parasuram *

Shiva Nirvana Shiva Shankar Lalam, known professionally as Shiva Nirvana, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. Nirvana has directed three films, ''Ninnu Kori'' (2017), ''Majili'' (2019) and ''Tuck Jagadish'' (2021). Early ...

References

{{reflist Social groups of Andhra Pradesh Indian castes South Indian communities