Religion
Yerukalas worship Hindu Gods i.e. Lord shiva, Lord Venteswara, Narasimhaswamy, Narayanaswamy and Rama, which are common Gods in Hindu pantheon and appease deities such as Ankamma, Kollapuramma, Sunkulamma, Poleramma and Ellamma. The Yerukalas celebrate Hindu festivals such as Sankranthi, Sivarathri, Sreeramanavami, Dasara, Ugadi (Telugu New Year’s Day).
Yerukalas worship natural objects such as the sun, the moon and the fire, along with worshipping Lord Vishnu & Lord shiva. In some of the places, Yerukalas are not permitted to enter Hindu temples; hence they keep stones or mud idols under trees and give them offerings.
Largest religion is Hindu. But Christianity is on the rise in this community because of the economic inducements and coercion by the missionaries. The converts are made to look down on their unique identity and culture and adopt Christian ways over their own. Missionary funded churches are being built with funds donated by Christians allover the world.
- Hindu (95%)
- Nonreligious (3.6%)
- Christians (1.3%)
Read more about this topic: Yerukala People
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“A man has no religion who has not slowly and painfully gathered one together, adding to it, shaping it; and one’s religion is never complete and final, it seems, but must always be undergoing modification.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“A heroic figure ... not wholly to blame for the religion that’s been foisted on him.”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)
“In the latter part of the seventeenth century, according to the historian of Dunstable, “Towns were directed to erect ‘a cage’ near the meeting-house, and in this all offenders against the sanctity of the Sabbath were confined.” Society has relaxed a little from its strictness, one would say, but I presume that there is not less religion than formerly. If the ligature is found to be loosened in one part, it is only drawn the tighter in another.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)