Different Names

It is not same caste, the weavers of different groups have different names. The Padmashali sources its origin to Brugu Maharshi, followed down to Markandeya, Bhakta Markandeya, the chiranjeevi who wins the life from Yama. Further, the technic of weaving came from ayoni putra, Sri Bhavana maharshi.

The caste in weavers sources their origin to different aspects.
The Shettigars who are mainly settled in South Canara region generally refer themselves with Padmashali’s. However, in Kinnimulki,a taluk near Katil, in near Udupi, the Padmashali’s are known as Padmashali’s and not as Shettigars.

The weavers in Andhra Pradesh has following names (as per the OBC list of central government – List no 155,) they are all not Padmashali’s. But the weavers, depending upon on the nature of basic material used in the earlier times, the name of caste originated.

In Karnataka, there are nearly 30 groups of castes in weavers and Padmashali’s are one of the weavers, independent of other group castes, with their culture practice based on vedic principles.

Perhaps because Padmashali’s largely stay indoors, or because of characteristic genes, people have developed reddish skin and are hence known as erra kulamu (red caste) among the OBCs. The Padmashalicaste is highly Sanskritised, with all the men wearing the sacred thread. In terms of social consciousness, it is more Brahminic than any other OBC caste in Andhra Pradesh & some of them in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra also. In spite of all these Brahminic characteristics, this caste did not get integrated into ritual Brahmanism and remained uneasily within the broad Vaishya category.

As of now, the weaving industry has undergone three stages of development. When the British began to impose Lancashire cloth, the Padmashali’s were operating a weaving technology called gunta maggam (pit-loom). This process involved using a rough wooden loom made by the village carpenter. It involved the labor of both men and women. Every Padmashali boy learnt how to handle the loom while growing up, and every Padmashali girl learns the yarn-making process. The cloth that the pit-loom produced was meant to serve the needs of village market. It was rough-and-tough cloth meant to protect the human body from heat, cold and rain. The Padmashali economy was part of the agrarian economy, without much fluctuation. Of course, it fetched a living wage, in wares or cash. And some Padmashali’s, through personal experience, developed considerable individual expertise and were capable of producing high-quality cloth.