Rajaka community

                                                    Rajaka community 

Rajaka community is also known as Dhobi community.The word Dhobi is from the Hindi language word of 'dhona',which means to 'wash'. The ancestors of the community took the occupation of washing clothes. The tradition is followed by the caste people over the time.The caste group is found  throuhg out India.They follow the customs and traditions of the region, where they live.They speak in their mother tongue of the region. The caste has different names in different states in India.  

     Name of the State             Name of the caste     

     

     Andhra Pradesh                            Rajaka ,Chakali    

   

       Karnataka                                  Agasar, Madivala  

    

      Tamilnadu                                    Vannar  

     

      Rajasthan                                     Dhoba    

    

      Maharashtra                                 Parit      

 In North India,Hindi speaking region generally called Dhobi.    

The population of Dhobi community is to be more than 22 crores in  India.       

In the days past,also at present in some places, the caste people usually  operate from door to door,collect clothes for wash and return after wash in one or two days and receive charges.Now a days modern professionals, dry cleaners are also found. Dhobis wash clothes themselves and also out source to other Dhobis for wash.

In some areas, like in Karnataka, there are Muslim Dhobis, they are called Agasars,they speak in Urdu. Also Hindu Dhobis are there in Karnataka,they are called Madivalas,they speak in Kannada.

In Andhra Pradesh the caste is called Rajaka or Chakali.Rajakas population is 12% of the state total population  in Andhra Pradesh. 

 

Rajaka community is economically backward community.They have  'Other Backward Class 'status in some states in India.In Northen states in India they have 'Scheduled caste status.In  Andhra Prades , Rajakas have 'Backward Class' status