Yellapu families have done a lot of service to people accross the south India in the field of Ayurvedam , as per the known sources.The mother Goddess yellamma , the family diety of yellapu community is Goddess of Ayurveda. The Baindla community praises her during the treatment .
If we agree Sammakka as yellapu. She did a lot of service to ayurveda. As per the Literature available, Sammakka took up social welfare activities. On the day of her marriage, she saved a person from snake bite by administering a herb.She used to administer the herbal medicines for fertility and tough diseases.
Interestingly, after loosing principle occupation, yellapu community have resorted for , herbal doctors and hunting, which was some of their primitive occupation.
It is the dignity to the yellapu families that there are plants on the name of their caste name in Annamalai hills near Koimbattur.
Vellapula” plant is a shrub. Edible fruit & medicinal plant using by tribal’s of Anamalai hills, western Ghats, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. Scientific name: Euphorbiaceae Securinega virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.).Its collecting season is summer.
Later I have searched on the similar lines and found two more plants on our family name.
1.Plant-Altternanthera Tenella(L) colla
Family-Amaranthaceae
Local name-Vellaponnankanni
Habit-Herb
Collecting season-Rainy
Meaning of this plant is the precious plant for maidens found by vellapu community.It has proved that anti viral and anti microbial properties.Such plant is definitely very much useful to fight against many unknown viral and microbial born ailments.It is not out of place to mention that many tribals die due to such ailments.
2.Plant-Cleome monophylla L
Family- Capparidaceae
Local name-Vellai
Habit-Herb
Collecting season-Rainy
3.Plant-Rugosa Lam
Family-Rhamnaceae
Local name-kottai
Habit-Shrub
Collecting season-Rainy
Kottai or kotte is a famous surname in yellapu community. It again proves that plant is existing on the surname also, as is in the case of villages existing both on family names and caste names.
After the Bobbili war, yellapu families migrated to Telangana area. There is one village called Vella , on the river bank of Godavari. It is a famous ayurvedic centre. Vella is possibly named after vellapu families and ayurvedic centre would have established by them only. Full details have to be obtained.
Elagandula was also a famous ayurvedic centre in olden days. I met one ayurvedic family with surname yelagandula in khammam. They are exponents in ayurveda. They would have also trained by yellapu families.
Bonagiri venkanna , my grand father was a herbal doctor and a researcher. As per my younger grand mother suramma, he did research on animals by administering herbs. He is believed to be administered a medicine to his younger wife (my own grand mother) during her pregnancy. That medicine is believed to be protecting the 4th generation from some ailments. He also given herbs to all his dependants on free of cost in addition to food. But, unfortunately his next generation didn’t learn ayurveda. As per the statement of my father, ailments in those days were low and ayurveda is not seen as income giving activity. Thus, a great tradition is lost at individual level.
I learnt ayurveda from Dr. Raji Reddy and Dr.Suresh Jakotia.Dr. katakam Srinivas also helped to spread ayurveda. Myself ( Bonagiri Srinivas) has also planted and distributed around 1 million herbal plants in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states.
I have also established 3 herbal parks, one at suryapet and 2 at khammam. I have also transformed around 20 parks into herbal parks in Khammam . I have replaced the crotons with addasaram saplings. This plant is verymuch useful in mosquito borne diseases.Now, I am planning to distribute 5 saplings per each house in Ramagundam. Singereni and NTPC would like to help in my endeavour.