While Sewing Sandals: Tales Of A Telugu Pariah Tribe

- The Madigas are among the humblest and most despised of the Pariahs of Southern India. They are the leather workers in the Telugu country. For centuries they have tanned hides, sewed sandals, prepared leather buckets for the wells of the Sudras, made trappings for their bullocks. And all their search for truth was carried on while sewing sandals with their hands. The book is the product of extensive study of the tribe (pariahs). The author sees the subject of the book is very illuminating and delicate. In regard to the Matangi cult, the Chermanishta sect, the cult called Perantalu, and the several Reform sects which came to notice. The story of the mass movement towards Christianity is another interesting point as about sixty-thousand Madigas are today counted as Christians. The illustrations require a word of explanation. Though the book is a rare one, it may satiate desire of the researchers to generate a good amount of interest amongst the readers.