Why We Are Called Beda/budaga jangam

NAME, IDENTITY, ORIGIN AND HISTORY:

Budaga Jangam/Bedajangam  are originally  belong  to Andhra  Pradesh  and settled  in  the Karnataka 
and  where  they  are  called  Budaga  Jangam  They  arenotified  as   the      Beda Jangamand       the 
Budga Jangam. Traditionally, officiating priests for by the Jangam of the Veerashaiva orLingayat group.
 It is reported that as they  ring a  bell called ganta, theirname  came to be  known as  Budaga  Jangam 
Some also opine that as these peoplewere earlier hunters and the word beda derived from    veda and

 also some people opinethat in different way.

Bedajangam, whose population is about 1,01,385 persons, is declared as a scheduled caste through out all districts in Andhra Pradesh. It is a priestly class since they officiate over the festivals and death ceremonies of the saivite section of all sudra castes. They follow the corpse in all these families, Bedajangams will be blowing conch (SANKHAM) and ringing nandi bell in front of the corpse to the burial ground. After crema- tion, Beda Jangam will return along with relatives of the deceased to the house of the deceased. Beda Jangam will be paid by some of the relations of the deceased at the rate of "BEDA COIN0 worth two annas equal to present twelve paise. Therefore these Jangams are called as Beda Jangams. The Beda Jangams/budga jangams tell stories and recites some legends with TAMBURA and BUDGAS (Gummetas) about great epics, Dakshayagnam, Bhakta Siriyala, and historic persons like Nala Maharaju, Palanati Balachandrudu, Komara Ramudu Katha, Kamamma katha which were written by these Jangams. These stories are known as Jangam Kathalu. Therefore the Beda Jangams are also called Budaga Jangams. In 1842, C.P.Brown was invited by a samanya Jangam to their house and requested him to hear their Jangam kathalu of Bobbilikatha, Komara ramudu katha and kamamma katha were told with Tambura and Budagas being the major percussion instrument provided, the basic rhythm to the narration.