Introduction / History
Dakkalas collect alms from the Madiga community. Before they get the alms, the Dakkalas must tell genealogies and folk tales. Typically a Dakkala individual may visit a village for one or two days. Madigas give them food, presents, and money. In return, the Dakkalas entertain them by telling tales, singing folk songs, and reciting genealogies. It usually takes another year before the Dakkalas return to the same village.

Where are they located?
The Dakkalas live in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. They speak Telegu, the language of Andhra Pradesh.

What are their lives like?
The Dakkalas supplement their income by raising pigs for food and donkeys as pack animals. They use their donkeys to transport goods for merchants. Their women sometimes earn money by working as farm laborers, and by selling palm leaf mats that they weave together. They have traditionally been nomadic, but some are settling down.

What are their beliefs?
This Hindu community of 6,200 worships both Hindu gods and village deities.

What are their needs?
A good way to reach them would be through story telling and music, two ways to communicate that they have made into an art.

Prayer Points
Pray for creative ambassadors of Christ to go to the Dakkala people with stories and songs that can lead them to the foot of the cross.