Madiga (also known as Maadiga, Maadara, Adi Jambava, Maatangi, Makkalu, Madiga and Madigaru) are artisans group part of dalits or Scheduled Caste that is found primarily in the southern Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. They are good thinkers, artists, excellent skilled workers especially they are known for making leather items. Before invention of metal, they invented usage of leather for water transportation like pipes, water lifting vessels.
They were historically marginalised and oppressed and are coming up today because of the help of reservations. A critically acclaimed documentary film, Mahadiga, was made by Lelle Suresh in 2004.
References
Madiga Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA