Who was Sarvai Papanna or Papadu?

The story so far

On Tuesday (August 18, 2026) evening, the statue of a muscular man holding a spear will be unveiled on the fringes of the Hussainsagar Lake in Hyderabad. The statue is that of Sarvai Papanna or as he was called ‘Papadu’ in his time, or as the statue is going to be called Sri Sardar Sarvai Papanna. 

But who was Papadu?

Sometime in the first decade of the 18th century, a young man with a horseshoe moustache challenged the Mughal might in Hyderabad. Assembling an army estimated at 12,000 strong, he struck terror into the hearts of the rulers and the wealthy with his daring attacks on passing caravans, homes of the wealthy, and raids on fortified towns. This aspect was captured by Mughal historian who came to be known as Khafi Khan. But others saw his raids on towns and caravans as an act to distribute wealth among the poor. A Robin Hood kind of figure but who is patriotic to the core. Both the aspects of Sarvai Papanna were captured in Telugu folklore. In the end, he became a folk hero who challenged the Mughal might in Telangana and lived to tell its tale. The high point of Papadu’s life was when he was bestowed with a ceremonial robe by the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah for giving 14,00,000 rupees and provisions for the imperial army.

A statue of Papanna Goud in the village of Khillashapur
| Photo Credit:
SERISH NANISETTI

Why is Papadu’s image painted on toddy compounds?

Sarvai Papanna hailed from the toddy tapper community and was proud about his taste in toddy (a potent drink from the palmyra tree). But it was his taste for a choice toddy that was his undoing and led to his eventual capture, brutal death and stringing up of his body on the gate of Hyderabad. It was celebrated in folklore as “Papadu tagedi kallu, Ye tati, ye tati kalla!”. Roughly translated, it means “Papadu drinks toddy, a toddy that’s never been seen before”. It is this taste of his in toddy that is celebrated by almost all the toddy outlets — known in local parlance as toddy compounds — which have a painting of the man in a jaunty pose on the outer walls with a hawk on his right hand and bejewelled trinkets on his ears and neck. 

Workers giving final touches on the equestrian statue of Bahujan leader Sardar Sarvai Papanna near the Martyrs’ Memorial at Tank Bund in Hyderabad on Monday (August 17, 2026)
| Photo Credit:
NAGARA GOPAL

Is he just a hero in folklore?

Folklore has kept the fearsome aspect of Sarvai Papanna in public domain. One stanza speaks about the terror created by Papadu with these lines:

Adago! Papudu vastan’ anteKundelu kurtsunda padenu;Ledi-pillala leva levu,Pasi biddalu palu tagavu;

When they hear of Papadu
The hare crouches in the lair;
Fawn cannot even get up to run;
The tender babes refuse milk.

A mud and granite fort in Khillashapur, about 100 kilometres from Hyderabad, still stands testimony to the man and exploits. It was here he is supposed to have kept his hostages from raids on Warangal and Bhongir, so that ransom is paid by the family members of wealthy and nobility. 

Was he a patriot who fought for the poor?

Historian Richard M. Eaton sees him as a ‘social bandit’ because of the marginalised community he hailed from, and because he thrived in one of the most difficult and treacherous terrains that surrounds the hilly areas of Khilashapur, Hasanabad, Bhongir and Warangal in Telangana. The collected ballad about Papadu’s life speaks about this where he is seen as a patriot who had Golconda, Kurnool and Machilipatnam in his sights.

“My arm shall fall
Upon Golkonda’s castle wall;
I’ll scorn the lord of Delhi’s might;
To me shall Bandar (Machilipatnam) yield this night;
Before Kurnool I then will stand,
And with gold jewels deck this hand.”

A leader of BC community

Papadu’s identity as a person from toddy-tapper — Goud — community has led to the identification of him as a leader of BC community. A majority of the soldiers who assembled under his watch in his fiefdom of Tarikonda and Khillashapur were from all the communities including Muslims, washermen, barber, potter, basket-weaver etc. 

Earlier, speaking at the launch of an animation movie with the eponymous hero, Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said: “Sardar Sarvai Papanna was a brave warrior who fought for the establishment of Bahujan rule and believed that people should govern themselves. His struggle, during which he conquered several forts and advanced up to the Golconda Fort, continues to inspire the present generation.” 

When the statue of Papadu is unveiled in Hyderabad in a big way, his prophecy of laying his hand on Golconda will come true.