text: The Padmasalis and the Devangas, who are another caste of weavers, were originally a single caste in ancient times and followed Vaishnavism. The caste then split due to differences in faith, with the Devangas being influenced by Lingayatism and accepting Chamundeswari, the fierce form of Durga as their kuladevi. The Padmasalis maintained their belief in Vaishnavism. The Padmasalis eventually specialised in weaving clothes of all varieties.
  The Padmasalis are of Shudra origin, but through the process of Sanskritisation they claim to be of Brahmin status. They created various myths in order to reconcile their low-status in the Hindu caste-system with their claims to high-caste Sanskritic Brahmin status. In one myth, for example, the sage Markandeya performed a sacrifice and out of the sacrifice came Bhavanarishi, who married two daughters of the sun god Surya and had 101 sons. The Padmasalis claim to be the descendants of these 101 sons and claim that they followed Brahmin rites and customs until Kali Yuga, the last of the four ages in Hindu chronology. According to the myth, one member of the caste refused to reveal the secrets of the caste gem, the Padmaksha, to the god Ganapati. Angered, Ganapati cursed them to be of low status.