The term Kuruba means 'warriors' and 'trustworthy people'. The word 'Kuru' means 'do or seek' in Sanskrit, and 'Kuruhu' means 'trust' in Kannada. Kuruba community is one of the oldest existing communities of India. The population of the Kuruba community in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka number about 16 million. Kurubas are Hindus who follow Halumatha. Halumatha is also referred to as palamatha in some parts of India. Kurubas use different names in different regions which include Dhangar, Kurumbar, Naiker and Gowda.