In many parts of the Country ‘Tailoring’ is undertaken by any one, who acquires the skill in tailoring. It was not so in Hyderabad state. There was a Specific artisan community in the state whose main Occupation was tailoring called ‘Darji’ in urdu and ‘Meru’ in Telugu.  After the state reorganisation in 1956, the Telangana region was merged with Andhra Pradesh state, the Karnataka part with Karnataka State and the Maratwada part with Maharastra state. Thus the Merus are spread over mostly in these three states.

Merus were recruited in the regiments of the defence services to meet their tailoring and sewing requirements. As the regiments moved from one place to another, the recruited Merus also moved with them and settled with their families in the cantonment areas called ‘Chawnees’ throughout the country. Thus Merus for generations have been exposed to patriotic environment in chawnees. In Maharashtra merus are called “Simpi Kshatriya.”

Meru people are Hindus following ‘Shaiva’ and ‘Vaishnava’ traditions. Lord Shiva is the principal deity for shaivas and their religious Guru is Sri Basaveshwara. Lord Vishnu is the principal deity for Vaishnavas and their religious guru is Sri Ramanuja Chary. Shaivas wear three horizontal Stripes of veebhuthi on their forehead, arms and Chest. They wear ‘Rudrakhas’. Vaishnavas wear three vertical lines (Namams) of two white with a red in the center on their forehead, a counch (Shankam) on the left arm and Dise (Chakram) on the right arm. Most of them wear only a red vertical namam these days. The two sets follow almost the same rites and rituals.

The Marriage institution binds the community together, as the alliance are made within the community for the propagation of a pure sect, the main phrase, in the sloka of the marriage being 'Uttama Kulabhi Vruddyartham'.

Merus have inherited a bent of mind towards the love of mankind and believe in the philosophy of 'Service to man is service to God.' To translate this philosophy into reality, they contribute their might in constructing chaultries for pilgrims in holy places and on the banks of holy rivers. Chaultries are constructed by Merus at Tirumala Tirupathi hills, Vemulawada, Bhadrachalam, Eluru Nasaram, Dharmapuri and other pilgrim centers. They also contribute for 'Nityannadanam' schemes 'free meals to the devotees in temples'.

The endowment department avails the devotional services of Meru community people and appoints a number of Merus as trustees to various temples in Andhra Pradesh.