Mala or Malla (different from the family/last name Malla from Andhra) is a social group or caste mostly from the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Mala is derived from the Sanskrit malla, which means wrestler. They are one of the dominant Dalit castes in Andhra Pradesh, the other being Madigas.According to Government of India census data from 2001, Malas constitute a total of 41.6 percent (5,139,305) of the scheduled caste population of the state.