Kannagi devi ( कण्णगि देवी ) is a legendary Tamil teli samaj (cast, community) vaishya woman who forms the central character of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram (100-300 CE). The story relates how Kannagi took revenge on the Pandyan King of Madurai, who had wrongfully put her husband to death, by cursing the city. Kannagi devi is from Vaniya chettiar Community.  

        Kovalan, the son of a wealthy teli merchant in Kaveripattinam, married Kannagi, a young woman of legendary beauty. They lived together happily in the city of Kaveripattinam, until Kovalan met the dancer Madhavi and fell in love with her. In his infatuation he forgot Kannagi and gradually spent all his wealth on the dancer. At last, penniless, Kovalan realised his mistake, and returned back to Kannagi. Their only asset was a precious pair of anklets (Chilambu - hence the name of the epic), filled with gems, which she gave to him willingly. With these as their capital they went to the city of Madurai, where Kovalan hoped to recoup his fortunes by trade.

GANIGA TELI VAISHYA , गनिगा तेली वैश्य

Ganiga or Gandla is not caste it is kulakasubu (profession) of some people of India, and it has nothing subcaste, community like shivajyothi, nagarajyothi, lingayutha, somakshathriya,etc doing in this profession for money. If another communities like okkaliga, lambani, bramhana would did this profession then people would have called them as okkaliga ganiga, lambani ganiga, bramhana ganiga.

person drives gana oil press) is a ganiga (oil monger) who form any community.

Social and Government mentioned ganiga as a caste by mistakely.
Ganiga's are basically oil merchants. Ganiga is a vaishya bania teli caste. Hundreds of very small villages in andhra and karnataka which have only Gandla people.

        बूंदी - 26 जनवरी। राठौर तेली समाज छात्रावास एवं सामुदायिक भवन में मुख्य अतिथि पूर्व बैंक मेनेजर रामनारायण जी राठौर, अध्यक्षता राठौर तेली छात्रावास के अध्यक्ष गणेश जी नैणावां, विशिष्ठ अतिथि गणेश जी ने राठौर तेली समाज के छात्रावास में झंडा रोहण किया। इस मोके पर मुख्य अतिथि रामनारायण राठौर ने अपने गीत से सम्भोदित किया *आगे ही आगे बढना है* से शुरू देश में समाज के गौरव नरेंद्र जी भाई मोदी को नमन करते हुये कहा कि देश में समाज के बालक- बालिकाओ को शिक्षा के प्रति हर समाज के 

Vaniya Chettiar Teli is a subcaste of Chettiars prominently seen in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Their major professions are oil and groceries.

They are also known as Ganiga in Karnataka & Gandla & Teli samaj because of similarities in profession of these two castes Vaniyambadi (near Vellore-Ambur) was originally a Vaniya Chettiar town. Now most of the Chettiars have moved to neighboring towns.

This community is predominantly associated with Oil extraction, business and later to general business. From ancient time in India, vegetable oils were obtained by crushing oilseeds in village, using an oil-press - or Ghana or chekku

         There are sub castes within teli samaj Gandla or Gandla . People using one ox (yedhu) were called one ox (yedhu) gandla and those using two ox (yedhu) were called the double ox (yedhu) gandla. Among the gandla some are known as Deva (pious) Gandla and others were Sajjana (commoners) gandla. There is no definite criteria for this classification. However gandla in Punganur village of Chittor district, A.P. were called as Deva Gandla. Gandlas of Bellary, Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu) , Venkatagiri, Rompicherla, Vayalpadu and other parts of Chittor are known as Sajjana gandla.

           Members of the Ganiga community have subdivided over the years due to different faith and beliefs, forming groups such as Somakshatriya Ganiga, Jyothipana Ganiga, Ontettu Ganiga, Jodettu Ganiga, Veerashaiva Ganiga and Vijayanagara Ganiga.