Thoti tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), is socio-economically backward and their population is dwindling. They were traditional nomadic bards who used to travel village to village singing praises of their Gond patrons or Dhani in return for food and presents. The Keekri is an Adilabad district traditional percussion instrument used by the Thoti tribe of Telangana. It consists of two principal components: The Dobra and the Kujja. The Dobra, a 30-inch vertical instrument, is made up of a bamboo hose and a wooden container covered with a special membrane from a cow's intestine, which improves its acoustic quality. The Kujja, which is constructed from bison horn and is in the shape of a sickle, has bells that match the number of deities bards worship. The Keekri combines craftsmanship with cultural importance.

The Keekri, or Kingri, is a Thoti tribe's sacred musical instrument that is inextricably associated with the Gond community. Being made up of two principal components—the Dobra, consisting of melodic strings of bamboo and wood, and the Kujja, which is fashioned of bison horn with jingling bells—Keekri plays a crucial role in maintaining oral traditions. Played during ceremonial ceremonies and narrations, it allows the Thoti to recount myths and legends, thus preserving cultural heritage. Traditionally sung by male elders, the Keekri provides for the passing on of ancestral knowledge to younger generations.

Music forms the core of the cultural identity of the Thoti tribe, which is inextricably associated with their festivals, rituals, and ceremonies. Keekri is an important instrument that adds richness to major events such as funeral rites and harvest ceremonies by narrating stories of the ancestors. Music enhances communal togetherness, with the collective performance tightening social bonds. Elders play an important part in transmitting music traditions, helping the tribe maintain its cultural heritage through intergenerational transmission. Keekri, an important musical instrument, represents their identity and features bells that identify their descent and deities they worship. This device has an important role in recording Gond history through oral lore, employing medium such as wood and bamboo.

Marsukola Kalavathi is an exceptional personality from the Thoti tribe, a rare traditional tribe folk singer of the tribe, and she stays at Thosham village in the Adilabad district and continues her tradition along with raising four children. Kalavathi enchants listeners with her lovely voice and strong presentations of ancient Adivasi mythologies. She is the daughter of the late Thodasam Bheem Rao, a famous Thoti singer in the Gondi language, and inherited her family's musical legacy upon his death.