HINDU CASTES

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ADIKAL

Adikal are the successors of Mezhathol Agnihothri.  Adikal means slaves or servants.  They were originally Brahmins but de-graded as Adikal for having performed Bhagavathy pooja in contrast to the instructed style. However, they consider themselves as Brahmins.  Their traditional occupation is pooja performance. They are the trustees of the Bhagavathi temple at Kodungallur.

Adikal are seen in Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram Districts of Kerala.  They are one of the forward communities of Hindu religion, but very few in numbers. Adikal are divided into four major groups viz., Kunnathu Madom, Melethu Madom, Thottappilli Madom and Neelathu Madom.

Adikal men marry from their own community or had Sambandham with Nair or Ambalavasi communities.  Namboodiri men had Sambandham with Adikal women.  Once they followed Marumakkathayam system of inheritance.  They perform Seemantham, a pre-delivery ritual, like Namboodiris. Post puberty pollution lasts for 11 days.  The child is named on the 12th day.  Annaprasaanam (choroonu) is done in the sixth month and Upanayanam is celebrated for boys at the age of 11. Puberty rites are also performed for girls. Marriage is taken place at the residence of the bride and it is the father of the bride who ties the thali around the neck of bride. The dead body of Adikal is cremated. Death pollution lasts for 11 days.

AGASA

The word ‘Agasa’ derived from ‘agasi’, which means a turban.  Agasas are also known as Rajakas (Washermen). In Kerala, they dwell in the Kasargode District and categorized under  ‘Other Backward Classes’. They follow Hinduism. Their idol is Veerabhadra and Sankaranaryana.  The Agas are divided into four gothras known as Bangera, Salian, Kundar and Gujran.  They speak Thulu and Malayalam.  They were mainly landless people, but now they have some land. Their traditional occupation is washing the clothes of other castes.

Once, they followed joint family system (a kind of Marumakkathayam), but now they maintain nuclear families.  Mama (eldest uncle) was the loved person of the family. The marriage takes place at bridegroom’s residence.  The bridegroom ties thali around the bride’s neck.  Agasa observed pre-delivery rituals. They give the name of paternal grandfather’s name to eldest male child and grandmother’s name to eldest female child.  Puberty rites are also observed.  They cremate dead body.  Death pollution lasts for 11 days.

ANDHRA BRAHMIN

Andhra Brahmins are seen in the Thrissur and Palakkad Districts. It is believed that they are the descendants of Aryans who migrated to Kerala from Andhra Pradesh. Their mother tongue is Telugu. They are pure vegetarians. They live in agraharams, a colony type of dwellings. Their traditional occupation is agriculture. They also serve as priests on religious ceremonies. They belong to Hindu religion.

They perform life cycle rituals almost according to Shodashacharam that are being followed by other Brahmins. They cremate their dead. Death pollution (pula) lasts for 11 days.

ANDIPANDARAM

Andipandaram is migrant community belong to the Scheduled Caste. They are different from Elapandaram (leaf merchents), Poopandaram (floral traders) or Pappadapandaram (wafer makers). Traditionally they are beggars. Being a group of landless people, they are engaged in manual labour for their livelihood. Some of them go for begging even today as an obligatory custom. Their mother tongue is Telugu. However, they speak Malayalam with others.

They observe seemantham at the seventh month of pregnancy. Birth pollution lasts for 10 days. Namakarana (naming ceremony) is held after three months. Mundan ceremony is performed for male children after one year. They observe puberty rite known as prayamthikayannthu.  Marriage is performed in bride’s house and thali is the mark of marriage.  The dead body of Andipandaram is buried in the sitting position. Death pollution lasts for seven days.

ANTHRU NAIR

The ‘Anthru Nair’ is a title, which is conferred on them by ‘Kiriyathil Nair’. They are settled mainly in Kozhikode and Kannur Districts. They are categorised under ‘Other Backward Classes’ in Kerala.  Their language is Malayalam. They follow Hinduism. 
They consider themselves as a superior class.  They followed matrilineal system of inheritance but now they follow patriarchal system. They are landless people. 
They manufacture earthen pots and tiles. Anthru Nair observes puberty rites.
Marriages are taken place through negotiations and thali is the marriage symbol. Generally marriages take place in the bride’s residence. Pulikudy, a pre-delivery ritual, is also performed on the seventh month of pregnancy of the woman. On the 28th day after birth of a child, first feeding (Palukudy) and naming ceremony is held. They celebrate Onam and Vishu festivals. After death, the dead body is buried.  Death pollution (Pula) ends on the 10th day.

ARAYA

The Arayas are fishing community.  They are also known as ‘Kadal Arayan’. Legend says that Arayan are the descendants of Veda Vyasa, who was born to Parasara in Kali Arayathi and who wrote the great epic Mahabharatha.  They are residing in the coastal areas of Thrissur to Thiruvananthapuram Districts. Arayan are experts in sailing.  Having understood their expertise, rulers of Kerala appointed Arayan as coast guards and their leaders were conferred “arayasthanam”.  Purakkat Arayan, Kayamkulam Arayan, and Chembil Arayan are some of honorific titles. Their language is Malayalam.  They are included in the “Other Eligible Community”category in Kerala. 

They celebrate Onam and Vishu festivals like other Hindus.  Kodungallur Bharani is one of their important temple festivals.  An Araya Tharavad of Kodungallur presents the rope for hoisting flag in the Kodungallur temple festival.  Similarly they have the right to perform Kalampooja at the Sree Kurumbakkavu near Kodungallur It was stated that the famous Aravana Payasam (a very sweet pudding made of rice and jaggery distributed as remnants of temple offering) of Sabarimala was made as a reward for the Arayans who carried the palanquin of the Pandalam Rajah to the Sabarimala temple.

The Arayan have four lineages known as Nalillakkar.   They are Ponnillam, Chembillam, Kachillam and Karottillam.  They have four distinct designations as Sankhan, Bharathan, Ammukkuvan and Mukkuvan. The headsman of the community is called Arajan, Arayan and Arasurajah. Marriages are arranged by negotiation.  It usually takes place at the bride’s residence.  They observe pre-delivery rituals and birth pollution.  Naming and feeding ceremony are performed in 28th day and six months respectively. Arayan bury or cremate their dead. Death pollution lasts to 16 days. 

ARYAVATHY

The Aryavathy is a barber community connected with Arayan and other fishing communities.  They are spotted in coastal areas of central Kerala. They argue that they were teachers of the Arayan and Valan communities.  They also go for fishing in the sea along with other fishing community. The population in the community is very low. Their language is Malayalam.  They are included in the Other Eligible Community category by the Government of Kerala. 

The Aryavathy follow Hinduism and have reverence to all deities of the Hindu pantheon. They celebrate almost all religious festivals of Hindus.

Arayavathy have both nuclear and joint families. Elders through negotiations arrange marriages.  Thali is the marriage symbol.  Pre-delivery rituals and post-delivery pollution are observed. Naming ceremony, feeding ceremony (choroonu) and puberty rites are also observed. They used to bury the dead. Some cremate and dip the bones into sea.  They have special burial places.  Death pollution is also observed.

ASARI

The Asari are also known as Marasari or Marappanickan. They believe that they are the successors of Maya, one of the five sons of the Viswarkarma, the divine architect of Hindu legend. They are seen throughout Kerala. Their mother tongue is Malayalam. . They are nonvegetarians.   Asari are grouped under Other Backward Classes. Their traditional occupation is carpentry. They are experts in designing the traditional nalukettu and ettukettu (Kerala Mansions) according to the vasthu principles. They are also experts in making furniture and other wooden materials. However, there are changes in traditional occupation as the members of the community are engaged in other occupations including government job.

They follow patrilineal (makkathayam) system. Once they observed pulikudy, but not now. They observe birth pollution for 15 days. On 28th day they perform irupathyettukettu. Choroonu is performed in sixth month. They celebrate therandukalyanam. Marriage takes place at the bride’s residence. The bridegroom ties thali around the neck of the bride and exchange garlands and rings. They bury their dead and death pollution is observed for 15 days.   

AYYANAVAR

The Ayyanavar is a migrant community from Tamil Nadu. The word Ayyanavar means the followers of Ayyan or the Lord Shiva.  There is mention about the community in Chilapathikaram, the famous Tamil epic.  They were courageous people and served as soldiers in the Pandya kingdom.  In Kerala, they inhabit in Neyyattinkara and Nedumangad Taluks of Thiruvananthapuram District. They speak Malayalam. A very few among the community own land and majority are landless agricultural workers.

Ayyanavar follow Hinduism and their main deity is Lord Shiva.  Bhadrakali and Madan are two other local deities. Some of Hindu Ayyanavar was converted to Chritanity during the British rule and such converts follow Christianity.
  
They nuclear type of family. Marriage proposals are initiated from the bridegroom’s side and thali is the symbol of married women. The function of marriage is simple. When the bride receives a pudava or mundu (loin cloth) from the bridegroom she became his wife. Ayanavar observes puberty rites, pre-delivery rituals and post delivery pollutions. Naming ceremony and chardukettu (tying waistband-irupathyettukettu) is celebrated on the 28th day after birth of a child. The dead body is either buried or cremated.  Death pollution continues for 16 days.