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Iyer
Iyers (also spelt as Ayyar, Aiyar, Ayer, or Aiyer) are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Brahmin, Hindu Brahmins. Most Iyers are followers of the ''Advaita Vedanta, Advaita'' philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara and adhere to the Smarta tradition. This is in contrast to the Iyengar community, who are adherents of Sri Vaishnavism. The Iyers and the Iyengars are together referred to as Tamil Brahmins. The majority of Iyers reside in Tamil Nadu, India. Iyers are further divided into various denominations based on traditional and regional differences. Like all Brahmins, they are also classified based on their gotra, or patrilineal descent, and the Veda that they follow. They fall under the Pancha-Dravida, Pancha Dravida Brahmana classification of Brahmins in India. Apart from the prevalent practice of using the title "Iyer" as surname, Iyers also commonly use other surnames, such as Sāstri or Bhattar. Etymology Iyer (, ) has several meanings in Tamil language, Tam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sholiyar
Iyers (also spelt as Ayyar, Aiyar, Ayer, or Aiyer) are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins. Most Iyers are followers of the ''Advaita'' philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara and adhere to the Smarta tradition. This is in contrast to the Iyengar community, who are adherents of Sri Vaishnavism. The Iyers and the Iyengars are together referred to as Tamil Brahmins. The majority of Iyers reside in Tamil Nadu, India. Iyers are further divided into various denominations based on traditional and regional differences. Like all Brahmins, they are also classified based on their gotra, or patrilineal descent, and the Veda that they follow. They fall under the Pancha Dravida Brahmana classification of Brahmins in India. Apart from the prevalent practice of using the title "Iyer" as surname, Iyers also commonly use other surnames, such as Sāstri or Bhattar. Etymology Iyer (, ) has several meanings in Tamil and other Dravidian languages, often referring to a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kerala Iyers
Kerala Iyers, Pattars or Bhattars, are Tamil Brahmins of the Indian state of Kerala — people who were residents in the Kerala region, and also people who migrated from present day Tamil Nadu in different waves from the time of the Chera dynasty. They are Hindus. The community consists of two groups - the Palakkad Iyers and Iyers of the Cochin and Travancore regions. Kerala Iyers, like the Iyers of Tamil Nadu and the Nambudiris of Kerala, belonged to the Pancha-Dravida classification of India's Brahmin community. They mostly belonged to the Vadama and Brahacharanam sub-sects. Iyers were usually not recruited as the priest (shanthi) in Kerala temples which followed Tantric rituals. So Iyers being Vedic scholars built their own temples in their Agraharams to conduct pooja, since they followed different rituals and not the Tantric rituals of the Nambudiris. Brahmana Samooham Where ever they settled, the Kerala Iyers lived together in communities. The settlement consisti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Thiruvithamkoor. Spread over , Kerala is the 21st largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state. The Chera dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala. The Ay kingdom in the deep south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north formed the other kingdoms in the early years of the Common Era (CE). The region had been a prominent spic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahacharanam
Brahacharanam is a sub-sect of the Iyer community of Tamil Brahmins. The word "Brahacharanam" is a corruption of the Sanskrit word Brhatcharanam ( sa, बृहत्चरणम्). Many Brahacharanam follow the ''Advaita Vedanta'' philosophy propounded by Adi Sankaracharya. However, some Brahacharanam are staunchly Saivite unlike followers of Adi Sankaracharya, or else adhere to "Sivadvaita" so to speak. The Brahacharanams, along with the Vadamas, form the major portion of the Kerala Iyer community. Etymology The word ''bruhat'' in Sanskrit means "great", "vast" or "significant" and the word ''charanam'' refers to feet. The name Brahacharanam can be thus literally translated as "feet of the greats" referring to the status of a Guru, and the Brahacharanam being those who follow in the footsteps of the Greats. Another interpretation for Brahacharanam provided by K.A Nilakanta Sastri in his 'History of South India' is the 'Great Migration'. Sastri notes that this could be tak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamil Brahmin
Tamil Brahmins are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, predominantly living in Tamil Nadu, though they number significantly in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, in addition to other regions of India, as well as Sri Lanka. They can be broadly divided into two denominations: Iyengars, who are adherents of Sri Vaishnavism, and Iyers, who follow the Srauta and Smarta traditions. Denominations Tamil Brahmins are divided into two major denominations: Iyers, who follow the Smartha tradition, and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. Iyer Iyers are '' Srauta-Smartha'' Brahmins, whose members follow the ''Advaita'' philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara. They are concentrated mainly along the Cauvery Delta districts of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Tiruchirapalli where they form almost 10% of the total population. However the largest population reside in Nagercoil, making up to 13% of the city's population. G. S. G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vadama
Vadama meaning "Northerners" are a sub-sect of the Iyer community of Tamil Brahmins. While some believe that their name is an indication of the fact that they were the most recent Brahmin migrants to the Tamil country others interpret the usage of the term "Vadama" as a reference to their strict adherence to the Sanskrit language and Vedic rituals which are of northerly origin. Etymology of the term The term Vadama may have originated from the Tamil term 'Vadakku' meaning North, indicating the Northern origin of the Vadama Brahmins. This claim is supported by the fact that, unlike other subsects of Iyers, some Vadama pay oblations in their daily Sandhyavandanam to the river Narmada in Central India. However, what is not certain is whether 'North' refers to northern Tamil Nadu/Southern Deccan, or regions farther north. Other scholars are of the opinion that rather than the superficial indication of a northern origin for the people, the term ''"vadama"'' would rather refer to pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iyengar
Iyengar (also spelt Ayyangar or Aiyengar, pronounced ) refers to the name of an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, whose members follow Sri Vaishnavism and the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. Found mostly in the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, Iyengars are divided into two denominations, the Vadakalai and the Tenkalai. The community belongs to the Pancha Dravida Brahmana classification of Brahmins in India. Etymology There are several opinions regarding the etymology of the term ''Iyengar'', which is the anglicized form of the Dravidian word ''Aiyaṅgār'' (, ). One is that it derives from the Proto-Dravidian word ''ayya-gāru'' ( 𑀅𑀬𑀕𑀭𑀼), which became ''Ayyangāru'' (), and later ''Ayengar''. The term ''ayya'' is the Tamil equivalent of the Sanskrit word ''ārya,'' ( 𑀆𑀭𑁆𑀬/आर्य) which in Sanskrit means ''noble''. ''Gāru'' refers to a form of the Pali term ''gā ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iyengars
Iyengar (also spelt Ayyangar or Aiyengar, pronounced ) refers to the name of an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, whose members follow Sri Vaishnavism and the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. Found mostly in the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, Iyengars are divided into two denominations, the Vadakalai and the Tenkalai. The community belongs to the Pancha Dravida Brahmana classification of Brahmins in India. Etymology There are several opinions regarding the etymology of the term ''Iyengar'', which is the anglicized form of the Dravidian word ''Aiyaṅgār'' (, ). One is that it derives from the Proto-Dravidian word ''ayya-gāru'' ( 𑀅𑀬𑀕𑀭𑀼), which became ''Ayyangāru'' (), and later ''Ayengar''. The term ''ayya'' is the Tamil equivalent of the Sanskrit word ''ārya,'' ( 𑀆𑀭𑁆𑀬/आर्य) which in Sanskrit means ''noble''. ''Gāru'' refers to a form of the Pali term ''gā ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashtasahasram
Ashtasahasram ( sa, अष्टसहश्रम ') is a sub-sect of the Iyer community of Tamil Brahmins from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Culture The Ashtasahasrams as Iyers belong to the Smarta (Shaivite) tradition, along with the Vadamas, Brahacharanam Brahacharanam is a sub-sect of the Iyer community of Tamil Brahmins. The word "Brahacharanam" is a corruption of the Sanskrit word Brhatcharanam ( sa, बृहत्चरणम्). Many Brahacharanam follow the ''Advaita Vedanta'' philosophy ...s, Vadyamans/Madhyamans, and the Kanials/Kaniyalars. The Ashtasahasrams follow the Taittirīya śākhā of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda. They are Aparaśikhā Brahmins, who wear their traditional hair tuft towards the back of their head. Divisions The Ashtasahasram community is further sub-divided into four groups: * Āttiyūr * Arivarpede * Nandivādi * Satkulam References {{Reflist Tamil Brahmins Social groups of Tamil Nadu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dikshitar
Dīkṣitars (Tamil: தீக்ஷிதர்) or Thillai Vazh Anthaanar are a Vedic Shaiva Brahmin servitor community of Tamil Nadu who are based mainly in the town of Chidambaram. Smartha (especially the Vadamas), Sri Vaishnava and other Brahmins in South India also carry the surname Dikshitars, but are different from the Chidambaram Dishitar. They are an exclusive group of Brahmins learned in the Vedas and ''Yagnas'' (sacrifices) who also serve as the hereditary trustees of the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram. They are also called ''Thillai Muvayiravar'' or the ''Three Thousand of Thillai'' Every Dikshitar once he is married becomes as of right a trustee and ''archaka'' of the Nataraja temple. A practice unique to the community is that the priests wear the tuft of hair in front of the head similar to the Nambuthiri Brahmans of Kerala. History The Dikshithars might be traced back to the first line of Brahmanas who migrated to South India from the north, this migration ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sthanika Brahmins
Sthānika Brāhmins belong to Hindu Tuluva Smartha Brahmin group. They are the oldest Tulu Brāhmins primarily from the coastal Karnataka (Kanara) also known as Parasurama Kshetra..They are the main Prathistapanacharyas/Founders of all ancient temples of tulunadu. They are one of the oldest brahmins of South India and are referred to in many ancient historical epigraphical inscriptions as; Buddhivantha, Sthaneekam, Sthanapanthulu, Sthanadhikari, Sthanatthar, Sthalatthar, Sthanapadiyan, Thaniker, Sthanikar, Sthānādhipathi, Sthānādhyaksha, Naga brahmins, Nager brahmins, Nagoji brahmins, Tuluva brahmins. Sthānika Brahmins of south canara are referred to as Subrahmanya Sthānika Tulu Brāhmins as Lord Subrahmanya is their kuladevata and Kukke subramanya temple was their main center until the 16th century. Sthānika Brāhmins are followers of Advaita Philosophy and practice the Panchayatana form of worship. They are disciples of the Sri Sringeri Jagadguru Samsthanam from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ādi Śaṅkarā
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shankaracharya, ), was an Indian people, Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar and teacher (''acharya''), whose works present a harmonizing reading of the ''sastras'', with liberating knowledge of the self at its core, synthesizing the Advaita Vedanta teachings of his time. The title of Shankaracharya, Shankracharya, used by heads of the amnaya monasteries is derived from his name. Due to his later fame, over 300 texts are attributed to his name, including commentaries (''Bhāṣya''), introductory topical expositions (''Prakaraṇa grantha'') and poetry (''Stotra''). However most of these are likely to be by admirers or pretenders or scholars with an eponymous name.W Halbfass (1983), Studies in Kumarila and Sankara, Studien zur Indologie und Iranistik, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
