The Embrandiri (Malayalam: എമ്പ്രാന്തിരി), also transliterated as Embranthiri, are a

Malayali Brahmin The terms Malayali Brahmins (also known as Malayala Brahmanar) and Kerala Brahmins apply to the group of Brahmins from the Indian state of Kerala. These groups include the Nambudiri, Pushpaka Unni, Nambeesan, Nambidi, Moothath (Moosad), Ilayath, Ch ...

subcaste of

Tulu Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner *Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...

origin. Some sects of Embranthiris have adopted the Malayali Brahmin surnames "Namboothiri" and "Potti" after arriving in Kerala. There are followers of

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

as well as

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

among Embranthiris and some Embranthiris because of their Vaishnava Dharmaserve in Vishnu temples and Krishna temples. Some of them are also practitionars of and other Vedic Srauta rituals.

History

In the 8th century AD, as per the request from King Udayavarma Raja of Kolathunaad (a small ancient kingdom in north Kerala), King Mayooravarman of Gokarnam sent 237 Tulu Brahmanan families to Kolathunaad. These family members performed "Hiranyagarbha" and converted themselves into Malayala Brahmanans. They had settled in Arathil, Cheruthaazham, Pilathara and Chirakkal. All these places are in and around one of the strongest Namboothiri Graamams (villages) of those days, Perinchelloor (near today's Taliparamba in Kannur district in north Kerala). These Brahmanas are both Shaivite and Vaishnavite in orientation and place emphasis on performing Yajnas like the Namboodiris and speak Malayalam exclusively. Later, 257 Tulu Brahmanan families also migrated to these areas. In Kerala, the former 237 families are known as "Saagara" Brahmanans and the latter 257 families, "Samudra" Brahmanans. Both are generally known by the name Embranthiris. All are Sivollis and Yajurvedis (Boudhaayanan), and some of them are followers of

Madhvacharya Madhvacharya (; ; CE 1199-1278 or CE 1238–1317), sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' ...

. Most of the Brahmins in speak

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

and also aligned their practices with those of the Namboothiris. These Samudra Brahmins were however seen as distinct from the Saagara Brahmins by the Namboodiris and had to live and dine separately Later, more Tulu Brahmanans migrated to Kerala but they neither converted themselves to Namboothiris nor removed Tulu culture from their daily life. They still speak Tulu at home. Some of them, later migrated back to their motherland.

Present day

Due to shortage of Temple priests in Travancore (Thiruvithankoor, south Kerala) their king brought 143 of the initial (237 + 257) Embranthiri families to Thiruvalla (a place still existing near Kottayam in south Kerala). Most of the families moved to South Kerala because of culture and tradition of Kerala Brahmins (Namboothiri) is very much close enough to their culture. They moved to several places of Kerala and founded Madams as their home. Later they used Madam as their family name.

Philosophy

Most early Malayalam speaking Embrandiris are followers of only the Smarta-Srauta Karmas prescribed to a Brahmin and do not align with any school of thought. Some like the Namboothiris can be classified as following Theistic Mimamsa. Later Brahmins who migrated from Tulunadu into Kerala have large segments of the followers of

Dvaita Vedanta Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST:Tattvavāda), is a sub-school in the Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy. The term Tattvavada literally means "arguments from a realist viewpoint". The Tattvavada (Dvaita) Vedanta sub ...

among them and are ardent devotees of Lord

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

References

{{Reflist Brahmin communities of Kerala Culture of Kerala