Mannadiar (or Mannadiyar) kshathriya Nair caste
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
region of
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 ...
. A majority of Mannadiars are land owners,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
being their traditional occupation, ranging from farmers to large feudal landlords (
jenmi
Jenmi is the term used to refer to the landed aristocracy of Kerala. They formed the landowning nobility as well as the landed gentry of the region during Medieval times, and the majority of the estates and feudal properties were owned by this ...
s). They had relocated from Tamil Nadu and had been given land by the then king of Palakkad. Also, some of them are engaged in retail and wholesale trading businesses in Palakkad. They trace their origin from the Kongu Vellalars who were moved to the Chera country when the Chera prince married a princess of the
Chola Dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
. The house (
tharavad
Tharavad () (തറവാട്), is the Malayalam word for the ancestral home of aristocratic families in Kerala, which usually served as the common house for the joint family system practiced in the state. The German linguist Hermann Gunder ...
) of Mannadiars is called "Mannattu" like Illams for
Namboothiris
The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal e ...
.
Etymology
Mannadiar is an honorific title possessed by ancient landlords. The word is rooted from ''Mun'' or ''Maṇṇú'' (
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
) and ''Nēṭiyavar'' or ' (lords,
Jenmi
Jenmi is the term used to refer to the landed aristocracy of Kerala. They formed the landowning nobility as well as the landed gentry of the region during Medieval times, and the majority of the estates and feudal properties were owned by this ...
or earners) clubbed to form Mannadiars.
["Census of India, 1961, Volume 7"]
P. 20 The word Mannadiar was originally derived from mannudaiyar means
landowner(man means soil and udaiyar means owner in Tamil).
They are said to be the rulers of Pandya kingdom and when they were defeated by their numerous enemies they went on hiding in the Palani hills and Annamalai hills parts of western ghats. Some descended to the plains in the Palghat region. Since they lost their lands and lived in high lands in hiding they identified themselves as landowners(once). There are still places named like mannavanur, Pandian karadu, Rajakadu, Raja kumari in different parts of western ghats adjoining the Pandya kingdom.
Mannadiar was a title used to be awarded to the eldest member of each family by the ruling head. The title holders were entitled to certain privileges. When the practice of awarding the title became a story of the past, even the younger members began to use the surname ''Mannadiar'', by time.
["Census of India, 1961, Volume 7"]
P. 21 ”Mannadiyar is a title, which the Angarath and Vadaseri families of Kerala have,” says Raju. William Logan, in his Malabar Manual, says that the Mannadiyars were a caste of Vellalars from Kangeyam, in Coimbatore province, who had settled in Palakkad. Mandradi is a title held by many Kongu Vellala families, says Raju. Mandradi became Mannadi in Malayalam, just as the Tamil nandri (thank you) becomes nanni in Malayalam.” who the Mannadiyars trace their origins
[:”One story that repeats in literature and copper plates is that of the marriage of a Chola princess into the Chera royal family, and the subsequent movement of 8,000 Kongu Vellalas to Chera Nadu...According to Mezhi Vilakkam, the Vellalas had landed rights (kani urimai) in Kochi, Kollam, Kozhikode and Palakkad. Kongu Vellalas came to Palakkad from Kangeyam, Karur, Kaadiyur, Sanguppalayam (corruption of Sankarandampalayam) and Pazhaiayakottai...C.M. Ramachandra Chettiar, the first to record the history of the Kongu region, wrote of a Kongu-Chera war about 1,000 years ago. When the Kongu king died in battle, some of the Kongu generals stayed back in Chera Nadu.”] from as evidenced by epigraphy, literature and shared customs.
[:”Mannadiyars were disciples of the Melmatam in Perur, to which many Kongu Vellalas owe allegiance...Raju found many Tamil palm leaf manuscripts in the possession of Vadaseri Mannadiyars. In Vannaamadai, even in Malayalam manuscripts, names of Vellala migrants were in Tamil. Mannadiyar families in Mathur, Palakkad district, were familiar with Kamba Ramayanam. Pavakoothu, based on the epic, is a 14-day festival in the Chunanghi Bhagavati temple in Nallepilly...Both Palakkad and Kongu Nadu have villages with the same name - Ayilur, Velladhi and Alathur, to name a few. In most other cases, there are only slight variations between the Kongu and Kerala names - Neelamperur in Kongu Nadu and Nilambur in Kerala, points out Raju...He points to L.A. Anantakrishna Iyer’s observation in his book, Cochin - Tribes and Castes that Menons are connected with the Vellalas. Interestingly, many of the Mannadiyars are Menons.”]
History
According to epigraphical and literary evidence there was marriage of a Chola princess into the Chera royal family, and the subsequent movement of 8,000
Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Etymology
The Vellalar of the Kongu country came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vi ...
s to Chera Nadu. Recorded in the Mezhi Vilakkam are the landed rights of Vellalas in Kochi, Kollam, Kozhikode and Palakkad. C. M. Ramachandra Chettiar wrote of a Kongu-Chera war about 1,000 years ago after which Kongu generals stayed back in Chera Nadu.now they are part of nair caste
It is believed the Mannadiyars were descendants of these
Kongu Vellalar
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Etymology
The Vellalar of the Kongu country came to be known as Kongu Vellalar. They are also known by names such as "Bupaalan", Gangavamsam, Kudiyaanavar and Vi ...
s.
[:”Mannadiyar is a title, which the Angarath and Vadaseri families of Kerala have,” says Raju. William Logan, in his Malabar Manual, says that the Mannadiyars were a caste of Vellalars from Kangeyam, in Coimbatore province, who had settled in Palakkad. Mandradi is a title held by many Kongu Vellala families, says Raju. Mandradi became Mannadi in Malayalam, just as the Tamil nandri (thank you) becomes nanni in Malayalam.”] Mannadiyars and Kongu Vellalars were both disciples of the Melmatam in Perur. The Tamil palm leaf manuscripts in the possession of Mannadiyars, traditions like the Kamba Ramayana, and similar village names between Kongu Nadu and Palakkad etc.
further support this theory.
Religion
Mannadiars identify as belonging to
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
varna
Varna may refer to:
Places Europe
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**Varna Province
**Varna Municipality
** Gulf of Varna
**Lake Varna
**Varna Necropolis
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* Varna (Šaba ...
and majority of them are Vaishnavites
["Kerala District Gazetteers: Palghat"]
P. 162 and Saivites, where as lord Devendran vajra the rain god basically they are former and lord
Murugan
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
(or ''Karthikeya''),
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
(Parashakti) and
Ayyappa
Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil.
Although devotion t ...
are also worshiped.
The
serpent
Serpent or The Serpent may refer to:
* Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes
Mythology and religion
* Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature
* Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts
* Serp ...
is also worshipped by Mannadiar families (mostly in
Valluvanad areas) as a guardian of the clan. The worship of snakes, a
Dravidian custom,
is so prevalent in the area that one
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
notes: "In no part of the world is snake worship more general than in Kerala."
Serpent groves (Pāmpin Kāvú) were found in the
southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
ern corner of Many of the Mannadiar
Tharavad
Tharavad () (തറവാട്), is the Malayalam word for the ancestral home of aristocratic families in Kerala, which usually served as the common house for the joint family system practiced in the state. The German linguist Hermann Gunder ...
compound and Sarpa Pooja will be performed once a year by the family members.
Traditions and customs
Marriage customs
Mannadiars’ marriage process is almost similar to nairs marriage events and procedures. The process starts with ''Nishchayatartham'' (''Ashtamangalyam''), the engagement ceremony hosted at Bride’s home. The
Kaniyan
Kaniyar is a caste from the Indian state of Kerala. There are regional variations in the name used to define them. They are listed under the Other Backward Communities (OBC) by the Kerala Government.
Traditions of origin
Kathleen Gough has r ...
(the traditional astrologer) or the head of family members writes the "Lagna Patrika" specifying the date, time and venue of marriage and this serves as a sort of commitment for both the families.
''Thamboola Prasna'' - astrological prediction based on Beetle leaves and Deepam (oil lamp) - will be conducted as a ritual and results of the "Prasna" will be interpreted to all relatives assembled there.(This is to take remedial measures and precautions for hurdles foreseen in the future married life, if any). The language used on this occasion is a mixture of
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
and
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 there is also a reference in it about Cholamandala Perumal (Chola King).
Other customs connected to this function are ''Jatakam Koottikettal'' tying the horoscopes of bride & groom together symbolically for the fixation of marriage and ''Pon veykkal'' (presenting Gold ornament to bride) by Groom's relatives (normally sister of groom) followed by feast. The Groom's family also sends to the bride cosmetics, dresses, a mirror and a basket filled with sweetmeats and fruits on this occasion.
Marriage is normally called ''Paanigrahanam'' and it is a simple function nowadays (earlier marriage was eventful for four days and groom used to travel to bride's house on an elephant, today the function is reduced to a day). The marriage ceremony commences with the groom arriving at Brides residence (or Kalyana Mandapa). The groom's aid will hold umbrella till they reach bride's house irrespective of the weather (''Kudapidikkal'') and ''Nadhaswaram'', treated as sacred music will be accompanied. The groom will be received by a group of girls with tray of flowers, fruits, sweets and oil lamps (''Thalappoli''). In readiness for the arrival of the groom and his family, the bride's family keeps 'Chandan' (sandalwood paste), 'Kumkum' (vermilion), rose water, sugar candy, garlands and a platter for the 'Aarthi' (traditional welcoming ritual). Bride's younger brother will clean the groom's feet while receiving him to the mandapam (''Kaalu kazhukal'') and in return he will be rewarded with 'Kacha' (Dress) and Money. ''Kacha Samarppanam'' (giving clothes) will also be performed by groom to the relatives (normally eldest members) of both bride and groom and takes blessings from them. Once the procession reaches the marriage venue 'Aarthi' is performed and a coconut is broken to ward off evil.
The marriage ceremony proceeds with priests chanting mantras and ''Thalikettu'' at the Muhurtham specified in lagna patrika — tying the
Thali
Thali (meaning "plate"), Bhojanam (meaning "full meal") or Chakluk is a round platter used to serve food in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various di ...
chain in the bride's neck and exchange of
garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance.
Etymology
From the ...
(''Maala Mattal'') each other thrice. In the shastras, the exchange of garlands symbolizes their unification, as one soul in two bodies. It is inward acceptance by each of the very fragrance in the other. This is followed by ''Paanigrahanam'' (accepting the bride by taking holy vows), ''Kanya Dhanam'' (by keeping the hand of the bride into grooms’ hand by bride's Uncle or father) and ''Agni Pradakshinam'' (after holding the hands mutually by a knot of their small fingers, groom and bride together move around the "Vivaha-homa agni", the sacred fire). After the rituals and
Sadhya
Sadya ( ml, സദ്യ) is a meal of Kerala origin and of importance to all Malayalis, consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on a banana leaf in Kerala as lunch. Sadya means banquet in Malayalam. Sadya is ...
(Feast) and before ''Griha Pravesham'', there will be ''Sakunam Kanikkal'' (showing Good Omen — normally the sight of a lady holding a pot with full of water in it or a five wicked lamp) to both bride and groom and ''Mangala Aarthi'' is taken. Aaarthi is taken many times during the ceremony. Reception (Introducing couples for friends, relatives and neighbors ) will also be conducted on the eve of Marriage.
"Kaikottikkali'", an important art form used to be performed in bride's house (previous night of the marriage) and groom's residence (on the day of marriage after receiving bride & groom ) in olden days. Elite class used to conduct
Kathakali
Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
too. ''Palum Pazhavum'' ( feeding sweet milk and cut banana after marriage) and ''Kavukeral'' ( visiting their respective Paradevatha temples after 7 days of marriage) are other customs related to marriage. Normally on the day of marriage
thali
Thali (meaning "plate"), Bhojanam (meaning "full meal") or Chakluk is a round platter used to serve food in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various di ...
will be beaded in a yellow thread (''ManjaCharadu''), the same will be changed to a golden chain on the next day (or within 3 days), which is also been celebrated inviting close friends and relatives.
The caste passed through a gradual change, in about 120 to 150 years, in
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
(but not in
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
) from Patriliny to Matrliny system, but not completely. Some Mannadaiar Women in
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
had husbands from
Namboothiri
The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal el ...
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
s and men have married Kiriyathil nair women.
[{{cite book , author1=Mysore Narasimhachar Srinivas, date=1995, title=Social Change in Modern India , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZrJB-MsbWvoC&pg=PA18, location=New Delhi, publisher=Orient Longman Private Limited , page=18, isbn=812500422X: "Thus the two patrilineal Tamil trading castes, the Tarakans (of Angadipuram) and Mannadiyārs (of Pālghāt tāluk), gradually changed, in about 120 to 150 years, from patriliny to matriliny. Tarakan women had husbands from Nambūdri Brahmin or Samanthan families while Tarakan men married Kiriyam Nāir women. Some Tarakan women had connubial relations with men of the royal Vellāttiri lineage, and this was a source of wealth for the lucky Tarakan lineages.”]
See also
*
Tharakan (Hindu caste)
References
Social groups of Kerala
Indian castes