NambudiriThe Nambudiri (Malayalam:), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Namboothiri, Namboodri, Namboori, 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 elite. Headed by the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ, the Nambudiris were the highest ranking caste in Kerala.
PalakkadPalakkad (Malayalam: [pɐːlɐkːɐːɖɨ̆] ), also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad district. Palakkad is the most densely populated municipality and the fourth-most densely populated city in the state. It was established before Indian independence under British rule and known by the name Palghat.
BrahminBrahmin (; Sanskrit: ब्राह्मण, romanized: brāhmaṇa) is a varna (social class) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya (rulers and warriors), Vaishya (traders, merchants, and farmers), and Shudra (labourers).
TharavadTharavad, also spelled as Tharavadu (pronunciation) (തറവാട്), is the Malayalam word for the ancestral home of aristocratic Nair families in Kerala, which usually served as the common residence for the matrilinealjoint family under the Marumakkathayam system practiced in the state.
MalayalamDravidian languageA Malayalam speaker, recorded in South AfricaMalayalam (മലയാളം, Malayāḷam, ) is a Dravidian language, primarily spoken by the Malayali people, native to the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district). It is one of 22 scheduled languages, as well as one of 11 classical languages, of India. Malayalam has official language status in Kerala, Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé).
KeralaKerala, officially Keralam, is a state on the Malabar Coast of southern India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, which unified the country's Malayalam-speaking regions into a single state. Covering 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), Kerala is primarily a strip of coastal plains sandwiched by the Western Ghats and the Laccadive Sea, bound by Karnataka to the northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east, and the Lakshadweep islands in the western vicinity.
NairThe Nair (, Malayalam: [n̪aːjɐr]), also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom historically bore the name 'Nair'. These people lived, and many continue to live, in the area which is now the Indian state of Kerala.
AmbalavasiAmbalavasi, more properly Ampalavasi, (IAST: Ampalavāsi, IPA:; lit.'temple-dwelling') is the generic name for a group of castes among Hindus in Kerala, India, who have traditionally rendered temple services. CastesThe Ambalavasis are broadly divided into two groups, being those who wear the sacred thread and those who do not.
SanskritAncient Indo-Aryan language of South AsiaSanskrit (; stem form संस्कृत; nominal singular संस्कृतम्, saṃskṛtam,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age.
South IndiaSouth India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area (635,780 km2 or 245,480 sq mi) and 20% of India's population. It is bound by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south.
Caste system in IndiaSocial classification practised in IndiaIn India, social classification based on caste has its origin in ancient times. It was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially in the aftermath of the collapse of the Mughal Empire and the establishment of the British Raj.
Vastu shastraOriginating in ancient India, Vastu Shastra (Sanskrit: वास्तु शास्त्र, vāstu śāstra – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Hindu (Sanātana) system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, and spatial geometry.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.