Chakkala Nair

Last updated

Chakkala Nair
Regions with significant populations
Kerala
Languages
Malayalam
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Nairs, Baniya

Chakkala Nair, also known as Vattakkat Nair, [1] and Vaniya Nair [2] is one of the intermediate subcastes [3] [4] [5] of the Nair community. They are distributed throughout Kerala. In Travancore, they are known as Chakkala, while in Cochin and Malabar they are Vattakattu [6] and In the extreme north of Malabar they are called Vaniya [7] [8]

Vattakattu Nairs [9] is a Forward caste and are now part of the mainstream Nair caste. [10] [11] [12] while vaniya nairs and chakkala nairs were recently added to the central OBC category and get a minimal reservation of 3% sharing with 70 other castes on a rotational basis.

It was the duty of Peru Vaniyan Nambiar [13] [14] section among Vaniya nairs in Kurumbranad to present the Kurumbranad Raja with oil on the occasion of his formal installation [15]

Muchilot Bhagavthi is the patron deity of the Vaniya Nairs and the community serve as the custodian of 108 Muchilot Bhagavathi temples [16] spread across North Malabar from Tulu Nadu to Kozhikode resembling the 108 Shiva Temples mentioned in the Shivalaya Stothram . It is believed that Bhagavthi first manifested herself to Muchilot PadaNair, a chieftain of Mushika dynasty from the Vaniya nair sect. [17] [18]

According to eminent scholars Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan was born in a Chakkala Nair family of Thrikkandiyoor Amsam in Vettathunadu [19]

See also

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Swaroopathil Nairs were one of the high ranking subcastes belonging to the Nair community in Kerala. This subcaste is found only in Travancore, where they are mostly warriors, major military castes of kerala, also involved in administrative duties in the Travancore Kingdom. They are mostly warriors of the Illam Nair landlords of Travancore.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muchilot Bhagavathi</span>

Muchilot Bhagavathi is the tutelary deity of the Vaniyas social class of North Malabar, in southwest India. Muchilot Bhagavathi is also worshipped as Eezhala Bhagavati, Kaniyal bagavathi and Maññaḷamma. There are 108 Muchilot temples spread across Northern Kerala resembling the 108 Shiva Temples mentioned in the Shivalaya Stothram .Muchilot Bhagavati, who is adorned with all beauty, is like a goddess of beauty and is widely considered as the most elaborate and gorgeous theyyam. Being in Swatika Bhava, Muchilot Bhagavathi has only very gentle movements.Anna dhanam(Serving Food) is very important in Muchilot Bhagavathi temples during the Kaliyattam festival.

The Maniyani Nair is a nair sub-caste and Malayalam speaking Yadava community, native to Kerala state of South India. They are mainly distributed in Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts. They are a pastoral community and their traditional occupation is tending cattle and cultivation.

References

  1. Menon, Krishnat P. Padmanabha (1984). History of Kerala: A History of Kerala Written in the Form of Notes on Visscher's Letters from Malabar. Asian Educational Services. p. 194. ISBN   978-81-206-0167-3.
  2. Singh, Kumar Suresh (2002). People of India: Kerala (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 299. ISBN   978-81-85938-99-8.
  3. Pallichan and Vattakad were treated as an intermediate class of Shudras because there was neither inter-dining nor inter-marriage between the members of these subdivisions and the high caste Shudras-Census of India, 1961 - Volume 7. p. 19.
  4. Coomar, Palash Chandra (1987). Polyandry in India: Demographic, Economic, Social, Religious, and Psychological Concomitants of Plural Marriages in Women. Gian Publishing House. ISBN   978-81-212-0105-6.
  5. Institutions, Kerala (India) Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational (1966). Report of the Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions, Kerala, 1965. p. 141.
  6. Fuller, Christopher J. (1975). "The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste". Journal of Anthropological Research. 31 (4): 283–312. doi:10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883. JSTOR   3629883. S2CID   163592798.
  7. "ANTHROPOLOGY NAYARS OF MALABAR (WITH ELEVEN PLATES)" (PDF). MADRAS GOVERNMENT MUSEUM Bulletin. 11 (3): 203.
  8. Singh, Kumar Suresh (2002). People of India: Kerala (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 299. ISBN   978-81-85938-99-8.
  9. Institutions, Kerala (India) Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational (1966). Report of the Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions, Kerala, 1965. p. 141.
  10. "Kerala Forward Caste list -Sl No 77: Vettakkattu Nair" (PDF). Kerala.gov.in.
  11. Kerala government gazette official forward caste list www.collegeguru.in/doc/fc-list-kerala.pdf
  12. Institutions, Kerala (India) Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational (1966). Report of the Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions, Kerala, 1965. p. 141.
  13. CM Shankaran Nair, better known as CMS Chandera., CMS Chandera (1976). വടക്കേ മലബാറിലെ പാട്ടുത്സവം [The Song Festival of Northern Kerala.] (in Malayalam). The Author. p. 10.
  14. Innes, Charles Alexander (1997). "Peruvanian Nambiyars , Chelladan Nayars and Vennapalan Nayars . All three observe fifteen days ' pollution . The name Peruvanian means " great " or " principal oil - man and it is the duty of this caste to present the Kurumbranad Raja". Malabar Gazetteer. Kerala Gazetteers. p. 120.
  15. Thurston, Edgar; Rangachari, K. (1909). Castes and tribes of southern India. University of California Libraries. Madras : Government Press. p. 306.
  16. "Travel Agency, Best of Homestay, Temple & Theyyam Tour Packages". old.travelkannur.com. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  17. Folklorist, Jothish Thekkedath (1 December 2023). "MUCHILOTTU BHAGAVATHY -Why Not Women: A Selective study about representation and role of Goddess (Female Deities) in Theyyam" (PDF). Journal of Cultural Research Studies: 111–112.
  18. "Muchilottu Bhagavathy: Fell into a trap but turned into a goddess". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  19. Tarakan, Ke Eṃ (1990). A Brief Survey of Malayalam Literature: History of Literature. K.M. Tharakan. p. 26.