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Tamil Jains are ethnic-Tamils from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, who practice Jainism,. The Tamil Jain is a microcommunity of around 85,000 .They are predominantly scattered in northern Tamil Nadu, largely in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Villupuram, Ranipet and Kallakurichi. Early Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in Tamil Nadu date to the third century BCE and describe the livelihoods of Tamil Jains. Samaṇar wrote much Tamil literature, including the important Sangam literature, such as the Nālaṭiyār, the Cilappatikaram, the Valayapathi and the Civaka Cintamani. Three of the five great epics of Tamil literature are attributed to Jains.
Pillai or Pillay, meaning "Child of King" (Prince) or "Child", is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka.
Kaarkaathaar is a subcaste of Vellalar Hindu caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Mudaliar is a Tamil title and surname. As title, it was historically given to high-ranking officers, administrators and their descendants during the rule of Imperial Cholas. The surname is most prevalent among Tamils from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Descendants of Tamil migrants also bears variants of the name in countries such as South Africa, and elsewhere in the Tamil diaspora. List of Mudaliars
Thindal is a neighborhood in the city of Erode Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 8 km from Erode Junction and 7 km from Central Bus Terminus, Erode. It is now officially a part of Erode Municipal Corporation. The locality is well known for the Thindal Murugan Temple. The neighborhood is located along the arterial Perundurai Road which connects the city with western districts like Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Kerala. Outer Ring Road connecting all the arterial roads of the city intersects Perundurai road in Thindal. It is a developing area due to the initiation of various educational institutions.
Vellalar is a group of castes in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several endogamous castes such as the numerically strong Arunattu Vellalar, Chozhia Vellalar, Karkarthar Vellalar, Kongu Vellalar, Thuluva Vellalar and Sri Lankan Vellalar.
Kongu Vellalar is a community found in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, India.
Gounder is a title used by various communities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It may refer to various communities such as Vanniyar, Vettuva Gounder, Thuluva Vellalar, Urali Gounders, Kurumba, Vokkaligas.
Koviyar is a Tamil caste found in Sri Lanka. They are traditional agriculturalists and temple workers but also included merchants, landowners and temple patrons. Kattavarayan as caste deity is observed by the Koviar. They are reputed as a ritually dominant caste and regarded as the "cousin" caste of the more numerical dominant caste, Sri Lankan Vellalar.
Sri Lankan Vellalar is a caste in Sri Lanka, predominantly found in the Jaffna peninsula and adjacent Vanni region, who comprise about half of the Sri Lankan Tamil population. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, but also included merchants, landowners and temple patrons. They also form part of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.
History of Eastern Tamils of Sri Lanka is informed by local legends, native literature and other colonial documents. Sri Lankan Tamils are subdivided based on their cultural, dialects & other practices as into Northern, Eastern and Western groups. Eastern Tamils inhabit a region that is divided into Trincomalee District, Batticalo District and Ampara District.
Vellala or Vellalar may refer to:
Thuluva Vellalar, also known as Agamudaya Mudaliar or Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka. They were originally significant landowners.
The Udayar is a title used by multiple caste in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
P. R. Thilagam, popularly known as Thiruvarur Thilagam, is an Indian composer, vocalist and exponent of Kuravanji, a traditional form of dance drama popular in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She hails from Kondi parampara of the Isai Vellalar community, a sect of women dedicated to the worship at Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur.
Isai Vellalars are a micro community. Out of all the divisions, Melakkarars are the predominant Isai Vellalars. Edgar Thurston noted that the community had two linguistic sects within the state; being Tamil and Telugu. Tamil-speaking Melakkarars traditionally performed both ‘Chinna Melam’(nautch music) and/or ‘Periya Melam’(nadaswaram), while Telugu-speaking Melakkarars of Tamilnadu performed only ‘Periya Melam.’ Telugu Melakkarars had surname like ‘Reddi’ and ‘Naidu’, while the Tamil sect used ‘Pillai’ title.The former speak Tamil, and, in most of their custom.In customs and practices Telugu Chinna Melam is alike to that of Telugu Brahmins. There are also other sects like Nattuvanar, barber-musicians, etc. under Isai Vellalar label. Some from this community were made devadasis until its abolition.
Thondaimandala Vellalar is a high-ranking subcaste of the Vellalar caste in the state of Tamil Nadu, India who tend, to adopt the title of Mudaliar and they were traditional "landlords and officials of the state class" described by the anthropologist Kathleen Gough. They are a closely knit community and follow the Vegetarian diet. Thondaimandalam Mudaliars / Vellalars are progressive and prosperous in the society and they are remarkably advanced in the matter of education
Kondaikatti Velaalar or Thondaimandala Mudaliar is a Tamil caste in south India. Historically, they were a caste of non-cultivating land-holders and some of them were administrators under various south Indian dynasties. Their original homeland was Thondaimandalam and from there they spread to other areas in south India and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. Since they historically used the Mudaliar title, they are sometimes referred to as Thondaimandala Mudaliar. However, Kathleen Gough considers them to be a separate subcaste of the Thondaimandala Mudali, as does Susan Neild.
Nankudi Vellalar, is a Tamil sub caste of Vellalar found in Tamil Nadu, India. These group of people are considered to be believers and followers of Shaivism. They come under the Suryakula Kshatriya Clan as per the ancient Indian Varuna System. They also claim descent from the Velir hereditary of Irungovel Pandyas The hereditary headman of the caste was always invested with the title Irungovel. Their origination is from Melaselvanur in Ramanathapuram District. These group of people actually belong to Maravar Caste as they also follow the Kilai System just as Maravar, the rituals performed in the Marriage and Funeral ceremony of Nankudi Vellalars are almost the same as Maravars and there are a lot more similarities as well. The exactly sub caste that they come under is Kondaiyankottai Maravar, these group of people started using ‘Pillai’ as their title in recent years, but in earlier and ancient times they used ‘Thevar’ as their title. As per the documentations and proofs submitted by Dr. Chidambaram Pillai in 1920 to the High Court of Judicature at Madras, Madras Presidency, British India, it is considered that the Nankudi Vellalars are the direct descendants from lineage of 201st Pandya King “Poitidia Irungovel Pandya Thevar”, who ruled the Pandiya Kingdom with Korkai as its capital. As they immigrated to Sivagalai they were highly involved in agriculture activities. Their original stronghold seems to have been southern districts of Tamil Nadu, viz. Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Korkai, Ambasamudram, etc. Some of them migrated to Srivaikuntam during the course of time and came to be known as Kottai Vellalar or "Kottai Pillaimar"as they built and lived in forts.
