Nair Menon

When I was searching about Menons on the internet, I was astonished when I found that currently there are five types of Menons. Nair Menon, Vattakadan/Chakkala Menon, Cutchi Menon, Ezhava Menon, Gounder Menon and Christian Menon. The surname Menon is used in other Nair sub-castes too. Kiriyathil Nair Menons have no relation with other Menons. 

The title Menavan or Menon, means a superior person and is derived from Mel, above and Avan, he. The recipient of the title held it for a lifetime, or it was bestowed in perpetuity on his family, according to the amount of money paid down as Atiyara. As soon as an individual was made Menon, he was presented with an Ola(palmyra leaf for writing on) and an iron style as symbols of office accountant, which he was expected to fill.

Nairs and Bunts are entirely different from each other. But there is a similar surname called Menava in Bunt community. So, I think the surname Menon was first given to some Nairs at the time of Vijayanagara empire. The Vijayanagara Kings ruled most of southern India from 1336 to 1646 and Tuluva dynasty was the third dynasty of Vijayanagara empire. 

In Nair community, the types of Menons were Paricha-Menon, Menon Panikkar, Pattola-Menon, the relative rank of each often varying from Taluk to Taluk. 

Once I read in a website that Paricha Menons are highest among the Menons. Pattola Menons were the secretaries of the Nilambur Thirumulpads. The first Pattola Menon was one Shri.Kelu Menon who was reputed for his knowledge of toxicology and cures for snake-bites. Thazhakodenadu of Themmalapuram Taluk which was under Sekhari Varma Raja of Palghat was governed by the first Naduvazhi, Kanhumalpada Nair and the second governor Tharupada Nair and the Raja's accountant (Pattola Menon) was Anavangot Menon and the governors were Nannat Menon and Kulaviyil Menon respectively.

Shri.Kelu Menon of Perumpulaavil Nair Tharavadu was an expert in Kalarippayattu. He was best known for his swordsmanship and was able to reach the heights by backflipping. Because of his martial prowess, Shri.Kelu Menon at the time was appointed as the village headman. Even then he did not entirely give up his wild days and was once very nearly caught while raiding a rich merchant's house in Kunnamkulam near Thrissur, supposedly in Robin Hood style of robbing the rich to help the poor. Gradually his reputation spread, and he became quite a folk hero.  





Data were collected from The Indian Forester - Volume 51 - Page 118. Pattola Menon. — Recorded, in the Cochin Census Report, 1 90 1, as a sub-caste of Nayars, who are accountants in aristocratic families,  Castes and Tribes of Southern India - Volume 1 By Edgar Thurston and Kandur Rangachari, Tales Once Told: Legends of Kerala
By Abraham Eraly, Kavalappara papers by K. K. N. Kurup, University of Calicut, Dept. of History, Calicut University, 1984 - Kerala (India), Aitheehyamaala by Shri.Kottarathil Shankunni Warrier and Wikipedia. 

Differences between Nagavanshi Nairs and Thiyyas

Some people claim that Nairs and Thiyyas have the common origin. There are many sub-castes in Nair community. Nagavanshis, Chettis, Potters, Dancers, Palanquin bearers etc. All of them are different from each other. All these sub-castes have a different history. I don't know if other Nair sub-castes are related to Thiyya community but Nagavanshi Nairs are not related to Thiyyas in any way. I am sharing some differences of Nagavanshi Nairs and Thiyyas, 

1.Nagavanshi Nairs do not marry Thiyyas, Ezhavas, Ambalavasis etc.

2.The origin of Nagavansh is from Kashmir. The origin of Thiyya community is from Kyrgyzstan. 

3.Nagas are mentioned in Hindu Puranas including Ramayana and Mahabharata. There is no mention of a caste called Thiyya in Hindu Puranas. 

4.In ancient times, upper caste Nairs were allowed to use the pond of Brahmin houses whereas Thiyyas were not allowed to enter inside Brahmin houses.

5.Princes of Kovilakams were allowed to marry upper caste Nair women. At the same time, they were not allowed to marry Thiyya women.

6.Nagavanshi Nairs are ardent devotees of Lord Shiva and Serpent Gods. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari pooja, Sarpa pooja, and Sarpam Thullal were conducted once in a year in Nagavanshi Nair Tharavadus. I don’t know about the important deities of Thiyya community.

7. In category list of India, Nagavanshi Nairs are included in General Category and Thiyyas are included in OBC category.


When I was in college, while talking to a senior student I asked her to which community she belonged. She said her father is Thiyya and her mother is Nair. I asked her if their marriage was a love marriage. She said it was purely an arranged marriage and her parents were distant relatives before their marriage. I forgot to ask the sub-caste of her mother. So, I think some Nair sub-castes allow their members to marry from Ambalavasi, Thiyya, Ezhava, etc communities. 

But Nagavanshi Nairs are strictly orthodox. They do not marry from other Nair subcastes too. When my maternal grandmother's parents were considering her marriage, a proposal had come to our Tharavadu. The man was employed in Malaysia and his family was a well-settled family. But when my maternal grandmother's parents found that this family belongs to Vilakkithala Nair caste, they rejected the proposal. 

Nair Panicker

The surname Panicker(पणिक्कर) is used by many communities today. Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair-Panickers are not related to other Panickers in any way. Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair-Panickers were the teachers of Kalarippayattu and suicide squads of Kings. Some non-Nair people who too keep the surname Panicker have created some false stories related to Kalaris. These stories have no historical evidence. 

My maternal grandmother's maternal grandfather was a Nair-Panicker. My maternal grandmother had four sisters. All four of them were elder than her. Her fourth sister's husband was also a Nair-Panicker. 

In Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India it is given that "The teachers of martial arts in order to distinguish themselves from other Panikkars, named themselves as Vanma or Varma Panikkars."

In Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka
By Dennis B. McGilvray it is given that "Velappanikan(Lancer) and Palapanikkan(Spearman, guardian)  both have military connotations and possible Kerala roots (Panikkan or Master is a Malayali honorific)." 

In The History of Ceylon Tamils, by Mrs. Vasantha Nadarajah it is given that "During the reign of King Kunaveera Singaiariyan, Parakramabahu VI ruled the Kotte kingdom. A great warrior by the name of Panikkan came to Ceylon from Malayalam during this period. Parakramabahu took Panikkan under his wings and got him married a lady from his clan."

Shri.K.Sankara Narayana Menon of Chavakkad was trained by his father Veerashri.Mudavannattil Sankunni Panicker of Tirur, who in turn was trained by his uncle, Shri.Mudavannattil Krishna Panicker Asan, who learned under his uncle, and so on. As recorded in the family's palm-leaf manuscript, the Mudavannadu family was given the title Anchaikaimal By The Raja of Vettattu Swaroopam in recognition of its exclusive responsibility for training those who fought on the Raja's behalf and its responsibility for destroying the evil force. 

In ancient times, in some regions of Kerala special titles like 'Kurup', 'Nambiar', 'Panicker' etc were also conferred on the Kalarippayattu experts. Kalarippayattu experts beloged to Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair castes. The 'Nair' who had charge of a particular Kalari or group of Kalaris for the training and upbringing of warriors were called the Gurukkal(meaning teacher or instructor) of the Kalari or Kalaris." 

Shri.Putumanna Kantur Menon is mentioned as one of the Chaver(suicide squads) leaders who fought vainly to the death - so is Putumanna Panicker; the context indicates that the names refer to the same person. If so, the title Panicker was an honorific accorded to certain families who were totally committed to the profession of battle. Chandrattil, Putumanna, Kolkat and Verkot families, represented by the respective Panickers, were all leaders of the Chaver. 

There is a caste called Kalari Kurup/Kalari Panicker. As far as I have seen, its a recently created caste with the word Kalari added in the caste name. They actually belong to Kaniyar community, the community of astrologers. They have no relation with Kiriyathil Nairs and Illathu Nairs. The caste Kalari Kurup/Kalari Panicker was formed in the 18th century and they are not related to Kiriyathil and Illathu Nairs castes. There is no mention about castes called Kalari Kurup and Kalari Panicker in Keralolpaththi and Kerala Mahathyam. 

Some data were collected from Martial Arts of the World: Encyclopedia by Thomas A. Green, Kalarippayattu: the ancient martial art of Kerala by Shri.P.I.Balakrishnan and A handbook of Kerala, Volume 1 by T. Madhava Menon, International School of Dravidian Linguistics

Nair Pillai

Pillai surname has created a lot of confusion. Many non Nair-Pillais were mistaken as upper caste Nair-Pillais. Upper caste Nair-Pillais have no relation with other Pillais. Illam Nair-Pillais or Illathu Nair Pillais are purely Malayali Nairs. They don't have Tamil Pillai ancestry. It is believed that the title Pillai was given to some upper caste Nairs by Kings. From the 9th century to 13th century most of the Southern part of India and Sri Lanka was ruled by Tamil Chola Kings. 

There is a caste called Illathu Pillai. They are Vellalars and not Nairs. Illathu Pillais of Kerala and Kanyakumari are sometimes mistaken for Illathu Nair Pillais because they speak Malayalam very well. 

In the website of Jaffna Royal family of Sri Lanka, it is written that "Pillai was a Tamil title, conferred by the Arasan upon prominent Vellalar chieftains and Feudal lords during the time of Chola and Pandya Kingdoms." 

The Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses) were a group of nobles from upper caste Nair families in erstwhile Venad in present-day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara Yogam.

Until recently, some Tamil Pillais of Travancore region claimed that they are Nairs. In Kerala, Tamil Pillais are found in Travancore region and in Palakkad district of Malabar region. Some Tamil Pillais of Kanyakumari district speak Malayalam very well. Tamil Pillais are entirely different from upper caste Nair-Pillais. For example, Tamil Pillais practice avunculate marriage. Whereas avunculate marriage is considered a taboo in upper caste Nair community. Tamil Pillais are actually Vellalars. Once I read in a Website that there is a community called Izhuva in Tamil Nadu, they are similar to Ezhava community of Kerala and Vellalars belong to the Izhuva community. 

Some people of Konar caste or Idaiyan caste also use the surname Pillai. I think many years ago some of them had migrated to Kerala, settled there and later changed their caste name to Idachery Nair/Ittassery Nair. Profession of both these castes, that is Idaiyan caste and Idachery Nairs, was supplying milk and dairy products. 

In Born to Dance By Harriet Ronken Lynton it is written that "Pillai is a caste name belonging to a community which in old days taught Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu, mainly in Thanjavur. Some families in Kerala have nothing to do with dance also use the surname, Pillai." 

Some data were collected from Wikipedia, www.jaffnaroyalfamily.org and Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: By J. Pandian

Nair Kurup

The surname Kurup is used by many castes including upper caste Nairs. Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair Kurups have no have relation with other Kurups. Some non-Nair people who use this surname have created false stories related to Kalarippayattu. Undoubtedly, they are false stories because they don't have historical evidence. In the history texts of Kerala, the names of Nair Kurups have been mentioned with their Tharavadu names. 

Kiriyathil and Illathu Nair-Kurups were Naduvazhis and also were experts in Kalarippayattu. They were pure Malayali Nairs and not Tamils or Telugus. 

Shri. Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup was a poet and writer in the 19th century. He was also known as Shri.Karayanattu Kurup. He was the only Nair member of Ettara Yogam. The remaining seven members were Brahmins. 

Shri. Thacholi Othenan Kurup was a legendary hero who is believed to have lived during the 16th century in North Malabar region of Kerala. Some people have portrayed him differently in their articles. Some have portrayed him as Chekavar and some others have portrayed him as Kalari Kurup or Kaniyar. Both of these are incorrect. He was a Nair-Kurup. He belonged to Thacholi (तच्चोळि) Nair Tharavadu. 

In Slow Flows the Pampa: Socio-economic Changes in a Kuttanad Village in Kerala

By Shri.K. E. Verghese, it is mentioned that "The Kurups in question are different from Kurups of Nair community who hold a high social status." 


Some people of Kaniyar community are claiming that some members of Kaniyar families in north Malabar had held the honorific title Nambi Kurup. Its not true. Nambi Kurup was actually the title of Nambeesans. In Census of India, 1911, Volume 18, Issues 1-2 the details of Nambi Kurup is given as shown below, 
Nambi Kurup - Same as Nambiyāshān
Nambiyāshān - A class of Ambalavāsis. Pushpakan is the generic name of this class. The particular local names being Nambiyāshān, Nambiyār, and Unni. Their duty is collecting flowers and making the garland for decorating idols, while their women who are called Pushpanis or Brahmanis sing certain songs in Bhadrakāli Temples and at the Thāli marriage ceremonies of Nairs and others. Among them, some follow Makkathāyam and other Marumakkathāyam. Their pollution period is ten days. 



Some data were collected from Wikipedia, Keezhkulamelangom.angelfire.com, nairsofpallikunnu.blogspot.com, wiki30.com

Nagavanshis of Kerala

Nair is a community found in Kerala and Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
Kiriyathil(किरियत्तिल्) Nairs are the real Nairs of Malabar and Illathu(इल्लत्त) Nairs are
the real Nairs of Travancore. These two castes are non-Royal Kshatriyas. Their Vansha
is Nagavansha and their Gotra is Kashyapa. These two castes are included in general category in the lists of both central and state government.
Though Pallichans also claim that they are Nairs, Kiriyathil Nairs and Illathu Nairs
do not marry Pallichans. Each sub-caste has their own rules and lifestyle.

Do not confuse Illathu Nairs with Illathu Pillais. Illathu Pillai is a different caste. They
have no relation to Nair community and Nair-Pillais.

There are many false stories and rumours spread about Nair community. Some people
claim that Nairs were actually Tamils, some claim that Nairs actually belonged to their
community and because Nairs supported Nambuthiri Brahmins they were given high
status, some claim that Nair women had many lovers. These are all false stories.
There is no truth in it. In ancient times, some Tamil dancers were brought to Kerala to
perform the dance in palacesand temples. Members of their family use the surname
Nair, but they have no relation with the real Malayali Nair community.

According to Brahmin tradition, the Nair community is the offspring of the union
between Nambuthiris and Deva, Gandharva and Dakshasa women who were introduced
by Lord Parashuram

Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram is believed to be one of the ancient Naga Kingdoms. And it is
also said that it has some connection with Anantnag of Kashmir.

Nagas
According to Hindu Puranas first Nagas were born from the marriage of Maharishi
Kashyapa and Princess Kadru. Princess Kadru was the daughter of King Daksha.
Nagas are respected for their spiritual wisdom, prodigious powers, beauty, skill, and
great courage, but sometimes feared for their violence and quick tempers. It is said
that they have beautiful palaces decked with rich gems. The Nagas also keep books
of great mystical knowledge. Serpent Goddess Naga Kanya is still worshipped in
India today. She is the guardian of underwater treasures and spiritual attaintments.

Nagas in Ramayana
Surasa is Hindu Goddess, who is described as the mother of the Nagas (serpents).
Her most popular tale appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where she is tasked to 
test the Lord Hanuman on his way to Lanka.

Nagas in Mahabharata
In the Mahabharata, the Naga Kingdom is the territory of a hardy and warlike tribe 
called Nagas. They were also considered as one of the supernatural races like the Kinnaras. Princess Kunti’s grandfather was a Nagavanshi. Princess Ulupi, One of 
the wives of Prince Arjuna, was a Nagavanshi Princess. 

Nagas in Sangham literature 
In Sangam literature Nagas are mentioned as Nākkā. 

Worship 
A Nair house is called Nair Tharavadu. Every Nagavanshi Nair Tharavadu has a 
Sarpakavu in its curtilage. Sarpapooja and Sarpamthullal were conducted once in 
a year. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari pooja was also conducted once in a year in 
Nagavanshi Nair Tharavadus. Every Nagavanshi Nair family has a family deity called Paradevatha(परदेवता). Nagavanshi Nairs visit the temple of their family deity at least 
once in a month. 

In Every Nagavanshi Nair Tharavadu, there is prayer room called Machu(मच्च). Vilakku(Lamp/Diya) is lit every day in morning and evening. When Vilakku is lit in 
the morning it is shown to the rising sun and similarly, when it is lit in the evening it 
is shown to setting sun. After showing Vilakku to the sun, it is taken to the prayer room 
and kept there. 
On the day of Vishu and Onam, the Sadya is first served to the deities of the prayer 
room. In old times, Nagavanshi Nairs were highly religious people. Every morning they visited the nearby temple, only after that, they had their breakfast. 

Men
Men of Nagavanshi Nair community served as ministers, governors, rulers, chieftain, landlords, warriors, soldiers, accountants, managers and custodians of treasury and valuables for the Kings of Cochin, Malabar, and Travancore. 

Women
Nagavanshi Nair women did all the household works in Tharavadu. They respected the Karnavars. They were not allowed to get the education and were married off at a very young age. Decisions inside families were taken by men and oldest woman of the family. Kshatriya Nair families were very rich and wealthy. 

Diet
Orthodox Nagavanshi Nairs are non-vegetarians, but they don’t eat beef and pork. Also, they don’t consume alcohol. 

The repertoire of traditional vegetable dishes eaten in Kerala primarily from Hindu Namboothiri-Nair cuisine. The Namboothiris are Brahmins and their diet is vegetarian: they are also only 6 percent of the population and there you have your statistical representations of vegetarians. Nairs were traditionally warriors and nobles and, as such, ate meat. On fasting and festival days, however, they would eat vegetarian food similar to that of Namboothiris.

Namboothiri-Nair cuisine has evolved with particular concern for health-based Ayurvedic principles (discussed further on in this chapter). Ayurveda is traditional medicine system of India; the first writings on it appeared in the first-millennium bc but the practices it describes are older. Food and eating habits are given particular attention in Ayurveda as what one eats is considered to have a significant effect on physical and spiritual well-being. Many of foreign foods such as Chilli, that came to India many years after the system of Ayurveda was recorded, were not included in its dietary canon, or were assimilated only as medicine (modern Ayurveda practitioners do not include more 'recent' foods in their dietary prescriptions). 

Marriage
Nagavanshi Nairs marry from their community, from Hindu Royal families, and from real Brahmin communities. Children born from these marriages are accepted in Nagavanshi Nair community. The Tharavadu names of husband and wife's paternal grandfathers, paternal grandmothers, maternal grandfathers and maternal grandmothers should NOT be same. 

Engagement
In Nair community, Avunculate marriage is a taboo. In cousin-marriages, only cross-cousin marriages are allowed, all other cousin-marriages are considered taboo. Marriage is fixed by maternal uncles of the of man and woman in woman's house. In the marriage fixing ritual, first, the Vilakku is lit. Then woman's maternal uncle declares that he and his family wish to get his niece married to the man and asks the man's maternal uncle whether he and his family are willing to have the relationship for his nephew or not. Then the man's maternal uncle declares that he and his family accepts the woman as his nephew's fiancee. And finally, woman's maternal uncle declare the date and venue of the marriage and gives a small sum of money with ripe areca nut and betel leaves to man's maternal uncle. This small sum of money is called Murukkaanpanam(मुरुक्कान्पणम्). After marriage fixing ritual, Sadya is served to all the guests. 

Wedding Rituals 

1. On the morning, bride and groom reach the temple with their families. Groom’s family brings Thaali/Mangalsutra and Enappudava with them and bride’s family brings flower garlands with them. First, they pray to God for a happy married life. Then they inform the temple employees that they had booked for Thaalikettu(तालिकेट्ट) and the temple employees arrange a priest or Purohit to the Thaalikketu ceremony.

2. After the arriving of the priest, bride, groom, and their family members come closer for the Thaalikettu ceremony. If Mandapam/Mandap is available in the temple Thaalikettu is done at Mandap. First Vilakku(Lamp) is lit. Then the priest starts chanting Mantras and gestures the groom to tie Thaali. The groom ties the Thaali. Then Brides wears a flower garland to groom and similarly, the groom wears a flower garland to the bride. Then groom gives Enappudava(two silk sarees) to bride and bride accepts it.

3. After that, Kanyadaanam ceremony is done. In this ceremony, groom’s father holds his groom’s left hand and bride’s father holds bride’s right hand and bride’s father puts the bride’s palm over groom’s palm and then bride and groom circumambulate seven times around lamp or Vilakku.

4.Then they again pray to the main deity of the temple and go to the marriage hall. After Thaalikettu bride and groom are not allowed to enter the temple. The marriage hall is well decorated on morning by hall employees. And when bride and groom arrive at the hall, bride’s relatives light a Vilakku on the stage and keep a Nirapara(a vessel filled with raw rice grains and above it a Kathir(coconut flowers) are fixed in the center.)

5. After reaching the marriage hall, both of them are taken to the stage with Thaalam(तालम्), first, the groom is taken to the stage then the bride. But before the groom steps inside the marriage hall bride's brother or cousin brother washes the feet of the groom and gives a gold ornament as a gift to the person who washed groom's feet. In marriage, Thaalam is a ritual in which young girls and women of the same caste hold trays which contains the lamp, flowers etc and they walk in a line with groom or bride walking after them. It is equal to welcoming the groom or bride to the stage. After bride and groom reach the stage, the Thaalappoli girls and women circumambulate the bride and groom and put their trays at the edge of the stage.

6.  After coming to the stage, bride and groom are made to sit behind the Vilakku and Nirapara. That is, in such a way that Vilakku and Nirapara should be in front of them. Then groom’s sisters, sister-in-laws and cousin sister wear gold bangles on bride’s hands and after that groom’s mother wears a gold necklace to the bride.

7.  After the gold wearing ceremony, photo session is done. Bride and groom’s photos are taken with all the relatives, friends and family friends.

8. After the photo session, Sadya is served to all the guest. Only after all the guests had their Sadya the bride, groom and their family members will have the Sadya.

9. After Sadya, relatives, and guests meet the bride and groom’s family members and inform their leaving.

10. After having their Sadya, Bride, groom and their family members leave for groom’s house. There groom’s mother, sister, and sister-in-law welcome the bride and groom with Aarti. The bride is given a lit Vilakku(lamp) and she steps inside groom’s house. While stepping, the right foot is kept first. Then the bride takes the lamp to the prayer room and keeps it there. Then all members pray to the God.

11.The bride and groom are made to sit in the sitting room, and they are fed milk and banana by all the family members. After this ceremony bride, groom and their families leave for bride’s house. After the reaching bride’s house, both bride and groom are welcomed by bride’s mother, sister and sister-in-law. Then there too they are fed milk and banana.

12. Then groom’s family leave the bride’s house. And both bride and groom stay in brides house for that entire day. On evening members of Nair Seva Samajam/Nair Service Society visit the bride’s house with a register to register the marriage of the couple.

13. On next day, groom’s family visits bride’s house and finally they take the bride and groom with them to their house. Then the married woman stays forever with her husband and in-laws or if the husband has his own separate house then they shift to that house after a few days. And the woman is allowed to visit her family whenever she wants.

Birth 

From the eight month of pregnancy, the pregnant woman is not allowed to enter the temples. When a new member is born in the family Nairs do not visit temples, pray in the Prayer room or light lamps in Tharavadu for ten days. But eating non-vegetarian food is allowed at this time. 

Death  

When one of the family members dies, Nairs don’t visit temples and eat non-veg food for 16 days. In this time a ritual called Nilam Mezhukuka is done in the house. In this ritual, one of the female members of the family takes bath and smears cow dung on the place where the dead member’s body was laid. This is done two times a day for 15 days. And no one should step on the place where the cow dung is smeared. On the 16th day, all members of the family go to the temple and perform Pitra-Tarpana for the soul of the dead member. After that, they bring Punyaaham(पुण्याहं) to the house and sprinkle it everywhere. The death date’s month and Nakshatra are noted according to Malayalam calendar. Birthdays and festivals are not celebrated for one whole year, i.e until the same month and Nakshatra of next year. Even engagement and marriage ceremonies are delayed for six months.

Data were collected from Wikipedia, Handbook of Ayurveda by Bhagwan Dash, Acharya Manfred M.Jounious, Book: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, An Insider's A-Z Guide to Mythic People, Places by Richard Leviton, Martial races of undivided India by Vidya Prakash Tyagi, Maharashtra, Part 3. Edited by B. V. Bhanu, The Penguin Food Guide to India by Charmaine O' Brien, and some of my family members.