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.
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.
