Saiva Vellalars are fully vegetarians-Forward Caste people, their 'varieties' listed below
Tirunelveli[Thirunelveli]
Saiva Pillai They call themselves very pure. But this doesn't stop them to intermarry with all other types of Saiva Vellalars. Mostly TSP's from Kadayam, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli District, Alwarkurichi, Tuticorin District [Thoothukkudi], Kutralam, Papanasam, Ilanji, Kulasekarapattinam claim themselves as SUPERIOR to other Saiva Pillai's. These TSP's are usually Pannaiyars along the Tamirabarani River Side. Scholars are more here.
Tanjore
[Thanjavoor]
Saiva Pillai Again some kind of "purity" here. Situated along the river Kaveri, these Saiva Pillai's Thali [mangal sutra], Food habits, Marriage Rituals all are very different from that of Tirunelveli Saiva Pillai's. So normally a TSP will prefer TSP. Eulogized by Sakithya Academy Award winning Tamil Prose Writer Thi. Janakiraman [Thi.Jaa], in his Novel "Sembaruththi" [the story of Sokkalinga Pillai of Kumbakonam]
"Normal, Simple"
All Saiva Pillai Mostly located along river beds like Tanjore, Tirunelveli, Yazhppaanam (Srilanka). Type of duties varied as Pannaiyars, Landlords, Zamindhars, Intelligent Farmers, Kanakku Pillais, Kings, Mantris, Businessmen, Poets, Prose writers, National Freedom Fighters, Directors, Doctors, Engineers, Planners and now LARGELY SOFTWARE ENGINEERS.
Karkarthar Again these people claim that they are SUPERIOR to other Saiva Pillai's. Because they ruled most of the water bodies. The tamil meaning of karkarthar is the folks who guarded the "kar" -the clouds -thus maintained the fertile soil -thus they are Vellalars -mostly they are landlords -till today -their Thali, Marriage customs slightly differ from other saiva community, but still they intermarry.
Saiva Chettiyar
read about Nattu kottai chetty history here
A branch of Karaikudi Chettiyars or Naattu Kottai Chettiyars who intermarried Saiva Pillai's and remained Vegetarians. Due to the destruction of chettiyar lands around Kaveri poom pattinam due to floods, the Nagarathars or the Chettiyars lost many of their ladies and children. So to continue their life and times, they intermarried with Tirunelveli Saiva Pillais so they came to be following Tirunelveli Vattara vazakku (dialect). Even now the chettiyar families call their grandma as "Aaachi" -which is a true Tirunelveli dialect.
Saiva Mudaliyar
This is a small branch of Saiva community not much history is known. Intermarriages rare. They too claim SUPERIOR to Saiva Pillai's. God knows!.
The following community are also considered Forward Caste Saiva Vellalars
Nanjil Nattu Pillai They are from Nagercoil, Tamilnadu-Kerala Border.
There are many Great here too
Thesikar Tanjore district has this caste as a saivaite community not vellalars -but gurukkal
Kurukkalaiya Tirunelveli side Kurukkalaiya people -mostly vedham reciters
Othuvars Panniru Thirumurai Othum vedha vidhwans. again only Tirunelveli side click here for more
Namathaari Pillai Vasihnavaite Pillai -Perumal devotees- mostly Tiruneveli side
Other sub-sects of Vellalars
(these are mostly Non Vegetarians-BC-MBC-SC)
Sozhiya Vellalar These Sozhiyars are of Tanjore origin -mostly business people.
"Soziyan Kudumi Summa Aadathu" -means they are very illustrious people
Veera Kudi Vellalar Fighting vellalars, I read one Phd article about them.
Thuzhu Vellalar
These are of Thuzhu origin (South Kannada people) settled in Tamil Nadu.
Kongu Naatu Vellalar These are Kongu nadu origin -in and around Coimbatore. Farming and business.
Vania Chetty As the name suggests they are business people-mostly oil business.
Vellan Chetty a small sub branch of vellalars. OBC
Illathu Pillai found in tirunelveli district,ILLATHU PILLAI -THEY WERE MADE TO MAKE IL's -THE HOUSES -THEY ARE ALSO CALLED KOTHA PILLAIMAR -OR KOTHANARS -THE BUILDERS.
Isai Vellalar THE IYAL-IASI-NADAGAM PART OF PEOPLE. THEIR MAIN MOTTO IS TO LEARN AND propagate ART. They followed the pottu kattum culture, the DEVADASI culture. more...
Devendra Kula Vellalar They are Pallars, Mallars. They call themselves as Pillai now.
Inputs required here.
Thondai mandala Vellalar Mostly they are Mudaliyars -not much known -inputs reqd here please.
Kerala Pillai's or Malayalee Pillai's are..
8 Veetu Pillai Kerala Pillai -mostly rulers of Thiruvidhankur samasthanam
Nair They are Kerala equivalent of Pillai -not saivam
Menon They are Kerala equivalent of Pillai -not saivam
Pillai -Kerala Kerala equivalent of Tamilnattu Vellala Pillai -not saivam, some saiva pillai do exist along the borders esp. southern Kerala, mostly Thiruvananthapuram
e.g Poet Meenakshisundaram Pillai
CLICK HERE TO READ A KIND OF RESEARCH MATERIAL ON SAIVA VELLALRAS
CLICK HERE TO READ THE RESEARCH MATERIAL ON KERALA PILLAI's
GENERAL OUTLOOK OF SAIVA VELLALARS
These Saiva Vellalars are generally orthodox, intelligent, studious, good in maths (so they mostly became Kanakku Pillai's). They are devout Shiva devotees. Panniru Thirumurai is their Vedham.
They were once Jamindhars, Pannaiyar's of the Villages along river bed like Tanjore, Tirunelveli.
During recent era they took largely to Kanakku Pillai, Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) and in to Business due to the Trade bertween Yazhp Panam (Jaffna) and South India. Tobacco and Grocery business was very famously done by these Pillai Community during British Period.
Such was the clout of these people, that one of the community man Va. Voo. Chidambaram Pillai floated a SHIP on to the high seas of Tuticorin. He lost the race with British, but his was one of the major business ambush on the British.
Va. Voo. Si or VOC as he is fondly called, has become a great leader due to his sacrifices in the name on India. He is also called செக்கிழுத்த செம்மல் [Chekiluththa Chemmal] (means the Great man who pulled the Oil press as a Jail punishment in the British Raj, for the sake of Independence of India)
Treatise 1
From: pasupathi k pillai (@ 210.18.117.33.sify.net) on: Sat Dec 6 07:27:47 EST 2003
Pillai name existed in INDUS VALLEY times.
yes. pls check www.harappa.com -where the page regarding the INDUS VALLEY
DECYPHERMENT by Asko Parpola (Univ Prof. Helsinki, Finland ).
MURUGAN worship existed in INDUS VALLEY times. refer www.murugan.org
ANIL PILLAI -MURUGU PILLAI -and so many other names written in INDUS SCRIPT
indicate PILLAI with fond calling and this later became a caste name. SO
PILLAI must have been A NAME COMMONLY USED BY ALL DRAVIDIANS. refer
www.harappa.com - Iravatham Mahathevan IAS speaks on Asko Parpola
VELLALAR -VELALAR -VEL (LORD MURUGA'S WEAPON) -VELZH (THE VEZH OF NADIGAVEZH
M.R RADHA) -VEZHIR -ALL THESE WORDS ARE INTER CONNECTED, RELATED.
in those times, "vel kondu vetri kondal thaan Vellanmai seyya iyalum".
otherwise no body will let you capture a land, capture a water resource. so
VEL konda VEZHIR VELANMAI seithanar. (The people with lancer started to do
agriculture)
AANMAI enral AATCHI -RULE. so the people with lancer -the MURUGU PILLAI's
ruled the TAMILDOM -INDUS VALLEY -THE DRAVIDA COUNTRY - THE OLD INDIA.
later on, the technique of manufacturing VEL, and the NANJIL (ploughshare)
spread world wide. NANJIL PILLAI's are an example. MANY SCHOLARS CLAIM NANJIL
NADU -THE NAGERCOIL AREA IS THE LAND WERE NANJIL -THE PLOUGHSHARE WAS FIRST
INVENTED.
THIS KIND OF DESTROYING THE FOREST AND MAKING THE AGRICULTURE IS COMPARED WITH
A GOAT. SO THERE IS A TAMIL SAYING
"VELLALAN PONA IDAMUM, VELLADU PONA IDAMUM VETTAI".
-means, the VELLADU eats the punjai land and make it clean.
the VELLALA clears the FOREST with the VEL and make it ready for TILLING with
PLOUGH SHARE /(eer, nanjil). This kind of GREAT KNOWLEDGE, CORAGEOUS, VALOUR,
EFFORT and CREATIVITY can be found in todays' VELLALARS also.
There is another TAMIL SAYING ....
"maravarum, kallvarum, agamudaiyarrum mella mella maruvi vellalar aayinare"
meaning that Vellalar caste is a slow EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS. So there must have
been CASTE REFINEMENT -UPGRADATION in the old days. not like now.
KARKARTHAR PILLAI
-THEY SAFEGUARDED THE "KAR" -THE CLOUD. THAT MEANS THEY BUILT DAMS TO SAVE
RAIN WATER.
SOZHIYA PILLAI
-ACTUALLY THEY ARE THE SOZHA NATTU PILLAI. NON VEG. THEY MUST HAVE HELPED THE
CHOLA NATTU KINGS (ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE A PILLAI -NOT THEVAR). They are very talented in money matters and Strategic Plans, so there is a calling,
"Sozhiyan kudumi summa Aadathu" -means the Sozhiyar never do anything without a purpose/benefit.
VEERA KUDI VELLALAR
THEY ARE A SMALL COMMUNITY OF FIGHTERS WHO FOUGHT TO SAFEGUARD THEIR HOMELAND.
AGAMUDAYA PILLAI
-THE PILLAI OR THEVARS WHO HAD OWN HOUSES. (AHAM UDAYA).
THEY ARE THEVARS ONLY, BUT THEY WANTED TO USE A BETTER SUR NAME.
(NADIGAR THILAGAM SIVAJI GANESAN USED TO PUT PILLAI SUR NAME)
(MUKKULATHORE -AHAMUDAYAR, MARAVAR, KALLAR)
THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBLITY THAT THESE CHOLA NATTU THEVARS FREELY MINGLED
WITH ALL VELLALA COMMUNITY OF CHOLA KINGDOM, AND MADE A GREAT VARIETY OF NON
VEG PILLAI's
NAMATHARI PILLAI
SOME SAIVA PILLAIS CONVERTED TO VAISHNAVISM. SO THEY SPORTED "NAMAM", AND
BECAME VISHNU BHAKTHARS. (IT MAY BE AN ARYAN MISCHIEF TO DIVIDE AND DESTROY
SAIVISM?)
OTHUVA MOORTHY -OR OTHUVAR PILLAIS
THEY ARE THE TAMIL KOVIL POOSARIs. THEY RECITE (OTHUTHAL) BEAUTIFUL THEVARAM,
THIRU VASAGAM. THEY ARE ALSO PART OF TIRUNELVELI SAIVA PILLAI.
KURUKKALAIYA
THEY ARE AGAIN THE KOVIL KURUKKAL. AGAIN A KIND OF SAIVAITE POOSARIs. THEY
ALSO RECITE TAMIL PASURAMS. NOT LIKE SOME SANSKRIT AIYARS, WHO PREFER TO AVOID TAMIL.
DESIKARS
THE CHOLA NATTU OTHUVARS ARE DESIKARS.
THEY ARE BIT LIKE IMITATION OF BRAHMINS.
SAIVA CHETTIYAR
They are a mirror part of Karaikkudi Chettiyars, who are Non Veg.
Most refined Indians tend to praise Vegetarianism.
ALWAYS VEGETARIANISM IS HAILED AS A BEST WAY TO REACH MORE HUMANE LIFE, IT
TAKES US MORE PURER BODILY AND SPIRITUALLY, IT MAKES TO GO NEAR GOD, IT IS
ALSO 5000 YEARS OLD SCHOOL OF BLUE-CROSS SOCIETY WHICH EXISTED IN INDIA -NOW
AMERICANS TEACH US THIS.
Nanjilnadu Marumakkal Vellala - They may be a variation migrated from Tirunelveli Saiva Vellala
Marumakkal Vellala's are from Pathamadai in Tirunelveli District. They were considered very close to MArthandavarma of Travancore kingdom. There are more than 18 lakhs Vellala's in kerala.
Kavimani Desiga Vinayagam Pillai, Ammarar Geeva,present Director of DRDO & Bramhos Missile Program Mr.Sivathanu Pillai, Kala Jai hind Chenbagaraman are all Great People of Nanjil Pillais
SO TO SAFEGUARD AND IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS MORE PURER, AND MORE HUMANE,
SAIVA SECTS BORN IN EVERY SUB CASTES SO
SAIVA PILLAI
SAIVA CHETTY
SAIVA MUDALI
IN FUTURE I PREDICT THE FOLLOWING CASTES AS A DISTINT FEATURE OF TN.
SIVAKASI NADARS -(MAY BE SIVAKASI SAIVA NADARS)
TUTICORIN CSI NADARS
THAVASU PILLAI's -(THEY ARE ACTUALLY THE COOKS OF TAMIL NADU. THEY ONLY COOK
VEGETARIAN ITEMS. MOSTLY THEY ARE NANJIL PILLAI OR SAIVA PILLAI. BUT BY TRADE
THEY ARE THAVASU PILLAI)
MEANINGS OF OTHER CASTES
PARP-PAAN -this word came beacuse brahmins believe they take re-birth when
they wear a sacred thread at the age of teens. so LIKE a PARPPU - Kozhi (cock,hen)
-which takes two birth as an egg first then as a cock, the brahmins were
jocularly named. (THIS IS NOT TOLD BY ME -BY TIRUVALLUVAR, THANTHAI PERIAR, MAHAKAVI BARATHI)
MUDAL -capitalists are MUDALI. they also gave money for vatti. like pawn shop.
CHETTY -they had CHEKKU -a machine used to take oil. they did business so they
are called VANIYA CHETTY. CHEKKU became CHETTY. also compare the SHETTY of
maharashtra, the CHETTY of andhra, karnataka.
some went to burma and made their KARAIKUDI as a beautiful town -so the are
called as NAGARATHAR. -beacuse their houses were built as a CITADEL -Nagar.
NADARS are previously called CHANARS -they climbed palm tree to take Kal/Toddy.
They are called Panayeri Nadars (inputs required here please).
HOW CASTE IS BORN?
i think, from time immemorial, PILLAI people must have shown to the world that
they excel in all the GREAT things of life like IYAL,ISAI,NADAGAM and WAR.
So OUT OF NATURAL SELECTION the LANDS went to them, MONEY went to them.
When mankind evolved, no body will give you LAND -no body will call you RAJA.
YOU HAVE TO FIGHT TO MAKE IT.
So thousands of cheiftains born, RAJA's born. (even LORD AIYAPPAN was a
VELLALA PILLAI -he was later revered as GOD)
LAND has to be tilled to produce AGRICULTURE, those INVENTORS-SCIENTISTS
became the FIRST LAND OWNERS.
man found the USE OF FIRE, so to safegurad them he PUT SOME ON DUTY near FIRE
just to TIME PASS and SEE the FIRE is ALIVE but not DESTROYING anything.
THOSE FIREMEN became the PRIESTS. (may be due to BOREDOM they found GOD?)
SO TODAY'S SC/ST MAY THINK THE FCs HAVE GOT ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE FOR
FREE.
NO. LOT OF SINCERITY, LOT OF EFFORTS WENT BEHIND IT.
LATER ON, when caste became SO RIGID, even NON WORTHY people of UPPER CASTE
started wielding power -which resulted in failure and UGLY TURN OF CASTE
MENACE.
THAT'S WHY TODAY'S FORWARD CASTE DOCTOR WITH 95% MARKS IS 100 TIMES BETTER
THAN THE SC-OBC-MBC DOCTORS WITH 40 TO 70% MARKS. HERE CASTE IS NOT WINNING
-SINCERITY, DEDICATION WINS.
caste system must have existed in the INDUS VALLEY times -but not as rigid as
today.
The rulers and priest-king people afterall wielded tremondous power over the
indus people, so that the civilisation as a whole remained DISCIPLINED.
but the priest-kings were kind hearted too. because they know what ARAM means.
that's why india has MANY MANY LOW CASTE SCHOLARS glorified -not beaten to
death.
VALMIKI -ramayana author -Chamar caste -cobbler
TIRUVALLUVAR -SC -VALLUVAN caste still remains in TN-they are ASTROLGERS by
caste
but in LINGA PILLAI's South Africa -(which just came out of the clutches of
APARTHEID -racism) they may not see him as a PILLAI -but all indians are
called BROWNS and HATED by BLACKS because mostly indians join with WHITE south
africans so that their business or job can be protected. so in SOUTH AFRICA
what LINGA PILLAI is facing is not CASTEISM he faces more CRUEL more
UNCIVILIZED RACISM.
INDIA WAS, IS and WILL be a GREAT COUNTRY -despite the shortcomings.
I admit the shortcomings of CASTE system but CASTE SYSTEM
is the ONLY ANSWER for a BETTER FAMILY LIFE - BETTER CULTURE - BETTER VALUES
-BETTER ETHOS.
The RIGID INDIAN CASTE system born
1. OUT OF FEAR of LOT OF RACES INVADING INDIA, so to make sure of RACIAL
PURITY caste was born.
2. OUT OF FEAR OF SAFEGUARDING THE TRADE SECRET -which were handed over
genaration to genaration by family.
3. OUT OF THE NATURAL SELECTION OF
BEST TRADE -BEST MIND -BEST SALARY
a good WARRIOR naturally becomes TOP CLASS MAN. people adore him. people adore
his whole family.
a good sadhu irrespective of caste becomes MORE THAN A BRAHMIN. people throng
to him in INDIA, unmindful of which CASTE the SADHU/MUNI is.
that's why in india it is said "NADHI MOOLAM, RISHI MOOLAM PARKA KOODATHU"
means DO NOT QUESTION THE ANTECEDANTS OF THE MUNIVAR/RISHI.
HE IS A SAINT. RESPECT THAT FACT. FOLLOW HIM IF YOU CAN. WE CAN GIVE 1000's OF
SC/MBC/OC MUNIVARS, SADHUS.
(think of a poor BRAHMIN kovil poosari standing in cow-tow before a LANDOWNER
PILLAI/THEVAR/MUDALIYAR -here even though the poosari is by caste higher in
rank, he has to obey the KSHATRIYAs or VAISHYAs, as time demanded.
4. I think ONLY THE SC/ST OF INDIA HAVE GOT A RAW DEAL IN INDIA. but still
today a 5 STAR HOTEL barber is holding a better reputation than a poor kovil
poosari.
5. CASTE SYSTEM PROVIDES SAFETY, MANY CASTE BASED SANGAMS OF TAMILNADU HELPED
THEIR OWN CASTE PEOPLE COME OUT OF PENURY, REACH A STANDARD OF LIFE.
6. INDIA DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DO CHARITIES THROUGH NGO's. SO ONCE UPON A TIME
AND TILL NOW TEMPLE/FESTIVAL/CULTURE/CASTE IS THE WAY OF DOING CHARITIES.
7. I WONDER IF THERE ARE 100 CRORE PEOPLE IN AMERICA -OR GERMANY -OR SOUTH
AFRICA -THEY WOULD HAVE KILLED EACH OTHER -NOT LIVED LIKE US PEACEFULLY AND
ENJOYING!!!!.
8. THE WHITE RACE ARE THE GREATEST KILLERS OF HISTORY.
THE ABORIGINES OF AFRICA, NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA -WERE ALL KILLED BY
WHITE RACE FOR COLONISATION. THEY COULD NOT SUCCEED IN INDIA.
FINALLY,
TAMIL IS a GLORIOUS LANGUAGE-VERY EASY TO GO BACK IN TIME- VERY EASY TO FIND A
WORD'S ROOT. AND THIS IS THE LANGUAGE WHICH IS ALWAYS MIXED WITH NATURAL LIFE.
BE IT A JUNGLE LIFE OR CITY LIFE, TAMIL CAN COPE ANYWHERE. THAT'S WHY WE CALL
TAMIL A THOL MOZHI, MUDHU MOZHI.
Treatise 2
Caste system is an inborn quality of DRAVIDIAN PEOPLE not aryan's. [please argue with me here]
During Tamil Sangam Periods, you see many people's caste name along with their original names.
I think it is adopted, used as a Tool by Aryans to promote their Life and Times.
Dravidian Caste System was not rigid. It accepted Evolution from Low Caste to High Caste.
Aryan Caste System replaced this with Rigid System. Thats where problems started.
The Tamil Saying, Kallarum, maravarum mella mella vellalar ayinaare! says it all.
In India, still today people escape from the Casteism's clutches by running to other states, places, change their caste name to a more socially acceptable one, then feign as a Brahmin or so.
Even in some cases accepted Sex happens between castes to promote them to better caste.
Example:- Nair/Menons supposedly used Nambodhiris help to copulate the new bride.
So, nothing is permanent, nothing is rigid.
