Iyer
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| Iyer அய்யர் |
|---|
        Dr S. Radhakrishnan · Subramanya Bharathi · Ramana Maharishi Indra Nooyi · R. K. Narayan Sir C. V. Raman · Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer · Vishwanathan Anand |
| Total population |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh |
| Languages |
| Mother tongue is Tamil with unique Iyer dialects. Knowledge of Sanskrit for religious reasons. |
| Religion |
| Hinduism |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Pancha-Dravida Brahmins, Tamil people, Iyengar, Madhwa |
Iyer (pronounced [aiʝar] Tamil : அய்யர் Malayalam:അയ്യര) (variously spelt as Iyer, Ayyar, Aiyar, Ayer or Aiyer) also called Sāstri[4], Sarma or Bhattar[5][6] is the name given to Hindu Brahmins of Tamil or Telugu origin who are followers of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara.[7][8][9][10][11][12]They are found mostly in Tamil Nadu as they are generally native to the Tamil country. But they are also found in significant numbers in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka.
The name 'Iyer' originated in the medieval period when different sects of Brahmins residing in the then Tamil country organized themselves as a single community. A breakaway sect of Sri Vaishnavas later formed a new community called "Iyengars".[13][14][15]
As per popular tradition, Iyers are the descendants of Indo-Aryan migrants from North India. However, genetic researches have found little difference in genetic patterns with the rest of the Tamil populace. Iyers are sub-divided into various sub-sects based on their individual functions or duties. They are also classified based on the Veda they follow or according to their gotra.
Iyers fall under the Pancha Dravida Brahmin sub-classification of India's Brahmin community and follow the same customs and traditions as other Brahmins.[16] In recent times, they have been affected by reservation policies [17]and the Self-Respect Movement in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Etymology
Iyers are South Indian Brahmins who reside in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Iyers are predominantly Smarthas or followers of the Smriti texts.[18][11]
The word Iyer is derived from the title Ayyā which is often used by Tamils to designate respectable people. There are number of etymologies for the word Ayyā, generally it is thought to be derived from Proto-Dravidian term denoting an elder brother. It is used in that meaning in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.[19] Yet others derive the word Ayya as a Prakrit version of the Sanskrit word Aryā which means 'noble'.[20][21][22] "Ayar" is also the name of a Tamil Yadava sub-caste.[23] During the British Raj, Christian clergymen were also occasionally given the honorific surname "Ayyar".[24]
In ancient times, Iyers were also called Anthanar[25][26] or Pārppān,[27][28][29] though the usage of the word Pārppān is considered derogatory in modern times.[30] Until recent times, Kerala Iyers were called Pattars.[31] Like the term pārppān, the word "Pattar" too is considered derogatory.[32]
It has also been recorded that in the past, the Nayak kings of Madurai have held the title "Aiyar" while Brahmins have borne titles as Pillai or Mudali.[33]
Origin
Regional origin
The origin of Iyers, like other South-Indian Brahmin communities, is shrouded in mystery. There have been evidences of Brahmin presence in the southern states even prior to the Sangam Age. However, it is generally believed that they were few in number and that most Iyers migrated from other parts of India at a later stage. According to some sources, these early inhabitants comprised mostly of priests who ministered in temples known as "Gurukkals". Large scale migrations are generally believed to have occurred between 200 and 1600 AD and most Iyers are believed to have descended from these migrants.[34][35][36][37][38] However, this theory has come under attack in recent times from historians and anthropologists who question the validity of this theory due to lack of evidence.[39][40][41][42] [43] During the early medieval period, when Ramanuja founded Vaishnavism many Iyers adopted the new philosophical affiliation and were called Iyengars.[44]The Valluvars are believed to be the descendants of the earliest priests of the Tamil country.[45]
There is also ample evidence to suggest that a large number of individuals of non-Brahmin communities could have been invested with the sacred thread and ordained as temple priests.[46][47]
Though, Iyers have been classified as a left-hand caste in ancient times,[38] Schoebel, in his book History of the Origin and Development of Indian Castes published in 1884, spoke of Tamil Brahmins as "Mahajanam" and regarded them, along with foreign migrants, as outside the dual left and right-hand caste divisions of Tamil Nadu.[38]
Ethnicity and genetics
Iyer men and women are slightly different in physical makeup and complexion to the average Tamilian [48][42] and this, along with the social practices and customs of Iyers are regarded as evidences of an "Aryan origin" for Tamil Brahmins.[49][50][51] Moreover, some Iyer communities pay homage to the river Narmada instead of the South Indian river Cauvery in their rituals and revere legends proposing a northern origin for their community.[52] Iyer marriage rites, especially, are a mixture of some customs regarded Aryan and some considered Dravidian. [53][54]This issue is still being debated and researched by anthropologists, linguists and archaeologists alike. However, regardless of whether the "Aryan theory" of origin for Iyers is true or not, still it has often been a burning political issue in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Recent genetic studies amongst Iyers of Madurai reveal close proximity to populations from Eurasian steppes of Central Asia.[55] [56] Other genetic researches have found close similarities between recent migrants and Bengali Brahmins. [57]However, the sharing of some haplotypes between the Iyers and some Southeast Asian populations suggests a migration through Southeast Asia to India.[55] When genetic analysis of South Asians was performed while discarding caste-based ramifications, it was observed that South Indians, in general had lesser genetic affinity with Central Asian people than the inhabitants of North India overall and the mitochondrial DNA (maternal) of Indian caste and tribal populations all emerged from the same source.[58][59]
Edgar Thurston classified Iyers as mesocephalic with an average cephalic index of 74.2[60] and an average nasal index of 95.1 based on the anthropological survey he had conducted in the Madras Presidency.[61] Kerala Iyers were found to have an average cephalic index of 74.5 [60]and nasal index of 92.9.[61]
Population and distribution
Today, Iyers live all over South India, but an overwhelming majority of Iyers continue to thrive in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Brahmins form an estimated 3% of the state's total population and are distributed all over the state.[2] However, accurate statistics on the population of the Iyer community is unavailable.[2]
They are concentrated mainly along the Cauvery Delta districts of Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur [62][63] and Tiruchirapalli where they form almost 10% of the total population.[1][64] In Northern Tamil Nadu they are found in the urban areas of Chennai,[65][66] Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Sriperumbudur and Vellore. They are almost non-existent in rural parts.[67]
Iyers are also found in fairly appreciable number in Western and Southern districts of Tamil Nadu.[68] Iyers of the far south are called Tirunelveli Iyers[69] and speak the Tirunelveli Brahmin dialect. The most prominent Tirunelveli Iyer was Subramanya Bharathi, often regarded as the "national poet of Tamil Nadu". In Coimbatore, there are a large number of Kerala Iyers from Palakkad.[70]
Subsects
Iyers have many sub-sects among them, such as Vadama, Brahacharnam or Brahatcharanam, Vāthima, Sholiyar or Chozhiar , Ashtasahasram, Mukkāni, Gurukkal, Kāniyālar and Prathamasāki.[71][13][72][73]Each sub-sect is further subdivided according to the village or region of origin.
Vadama
The Vadamas (Tamil: வடமா) regard themselves the most superior of Smartha Brahmins.[13][74] The word "Vadama" is derived from the Tamil word Vadakku meaning North.[75] Due to this reason, it is widely speculated that the Vadamas could have been the latest of the Brahmin settlers of the Tamil country.[74] At the same time, however, the honorific title Vadama could also be used simply to denote the level of Sanskritization and cultural affiliation and not as evidence for a migration at all.[76]
Vadamas follow a number of Vaishnavite religious beliefs and practices.[13] They sport the urdhvapundram mark on their forehead unlike other sects of Iyers. [13] A large section of the Iyengar community is believed to be made of converted Vadamas.
Vadamas have also significantly contributed towards popularizing and propagating the worship of Lord Shiva and Devi.[77][78]
The Vadamas are classified into Vadadesa Vadama, Choladesa Vadama, Sabhaiyar, Inji and Thummagunta Dravida.[13]
Vāthima
The Vāthimas (Tamil: வாத்திமா) are few in number and are confined mostly to eighteen villages in Thanjavur district. They are sub-divided into Pathinettu Gramathu Vāthima or Vāthima of the eighteen villages, Udayalur, Nannilam and Rathamangalam.[79]
Brahacharnam
Brahacharnam is a corruption of the Sanskrit word Brahatcharnam(Sanskrit: ब्रहतचरनम्) means "the great sect".[80] Brahacharnams are more Saivite than Vadamas and are sub-divided into Kandramaicka, Milanganur, Mangudi, Pazhamaneri, Musanadu, Kolathur, Marudancheri,Sathyamangalam and Puthur Dravida.[80]
Ashtasahasram
The Ashtasahasram(Sanskrit: अष्टसहश्रम) are, like the Brahacharnams, more Saivite than the Vadamas.[81] They are further sub-divided into Aththiyur, Arivarpade, Nandivadi and Shatkulam.[81]
Dīkshitar
The Dīkshitars (Tamil: தீக்ஷிதர்) are based mainly in the town of Chidambaram and according to legend, have descended from three thousands individuals who migrated from Varanasi.[81] They wear their kudumi in front of their head like the Nairs and Namboothiris of Kerala.[81]
Chozhiar or Sholiyar
The Sholiyars (Tamil: சோழியர்்) serve as priests, cooks or decorate idols in Hindu temples.[82] According to legend, they are believed to have descended from Chanakya, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya.[83] They are divided into Tirukattiur, Madalur, Visalur, Puthalur, Senganur, Avadiyar Koil.[84]
Gurukkal
The sect of Sivāchārya or Gurukkal (Tamil: குருக்கள்்்) form the hereditary priesthood or in the Siva and Sakthi temples in Tamil Nadu.[85][34] They are Saivites and adhere to the philosophy of Shaiva Siddhanta.[85] They are well versed in Agama Sasthras and follow the Agamic rituals of these temples.[85]
Gurukkals are sub-divided into Tiruvalangad, Conjeevaram and Thirukkazhukunram.[85]
Mukkāni
The Mukkāni(Tamil: முக்கானீ) sub-sect of Iyers are traditionally helpers to the priests in the temples of Thiruchendur.[83] Legend has it that the Mukkānis were the Bhootaganas, the demon bodyguards of Lord Siva and that they were given the responsibility for guarding Subrahmanya's shrines by Siva.[86]. The Mukkanis predominantly subscribe to the Rig Veda.
Kāniyālar
The Kāniyālar(Tamil: காநியாளர்) are a little known sub-sect of Iyers. A large number of Kāniyālars serve as cooks and menial servants in Vaishnavite temples.[83] Hence, they sport the nāmam like Vaishnavite Iyengars.[83]
Prathamasāki
The Prathamasākis form another little-known sub-sect of Iyers. They follow the White Yajur Veda.[87] According to Hindu legend, in remote antiquity, the Prathamasākis were cursed by God to spend one hour every day as Parayars[88] and hence they are known as "Madhyana Paraiyans" in Tanjore district[87] and are regarded inferior by other sects of Brahmins.[87]
Edgar Thurston also mentions another sect of Iyers called Kesigal or Hiranyakesigal.[80] However, this sub-sect appears to have disappeared or merged into the larger Vadama community with the passage of time.
Iyers, just like other Brahmins were required to learn the Vedas. Iyers are also divided into different sects based on the Veda they follow.[89] Iyers belonging to the Yajur Veda sect usually follow the teachings of the Krishna Yajur Veda.[16][90]
Gotrās and Shākhas
- See also: Brahmin gotra system
Iyers, like all other Brahmins, trace their paternal ancestry to one of the eight rishis or sages.[91][92] Accordingly they are classified into eight gotrās based on the rishi they have descended from. A maiden in the family belongs to gotra of her father, but upon marriage takes the gotrā of her husband.
The Vedas are further sub-divided into shākhās or "branches" and followers of each Veda are further sub-divided based on the shākhā they adhere to. However, only a few of the shākhās are extant, the vast majority of them having disappeared.The different Vedas and the corresponding shākhās that exist today in Tamil Nadu are:[93]
| Veda | shākhā |
|---|---|
| Rig Veda | Shakala and Paingi |
| Yajur Veda | Kanva and Taittiriya |
| Sama Veda | Kauthuma, Jaiminiya/Talavakara, Shatyayaniya and Gautama |
| Atharva Veda | Shaunakiya and Paippalada |
Migration
Karnataka
Over the last few centuries, a large number of Iyers have also migrated and settled in parts of Karnataka. During the rule of the Mysore Maharajahs, a large number of Iyers from the then Madras province migrated to Mysore. The Ashtagrama Iyers are also a prominent group of Iyers in Karnataka.[94]
Kerala
A series of large-scale migrations of Iyers from the Tamil country into Kerala over the past few centuries has created a 'Kerala Iyer' community.[95][96] According to anthropologists, two streams of migration actually took place:
- A wave of migrations from Tirunelveli and Ramnad districts of Tamil Nadu first to the erstwhile princely states of Travancore and Cochin and later to Palakkad and Kozhikode districts have resulted in the origin of an Iyer community in the Travancore and Cochin regions.
- There were also migrations rom Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu to Palakkad. Their descendants are known today as Palakkad Iyers.[6][97]
Travancore and Cochin regions
During the 18th century, a large number of Iyers migrated from Southern Tamil Nadu and settled in the erstwhile princely states of Travancore and Cochin[95][98] However, Iyers were neither considered eligible nor allowed to officiate as priests in the temples of Kerala as the priests in these parts practised 'Tantra Vidhi'- a very complex system of Tantric rites monopolized by the Namboothris.[21]
Due to their skill in culinary art, Iyers were initially employed mostly as cooks. They are generally credited with having introduced Tamil delicacies as idli, sambhar, dosa and vadai in Kerala. However, with the passage of time, Iyers entered administrative and commercial professions as well. The first prominent member of the Iyer community in Kerala was Ramayyan Dalawa, who was the Prime Minister (Dewan or Dalawa) of Travancore State during the reign of Raja Marthanda Varma. Other prominent Iyers from Kerala include Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, V. R. Krishna Iyer and T. N. Seshan.
Tamil Brahmins have fully integrated into Kerala society even while retaining their ancestral traditions. Their mother tongue is a dialect of Tamil heavily influenced by Malayalam vocabulary. During the 19th century, Iyers, like Malayali Nambudhiris, even adopted the Malayali practice of sambandham though the numbers contacting such alliances were very low. [99]
Palakkad Iyers
Iyers who migrated to the Palakkad district from the Chola kingdom to serve in the temples of Kerala are known as Palakkad Iyers. From the very beginning, the Palakkad Iyers were endowed with grants of land and were pretty well-off compared to the Travancore and Cochin Iyers. They also officiated in temples as priests. The Palakkad Iyers resided in agrahārams.[70][100] Those who established themselves in the interior parts of Kerala lived in houses known as Madom.[100][101]
The Palakkad Iyers were greatly affected by the Kerala Agrarian Relations Bill, 1957 (repealed in 1961 and substituted by The Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963) which abolished the tenancy system.[102]
Sri Lanka
- See also: Aryacakravarti dynasty
According to the Buddhist scripture Mahavamsa, the presence of Brahmins have been recorded in Sri Lanka as early as 500BC when the first migrations from the Indian mainland supposedly took place. Currently, Brahmins are an important constituent of the Sri Lankan Tamil minority.[103][104] Tamil Brahmins are believed to have played a historic role in the formation of the Jaffna Kingdom.[104][105][106]
Recent migrations
Apart from South India, Iyers have also migrated to and settled in places in North India. There are significantly large Iyer communities in Mumbai,[107][108] Kolkata, Orissa and Delhi.[66][109][110] These migrations, which commenced during the British rule, were often undertaken in search of better prospects and contributed to the prosperity of the community.[17]
In recent times Iyers have also migrated in significant numbers to the United Kingdom, Europe and the U.S.[108] in search of better fortune.[111][112][113][114]
Religious practices, ceremonies and festivals
Rituals
Iyer rituals comprise rites as described in Hindu scriptures such as Apastamba Sutra attributed to the Hindu sage Apastamba.[16] The most important rites are the Shodasa Samaskāras or the 16 duties.[115] Although many of the rites and rituals followed in antiquity are no longer practised, some have been retained.[116][117]
Iyers are initiated into rituals at the time of birth. In ancient times, rituals used to be performed when the baby was being separated from mother's umbilical cord. This ceremony is known as Jātakarma.[118][119] However, this practice is no longer observed. At birth, a horoscope is made for the child based on the position of the stars. The child is then given a ritual name.[119][120] On the child's birthday, a ritual is performed to ensure longevity. This ritual is known as Ayushya Homam. This ceremony is held on the child's birthday reckoned as per the Tamil calendar based on the position of the nakshatras or stars and not the Gregorian calendar.[120] The child's first birthday is the most important and is the time when the baby is formally initiated by piercing the ears of the boy or girl. From that day onwards a girl is expected to wear earrings.
A second initiation (for the male child in particular) follows when the child crosses the age of seven.[121][122] This is the Upanayana ceremony during which a Brahmana is said to be reborn.[122][123] A three-piece cotton thread is installed around the torso of the child encompassing the whole length of his body from the left shoulder to the right hip.[121][124][123][125] The Upanayana ceremony of initiation is solely performed for the members of the dvija or twice-born castes, generally when the individual is between 7 and 16 years of age.[126][127] In ancient times, the Upanayana was often considered as the ritual which marked the commencement of a boy's education, [128] which in those days, comprised mostly of the study of the Vedas. However, with the Brahmins taking to other vocations than priesthood, this initiation has become more of a symbolic ritual. The neophyte was expected to perform the Sandhya Vandanam on a regular basis[129] and utter a prescribed set of prayers, three times a day: dawn, mid-day, and dusk. The most sacred and prominent of the prescribed set of prayers is the Gayatri Mantra,[130][129] which is as sacred to the Hindus as the Kalima to the Muslims and Ahunwar to the Zoroastrians.[129] Once a year, Iyers change their sacred thread. This ritual is exclusive to South Indian Brahmins and the day is commemorated in Tamil Nadu as Āvani Avittam.[131][132]
Other important ceremonies for Iyers include the rites for the deceased. [133][134][135]All Iyers are cremated according to Vedic rites, usually within a day of the individual's death.[136][137] The death rites include a 13-day ceremony, and regular Tarpanam[138](performed every month thereafter, on Amavasya day, or New Moon Day), for the ancestors.[136][139][140]There is also a yearly shrārddha, that must be performed.[140][141] These rituals are expected to be performed only by male descendants of the deceased. Married men who perform this ritual must be accompanied by their wives. The women are symbolically important in the ritual to give a "consent" to all the proceedings in it.[142][136]
Festivals
- See also: Hindu festivals
Iyers celebrate almost all Hindu festivals like Deepavali, Navratri, Pongal, Vinayaka Chathurthi, Janmaashtami, Tamil New Year, Sivarathri and Karthika Deepam.
However, the most important festival which is exclusive to Brahmins of South India is the Āvani Avittam festival.[143]
Weddings
- See also: Iyer Wedding
A typical Iyer wedding consists of Sumangali Prārthanai (Hindu prayers for prosperous married life) , Nāndi (homage to ancestors), Nischayadhārtham (Engagement)[125] and Mangalyadharanam (tying the knot).[144] The main events of an Iyer marriage include Vratam (fasting), Kasi Yatra (pilgrimage to Kasi), Oonjal (Swing), Kanyadanam (placing the bride in the groom's care), Mangalyadharanam, Pānigrahanam [145]and Saptapathi (or seven steps - the final and most important stage wherein the bride takes seven steps supported by the groom's palms thereby finalizing their union).[145] This is usually followed by Nalangu, which is a casual and informal event.[146][147]
Lifestyle and culture
- See also: Culture of Tamil Nadu
Traditional ethics
Iyers generally lead orthodox lives and adhere steadfastly to their customs and traditions. However, of recent, they have started abandoning their traditional duties as temple priests for more secular vocations, causing contemporary Iyers to be more flexible than their ancestors.[148] Iyers follow the Grihya Sutras of Apastamba and Baudhayana apart from the Manusmriti. The society is patriarchal but not feudal.[149]
Iyers are generally vegetarian. Some abjure onion and garlic on the grounds that they activate certain base senses.[150] Cow milk and milk products were approved.[151] They were required to avoid alcohol and tobacco.[152][151]
Iyers follow elaborate purification rituals, both of self and the house. Men are forbidden from performing their "sixteen duties" while Women are forbidden from cooking food without having a purificatory bath in the morning.[148][150] Food is to be consumed only after making an offering to the deities.[153]
The bathing was considered sufficiently purifying only if it confirmed to the rules of madi.[154][150] The word madi is used by Tamil Brahmins to indicate that a person is bodily pure. In order to practice madi, the brahmin had to wear only clothes which had been recently washed and dried, and the clothes should remain untouched by any person who was not madi.[154] Only after taking bath in cold water, and after wearing such clothes, would the person be in a state of madi.[155] This practice of madi is followed by Iyers even in modern times, before participating in any kind of religious ceremony.[150]
.
Until the turn of the last century, an Iyer widow was never allowed to remarry.[158] Once her husband dies, an Iyer woman had to tonsure her head.[159] She had to remove the kunkumam or the vermilion mark on her forehead, and was required to smear her forehead with the sacred ashes. All these practices have, however, greatly dimimished with the enactment of reforms.[160]
Traditional attire
Iyer men traditionally wear veshtis or dhotis which cover them from waist to foot. These are made of cotton and sometimes silk. Veshtis are worn in different styles. Those worn in typical brahminical style are known as panchakacham(from the sanskrit terms pancha and gajam meaning "five yards" as the length of the panchakacham is five yards in contrast to the veshtis used in daily life which are four or eight cubits long). They sometimes wrap their shoulders with a single piece of cloth known as angavastram (body-garment). In earlier times, Iyer men who performed austerities also draped their waist or chests with deer skin or grass.[125]
The traditional Iyer woman is draped in a nine yard saree, also known as madisār.[161]
Patronage of art
For centuries, Iyers have taken a keen interest in preserving the arts and sciences. They undertook the responsibility of preserving the Bharata Natya Shastra, a monumental work on Bharatanatyam, the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu. During the early 20th century, dance was usually regarded as a degenerate art associated with devadasis. Rukmini Devi Arundale, however, revived the dying art form thereby breaking social and caste taboos about Brahmins taking part in the study and practice of the dance.[162][163]
However, compared to dance, the contribution of Iyers in field of music has been considerably noteworthy.[164][165] The Trinity of Carnatic Music were responsible for making some excellent compositions towards the end of the 18th century. Today, there are Iyers who give traditional renderings as well as playback singers in Indian films like Nithyashree Mahadevan , Usha Uthup, Shankar Mahadevan, Mahalaxmi Iyer, Hamsika Iyer and Naresh Iyer . Iyers have also contributed considerably to drama, short story and temple architecture.
In the field of literature and journalism, the Iyer community has produced individuals like R. K. Narayan, R. K. Laxman, Subramanya Bharathi, Kalki Krishnamurthy, Ulloor Parameswara Iyer, and Cho Ramaswamy to name a few. They have also contributed in an equal amount to Tamil language and literature[166][167].
Food
- See also: Tamil cuisine
The main diet of Iyers is composed of vegetarian food[16][168], mostly rice which is the staple diet for millions of South Indians. Vegetarian side dishes are frequently made in Iyer households apart from compulsory additions as rasam,sambar,etc. Home-made ghee is a staple addition to the diet, and traditional meals do not begin until ghee is poured over a heap of rice and lentils. While tasting delicious, the cuisine eschews the extent of spices and heat traditionally found in south Indian cuisine. Iyers are mostly known for their love for curd. Other South Indian delicacies such as dosas, idli, etc. are also relished by Iyers. Coffee amongst beverages and curd amongst food items form an indispensable part of the Iyer food menu.
The food is taken only after it is purified by a ritual called annasuddhi which means "purification of rice".[153]
Agrahāram
In ancient times, Iyers, along with Iyengars and other Tamil Brahmins, lived in exclusive Brahmin quarters of their village known as an agrahāram(in Sanskrit Agram means tip or end and Haram means Shiva). Shiva and Vishnu temples were usually situated at the ends of an agrahāram. In most cases, there would also be a fast-flowing stream or river nearby.[169]
A typical agrahāram consisted of a temple and a street adjacent to it. The houses on either side of the street were exclusively peopled by Brahmins who followed a joint family system. All the houses were identical in design and architecture though not in size.[170][171]
With the arrival of the British and commencement of the Industrial Revolution, Iyers started moving to cities for their sustenance. Starting from the late 1800s, the agrahārams were gradually discarded as more and more Iyers moved to towns and cities to take up lucrative jobs in the provincial and judicial administration.[172][173][170][171][174]
However, there are still some agrahārams left where traditional Iyers continue to reside. In an Iyer residence, people wash their feet first with water on entering the house. [175][176]
Language
- See also: Manipravalam
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Tamil is the mother tongue of most Iyers residing in India and elsewhere. However, Iyers speak a distinct dialect of Tamil unique to their community.[177][178][179]This dialect of Tamil is known as Brāhmik or Brahmin Tamil, but is more popularly known by its colloquial term "Iyer baashai" or "language of Iyers". Brahmin Tamil is highly Sanskritized and has often invited ridicule from Tamil nationalists due to its extensive usage of the Sanskrit vocabulary.[180]However, with Brahmins moving out of their agrahārams to urban centres or migrating to foreign countries, Brahmin Tamil is being increasingly discarded and is facing the prospect of extinction. The Palakkad Iyers have a unique sub-dialect of their own.[181] Palakkad Tamil is characterized by the presence of a large number of words of Malayali origin.[181] The Iyers of Tirunelveli speak a form of Tamil closely allied to the Tirunelveli dialect. The Sankheti Iyers speak a sub-dialect of Brahmin Tamil called Sankheti.
In most cases, Iyers who had settled in different parts of the world are comfortable with the local lingua[110]
Iyengars speak a separate dialect of Tamil called Iyengar Tamil.[177] Some regard the Iyengar speech not as a dialect at all, but only as a sub-dialect of Brahmin Tamil.
- Further information: Brahmin Tamil
Iyers today
Akin to Bengali Brahmins, the Brahmins of South India were one of the first communities to be Westernized. However, this was restricted to their outlook on the material world. They have retained their Smartha traditions despite almost two centuries of western influence.[17]
In addition to their earlier occupations, Iyers today have diversified into a variety of fields — their strengths particularly evident in the fields of Mass Media, science, mathematics and computer science.[182] It is a small percentage of Iyers who voluntarily choose, in this era, to pursue the traditional vocation of priesthood, though all Hindu temple priests are Brahmins.[148]
Social and political issues
Since ancient times, Iyers, as members of the privileged priestly class, exercised a near-complete domination over educational,religious and literary institutions in the Tamil country. [183] Their domination continued throughout the British Raj as they used their knowledge of the English language and education to dominate the political, administrative, judicial and intellectual spectrum. Upon India's independence in 1947, they tried to consolidate their hold on the administrative and judicial machinery . Such a situation led to resentment from the other castes in Tamil Nadu, an upshot of this atmosphere was an "non-Brahmin" movement and the formation of the