Numerous questions have been asked and doubts raised by visitors of namboothiri.com. They have all been responded to by the authorities that serve as our resource personnel. Since most of the questions are so relevant that they supplement the text significantly, and since many others may have had such doubts, an FAQ is being offered to you. We have, of course, banked on the relevance and commonality of the questions for inclusion here.

You may note some differences in the spelling and usage of certain words in the questions and their answers. Your style has been retained (mostly) in the questions, while the somewhat standardised spelling of the web site text has been followed in the answers. A couple of examples: Rigvedin to Rigvedi, Brahmin to Brahmanan, etc.

Click on the question to get its answer.

Q-1. When do Namboothiris (esp. Rigvedi) perform the annual Upaakarmam? Is it according to the Souramaana or the Chandramaana calendar? Tulu Brahmanans do it according to the Souramaana, which, in the year 2000 (for Rigvedis) is on the Ananthachaturdashi day.

Q-2. What is the origin of the name Embranthiri? Does it exclusively apply to Brahmins from South Kanara settled in Kerala?

Q-3. I think, the greatest contribution to the Namboothiri community is that of Sri Aadi Sankaraacharya. It should be prominently displayed in your website. I have a question: I being a Maadhwa Brahmanan, follow Dvaitha (Sri Maadhavaachaarya). Which philosophy does Namboothiris follow?

Q-4. I belong to a Kerala Kshathriya family and am studying at IIT, Madras where I come into contact with students from all over the country, most of them being Brahmanans. Their styles of Sandhyaavandanam differ quite a bit from each other. I saw that the Brahmanans of Tamilnadu have Praanaayaamam in their Sandhyaavandanam. Further I bought a book titled "Om,Gayatri and Sandhya Vandana" published by the Ramakrishna Matth. This also seemed to be more elaborate and contained Praanaayaamam unlike the Sandhyaavandanam which my grandfather taught me. The latter was almost the same as the procedure outlined in the website www.namboothiri.com. So I had a doubt whether this was a shorter version of what I am actually supposed to do. Does the Sandhyaavandanam I obsreve, contain all the procedures prescribed?

Q-5. I have, for many years, been studying the Vedams and teaching Sanskrit to students. I am greatly interested in the living Vedic tradition and any contemporary forms it takes. What are the peak days of the Kadavalloor Anyonyam in the year 2000?

Q-6. Vadkke Madhom is preparing as complete Gothra-Suthra breakdown as possible of the Namboothiri families. Any idea?

Q-7. Are there any Aadhyan families among Saamavedis? How many? What are they?

Q-8. If Aadhyan status attached itself only to those original 8 families who participated in the 99 Yaagams and if there is no original Saamavedi Aadyhan family, who supplied the Udgathans and other Saamaveda specialists in the performance of the 99 Yagams? When the Irinjalakkuda Yajurvedis performed a Yaagam in historical times, who would function as their Hothas? For instance, as you know, in the 1975 Agni, the Adhvyryu was a Kausheethakan, Cherumukku Vaidikan. It is possible to imagine that a Rigvedi picks up enough Yajurvedam to recite the necessary Viniyoga Mantrams of the Yajurvedi needed for the Yaagam; it is harder to imagine a Yajurvedi picking up enough Rigvedam to execute the role of the Hothan or that of a Maithraavarunan. Just think of the Saasthrams like Aasvinasaasthram. In other words, are Hothans always Rigvedis whereas Rigvedis can function as Adhvyryus? So when the Irinjalakkuda Namboothiris conduct an Agnishtomam, would they invite a Rigvedi for the role of the Hothan?

Q-9. Are the Badhoolaka Yajurvedis among Namboothiris known to have performed Yagams?

Q-10. I am assuming that in all Yaagams, none but a Samavedi can be the Udgaathan? Staal notes that while preparing for the 1975 Agni, there were Saamavedis and all other Vedis.

Q-11. Is the demographic ratio (among Namboothiris with Othu) of Rgvedis-Yajurvedis-Samavedis :: 35%-50%-1/8%, given in Staal, NVR:36, final? Has there been a subsequent census taken?

Q-12. What would be a best estimate of a similar demographic ratio among the different Gothrams in the Namboothiri population? When I raised this question during my visit at Vadakke Madhom at Thrissur, Parameswaran Namboodiri (the teacher of general subjects to the boys at the Madhom) told me that this can be easily determined. I remember that he said that there are in all 300 extended Namboothiri families in Kerala and the Gothram information is easily ascertainable.

Q-13. Thurston [Caste and Tribes of Southern India (1909), 5:153-154] says: "I (N. Subramani Aiyar, Thurston's informant) have come across Namboothiris who have referred to traditions in their families regarding villages on the east coast (i.e., Tamil Nadu) whence their ancestors originally came and the sub-divisions of the Smartha caste, Vadama, Brihacharanam, Ashtashasram, Sanketi, etc. to which they belonged. Even to this day, an eastcoast Brahmanan of the Vadadesathu Vadama caste has to pour water into the hands of a Namboothiri Samnyasi as part of the latter's breakfast ritual.

Q-14. Will you please comment on this? I know that the Tamil Brahmanan sub-castes mentioned above are usually Aapastambins if they are Yajurvedis and if Samavedis, followers of Kauthuma Saakha and Draahyaayani Sutra. As you know, these Vedic Saakhaas and Sutraas do not exist among the Namboothiris at all.

Q-15. Did the Poorvasikha knot used to be worn on the left side, right side, or right smack on top of the head? Would you have a good photograph of a Namboothiri with a Kuduma?

Q-16. Are Adi Sankaran's Vedam and Gothram known? You trace the mother to Melpuzha Mana. You merely name the father as Kaipilli Sivaguru.

Q-17. A little about myself: I am a Tamil Brahmanan from a village called Thennilapuram near Alathur in Palakkad district. Baudhayanan, Kaasyapa. I am an English professor here at Howard University. My father's uncle (his mother's brother), a man named Krishnan was poor, that he left his house and finally ended up in his childhood at the Kozhisseri Mana at Shornur. Krishnan was from a Rigvedi family, so he was taught the Samhitha in the Namboothiri style at the Mana along with a boy by name Raman of the Mana. The head of the Mana took both the boys after their mastery of the Samhitha to Vadakke Madhom (Trissur Vedic school) for further training, perhaps in various Vikrithi modes. The Madhom would take Raman, but not Krishnan for obvious reasons. However, the Kozhisseri Mana people approached the Kodungallur Raja and got a special order or injunction to get Krishnan admitted into the Vadakke Madhom. Apparently the latter relented and he was admitted into the Vadakke Madhom and trained for the due period. He returned to Thennilapuram and led the life of a Vaidikan, popularly known as "Namboori Kittan", passing away about the year 1967. What seems extraordinary is that he taught his sons and others in the village the Rigvedam in the Tamil Brahmanan way, by listening to other Tamil Brahmanans recite their way. So that to this day the Graamam has an inside reputation for its Rigveda recitation it possesses the "Namboothiri Aksharasuddhi" (Namboothiri's perfection in pronunciation) combined with the Tamil musicality. I mentioned this story of my grand uncle at the Vadakke Madhom, but they of course have no records. I would say that he was at Vadakke Madhom between 1903 and 1910. If anybody can confirm this story, it would mean a great deal to me. I heard the story from the subject's son, living now in Thennilapuram and aged about 83, by the name Parasurama Ghanapadigal.

Q-18. In a year-long Sattra of the Soma Yaga type, they say that the consecration (Deeksha) should be of 12 days and the Upasads should be another 12 (Is this correct?). What are the ceremonies to be done during the Upasad other than the Pravargya?

Q-19. In this kind of a year-long Yaga, how often is the Soma gathered? Is the Kraya done only once (on the seventh day of the Diksha?)

Q-20. How often are animals sacrificed? Are animals sacrificed each day according to whether it is a Agnishtoma, or Jyothistoma etc. or is it done only once at the end of the sacrificial session?