Who really are the Nambiathiris? What really does the term signify ethno-demographically? Why are there no more Nambiathiris north of Haripad? To get an answer, one must really take a deep and careful look at the history of Travancore and of Kerala as a whole. Furthermore, one should also listen to and evaluate carefully the heritage lore passed on inter-generationally among the traditional Nambiathiri households in Onattukara and surroundings.

Who are the Nambiathiris really? Where are they now?

The term Nambiathiri was in reality used to refer to Namboothiris who specialised in the field of regime administration, having mastered Dhanurvedam (a part of Yajurvedam), the "smrithis" which defined the administrative tenets of ruling, and various other such subjects concerned with the science of governmental skills. Just as the title Bhattathiri was given to scholarly Namboothiris who mastered and specialised in the Vedams, Saasthrams, Samhithas, Vedaantham, Meemaamsa, dialectics, etc., Nambiathiri was just a titular designation awarded to some Namboothiris associated with governmental work. The suffix "thiri" was no more than a symbol of reverential esteem. It is unlikely that they would have been assigned the "thiri" title if they were merely fulfilling the priestly requirements of the Nair community. The Nambiathiris, no doubt, were also functioning as ministerial advisors to Kshathiya kings and occasionally as rulers of small territories. Being preoccupied with ruling and administration, the Nambiathiris were exempt from Vedic studies and practices, though not from the obligatory "Muthal-mura" (one-time mandatory Vedic study and recitation, in between the Upanayanam and the Samaavarthanam). As they did not involve themselves consistently and continually in Vedic studies, they did not have the same esteem and spiritual status as those Namboothiris who performed Yaagams (click) and pursued Vedic practices. However, on important official ceremonies they were accorded the same status and deference as elite Namboothiris. Padmanabha Menon, in his history of Kerala states that the ruler of Kochi had awarded the Nambiathris who were in charge of the regions of Edappalli and Paravoor such a high status, most likely as a reflection of their responsibilities related to governance.

1. It is quite obvious to anyone who cares to look into the history of Kerala that the Nambiathiris were around and about in the region between Kozhikkode and Kollam. There were also quite a few Nambiathiri ménages, large as well as small, some of whom like from Paravoor, Kodungalloor, Indanthuruthi, Perumbilli, Onikkutti, Edappally, Purakkad, Thirumalasseri, Mamalasseri and so on had made their names in history. There are plenty of individual instances that could be cited. In AD 1500, a Portugese sea captain called Albuquerque had visited Kollam, which at that time was ruled by a queen. He has recorded that upon landing, he was received by a Nambiathiri, the then governor of the province. This fact is also recorded in the history of Travancore written by Naagam Ayya. The history of the Cochin dynasty records an instance of a Nambiathiri being married to the sister of the ruling Samoothiri of Kozhikode. It appears that in those days no one below the status and rank of a Namboothiri was considered good enough to marry into the royal household. It is mentioned in the documents of Kunjikuttan Thampuran that there were Namboothiris with the title of "Nambiathiripad" in the village of Panniyoor, up north, and they probably migrated into Paravoor to establish a Nambiathiri household there. One of the eight patrons of the Ettumanoor temple was a Nambiathiri, and the head of that family was the chief patron. It is also attested by Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai in his works that the chief priests of the temple at Trikkakkara were the Nambiathiris of Edappally. (Those historians who confuse Nambiathiri with Elayath and Nambiathi communities should take into account the above facts.)
   
   
2. The term Nambiathiri has been glossed as the head of Braahmin-controlled Armed Forces in both the first ever Malayalam dictionary of Gunthert and in the century-old lexicographic work of Srikanttheswaram.
   
   
3. The Nambiathiris, who at one time were rampant across entire Kerala are today confined to a few Thaluks in the south, and have become totally extinct north of Haripad. Where indeed have the Nambiathiris that used to live in Paravoor, Panniyoor, Thirunavaya, Kodungalloor, Kozhikode, Vaikom, etc. disappeared? There are no reports anywhere at all about the possibility of their having been wiped out or annihilated either. On the other hand, discreet and careful research indicates that they may all have willingly given up the Nambiathiri title and merged into the Namboothiri community at large by reverting to the simple Namboothiri caste name and by inter-marrying into Namboothiri households. It is quite likely that this reversion into the generic caste name may have been a defensive gesture perhaps to escape from the slight stigma that the southern Kerala Namibathiris were pushed under. Some noted instances of this reversion to Namboothri are given below.

   a) The patrons of the very famous Vaikom Mahadevar Temple were the Nambiathiris from Indanthiruthi Mana of Udayanapuram. They are now known to have renounced their title and reverted to being Namboothiris, and two members of this family were known to be chief priests at the Sabarimala temple.

   b) The Nambiathiris of Perumbilli, once very well known in central Kerala, have now become Namboothiris, and are now serving as priests in major temples.

   c) The family in Kudamaloor of Ambalappuzha Deva Narayanan, who was once known as Purakkad Nambiathiri, is now living as Namboothiri.

   d) Of the eight patrons of the Temple of Mahadeva at Ettumanoor, one used to be a Nambiathiri, and he has today reverted to the designation Namboothiri (according to information received from M N N Namboothiripad, formerly with the Malayala Manorama).

What was behind the Nambiathiris' decision to relinquish their titles unlike the Bhattathiris and Nambudiripads? There are reasons to believe that the oppressive measures of Ramayyan Dalava against Namboothiris, and in particular against the Nambiathiris, in and around Onattukara may have instigated the decision. The whole picture will emerge more clearly if we take a look at the Nambiathiris of southern Kerala.

Nambiathiris and Namboothiris

The community that used to minster to the priestly work of high caste Nairs in central and north Kerala were known as Elayathu. The Braahmanan community in southern Kerala that corresponded to the Elayathu of the north and centre were known as "Nambiathis". A few historians like K P Padmanabha Menon and Thiruvangat Krishna Kurup have posited that these Nambiathis were a different community from the Namboothiris. The Malayalam Lexicon (Vol.7, p. 432) has specifically listed Nambiathi and Namboothiri as separate entries. How then did these Nambiathis come to be re-classified as Namboothiris later is an interesting historical matter. Originally, there were quite a few Nambiathiris who were reigning functionaries for various rulers in and around Onattukara. As part of a rancorous attempt to downgrade them to the rank status of the Nambiathis, Ramayyan Dalawa tried to force them to do the priestly rites of the Nair community, which social relegation also resulted in their inability to continue equal status dealings with their kith and kin in other areas. Those who were in commiserative support of these Nambiathiris were not spared persecution either. (vide: Copy of the Report Submitted to the Yogakshema Sabha).

Thus, it so happened that many Nambiathiris lost their real status and were dispossessed and downgraded, partly as a result of the vengefulness of Ramayyan Dalawa, and partly as a way of pre-empting their further initiatives towards organised military activities. Over the years, sharing of the priestly vocation blurred the distinction between the three communities of Elayathu, Nambiathi and Nambiathiri and as the former two communities started taking on the designation of Nambiathiri while still doing their priestly work for the Nairs, the real Nambiathiris tried to shy away from both the designation and the vocation. In any case, in southern Kerala, in particular around Onattukara, the distinction between Nambiathiri and Nambiathi completely disappeared. The potential disgrace of being associated with or identified as a socially inferior community made even the unsullied Nambiathiris in other places shy away from the designation and revert to the simple title of Namboothiri.

In southern Kerala, it is not difficult even today to find real Nambiathiris who got re-classified as Nambiathis because of Ramayyan's spite. Real Nambiathiris have nearly all retained in their homes as keepsakes the sword and shield that used to be the symbols of their power and political sway. These people were patrons of temples and used to have special places in the local temples at festival times. They also had residences with the distinctive style of naalukettu or ettukettu, complete with accompanying snake shrines, domestic ponds and worshipping huts. They didn't do priestly work for the Nairs, and despite some dispossessions during the reigns of Ramayyan and Raja Kesavadasan, they still had substantial land assets.

There may well be another reason why the Nambiathiris and Namboothiris of Onattukara continued to be dispossessed of their status, and this was the arrival into Thiruvananthapuram from Kolathunad of two special clans of Saagara (click) and Samudra Braahmanans, who were given refuge and special protected status from the ravages of Tippu by the Maharaja of Travancore. Their history may well be worth a brief look. [Onattukara is the place where the Thaluks of Karunagappalli, Karthikappalli and Mavelikkara merge.]

Sagara-Samudra Dwijans (Native to Thiruvalla)

The Namboothiris from the Perinchalloor village were the traditional Namboothiris from Kolathunadu. They happened to fall out with the Kolathiri Raja, which resulted in their falling from royal grace. The Namboothiris' growing disinterest in conducting the many Vedic rituals that required their exclusive officiation, displeased the king, who then vowed to teach them a lesson by totally laying them off. With the collaboration of his counterpart from the neighbouring state of Thulunad, the king invited and repatriated 237 (SAAGARA, in Katapayaathi system) (click) families of Haveeka Braahmanans into his own state, by virtually offering them an open hand in meeting all their demands and requirements. These Braahmanans had a life style and priestly traditions compatible with the out-of-favour Namboothiris, particularly in their observations of bereavement-related defilement and related pollutionary practices. These families were settled into five villages. The status, honour and privileges of these migrants soon lured another 257 (SAMUDRA, in Katapayaathi system) families of the same group, who invited themselves in. Not only were they not made to feel unwelcome, but the king also helped them settle by allocating them four new villages. The former, in the five villages, were dubbed as "loners" (Otta) and the latter in the four villages, as "duals" (Eratta). The former group of "loners", however, snobbishly deemed themselves a cut above the "duals" and declined to mix or intermarry with them. Soon, the original Namboothiris of Perinchalloor managed to patch up their differences with the King, and slowly regained their prime status. Over a hundred families from these migrants sought refuge in Travancore during the period of Tippu's military advancements. The king of Travancore not only gave them refuge but also provided them with facilities for communal settlements as well as priestly work in near-by temples. He also built for them a temple at Chakrakshaalana Puram, near Thiruvalla. These charitable deeds apparently earned the King of Travancore the title of "Dharma Raja". It is possible that the king of Travancore's special welcome to these migrant Braahmanans may have been partly a gesture of goodwill towards the king of Kolathiri and partly a snub for the local Braahmanans, who were unconvinced of his rights to royalty as he was not a Kshatriyan.

The acceptance and integration of these migrant Braahmanans, and the subsequent assignation of "Namboothiri" title to them were politically astute moves. It pre-empted the possibility of the resurgence of local Braahmanans. In a few generations, it became impossible to tell the migrants from the original locals as they all were designated by the same label of Namboothiri.

On the league with the Sagara-Samudra Dwijans, the Pottis ("Embraan") from Thulunad and from Tanjavoor in Tamil Nadu, who arrived in Kerala as temple priests, are also currently known as Namboothiris. Lack of real information about who really and originally was a Namboothiri has casued a trend in southern Kerala, from Ernakulam southwards, to associate the title Namboothiri with any person who does the priestly duties in a temple.

The younger, more recent generations are most likely unaware of several realties that defined and identified the original Namboothiris:

• that their residences extended to sacrariums, cleansing ponds and (snake) shrines;
• that they performed ritual worship and held temple patronages;
• that they were the originators as well as patrons of temple arts;
• that they were known for their scholarship, modesty and integrity;
• that they were both proponents and patrons of the arts and the sciences;
• that they were highly honoured and respected in royal courts, etc.

1. Pooyappalli Illam, Haripad. (Even now called Pittambil Kottaram by the locals). This family had patronage of five important temples. They still own an ancient temple of Sastha.
2. Meppilli Illam, Kayamkulam. (Also known as Vettikkottillam). This family also owns a famous temple of Nagaraja, believed to have been installed by Parasuraman, where thousands of devotees congregate daily.
3. Chiramukathu Illam, east of Mavelikkara. (The family is also known as Chiramukathu Panikkar). Patron of Ayyappa Temple at Kottukulanji.
4. Ayiratathu Illam, Mallappalli