The Vedanaattu Graamakkaar are the Vedaadhikaari Namboothiri families who domiciled between Periyar (Aluva Puzha) and Muvattupuzha. All of them are Rigvedis. They belong to eight (strictly speaking 7½) Desams as listed below:

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DESAM	ILLAM	YOGAM	GOTHRAM
1. Perumpilly	1. Pallippurath Mana	Thrissur	Aangirasa Baarhaspathya Bhaaradwaajam
	2. Chomaadathu Mana     (At present near Ambalapuzha)	"
	3. Paadivattathu Mana	"
	4. Choozhikunnathu Mana	"
	5. Peringaattu Mana	"
	6. Amedamangalalath Mana	Thirunavaya
	7. Edaattu Mana*	---
2. Muriyamangalam	1. Kizhakkumbhaagath Mana	Thrissur
	2. Komana Mana	"
	3. Moothedathu Mana	"
	4. Mankuzhi Mana	"
	5. Kuzhikkaattu Mana	"
	6. Periyal Mana*	"
	7. Chankrothu Mana*	---
	8. Ayinikkaattu Mana*	---
	9. Mulayamkottu Mana*	---
	10. Perunthaanathu Mana*	---
	11. Kokkara Mana	Thrissur
	12. Puramattathu Mana	---	(Only one female member)
	13. Pilaakkudy Bhattathiri Mana	Thrissur
	14. Aattupurathu Mana*	"	(The present people are Eraliyoor Bhattathiris)
	15. Ambaattu Mana	Thrissur
3. Ekaadasi Desam (a)	1. Vadakkedathu Mana	Thrissur
	2. Thekkedathu Mana	"
	3. Aalungal Palliprathu Mana*	Thirunavaya	(The present people are Mattappilly)
	4. Chaathamangalathu Mana	Thrissur	Aangirasa Pourukuthsyam
	5. Thekkumbhaagathu Mana	Thirunavaya
	6. Padinjaaredathu Mana*	"	(The present people are Athrasseri)
Eravoor Desam (b)	7. Elambrakkodathu Mana	Thrissur
	8. Puliyannoor Mana	"
	9. Maniyampilly Mana*	---
	10. Mambaattu Bhattathiry Mana	---
	11. Edappilly Kuroor Mana	Thrissur
	12. Morakkala (Deerghan) Mana	Thirunavaya
	13. Pera (Alayikkad) Mana	"
4. Raamamangalam (a)	1. Punnorkottu (Swarnathu) Mana	Thrissur	Aangirasa Baarhaspathya Bhaaradwaajam
	2. Edavattikkaattu Mana	Thirunavaya
	3. Cherukara (Chendamamgalam)	Thrissur
	4. Aathrasseri Mana	"	Viswaamithram
	5. Medangala Mana	Thirunavaya	"
	6. Ayiraar Mana	"	"
	7. Thenkodathu Mana	"
	8. Maruthasseri Mana	"	Viswaamithram
	9. Maradi Moothedathu Mana*	"
Raamamangalam (b)	10. Vattaveli Mana	Thirunavaya
	11. Vattaveli Kizhakkedathu Mana	"
	12. Porkkalamattathu Mana	Thrissur
	13. Kottaaram Mana	Thirunavaya
	14. Kanisaamattathu Mana	Thrissur
	15. Thekkinezhathu Mana	Thirunavaya
	16. Nakarakkaattu Mana	"
	17. Uthrayamputhoor Mana*	"
	18. Thenganal Mana	"
	19. Aaryampilly Mana	"
	20. Kunnappilly Mana	Thrissur
	21. Ayinippilly Mana	Thirunavaya	Viswaamithram
	22. Mangalathu Mana	"
	23. Purapperu Mana	"
5. Pazhoor Desam	1. Myalpaazhoor Mana	Thrissur	Aangirasa Baarhaspathya Bhaaradwaajam
	2. Paduthol Mana	"	"
	3. Vadakkillathu Mana	"	"
	4. Karuthedathu Mana	"	"
	5. Thaliyil Mana	"	"
	6. Pulikkaamattathu Mana	"	"
	7. Panamattathu Mana	"	"
	8. Vengakkaattu Mana	"	"
	9. Koroor Mana	"	"
	10. Vadakkan Kuroor Mana	"	"
	11. Thalpanasseri Mana	"	"
	12. Kalampoor Mana	"
	13. Velloor Mana	"
	14. Ambalappilly Mana	Thirunavaya
	15. Paazhoor Mana*	"	(The present people are Thuruthummal Manakkar)
	16. Kollimuttathu Mana	Thrissur	Aangirasa Baarhaspathya Bhaaradwaajam
	17. Kaanjirappilly Mana	Thirunavaya	"
	18. Kaavumkal Mana	"	"
	19. Elamana Mana*	"
	20. Pullyattu Bhattathiri Mana	"
	21. Koodathinkal Mana	"
	22. Edappilly Mana	"
6. Thottara Desam	1. Manayathaattu Mana	Thrissur
	2. Puthuva Mana	"
	3. Makrothu Mana*	---
	4. Nedumbrathu Mana	Thrissur
	5. Thittappilly Mana	Thirunavaya
	6. Mullappilly Mana	Thrissur
	7. Pullyattu Mana	Thirunavaya
	8. Neerkkuzhi Mana	---
	9. Thaamarakkaattu Mana	Thirunavaya
	10. Manalasseri Mana*	---
	11. Alasakkottu (Kesampilly) Mana	Thirunavaya
	12. Vattakkattu Bhattathiri Mana*	---
	13. Kunnappilly Bhattathiri Mana	Thrissur
	14. Uzhuthwa Bhattathiri Mana	---
	15. Eledathu Mana	---
7. Chelaamattom Desam	1. Veliyamkol Mana	Thrissur
	2. Achamangalathu Mana*	---
	3. Thaazham Kaplingaattu Mana	Thrissur
	4. Konnothu Bhattathiry Mana	"
	5. Thottamattathu Mana	"
	6. Nagamcheri Mana	"
	7. Pattasseri Mana	"
	8. Orozhiyathu Mana	"
8. Aayaamkudi Desam	1. Melekkunnu Mana	---
	2. Cherumattom (Chermanal) Mana	Thrissur
	3. Kanjirakkaattu Mana	Thirunavaya
	4. Thuruthiyal Mana	"
	5. Ayyamkuzhi Mana	"
	6. Eledathu Mana	"
	7. Irishi Mana	"
	8. Ettikada Mana	"
	9. Pattona Mana	"
	10. Panthaloor (Pathapura) Mana*	"
	11. Marangatta Mana	"
	12. Thonnasseri Mana	---
	13. Thuruthummal Mana	Thirunavaya
	14. Melmuri Ezhumaavu Mana*	---
	15. Melmuri Padivattath Mana	---
	16. Aayaamkudi Puthusseri Mana*	---

NOTE:

1. The above list was prepared on Makaram 3, 1024 (ME). 2. The Illams marked with asterisk (*) do not exist now. 3. The Yogams of Illams with dashes (---) are not known. 4. Ekaadasi and Eravoor Desams originally belonged to Ekaadasi Desam. It was bifurcated due to political change. 5. In Ramamangalam Desam, numbers 1 to 9 are now in Chelamattom Desam.

Pallippurath Mana was the chairperson of the Graamam for a long period. Pallippurath, Myalpazhoor, Vadakkillathu, Paduthol, Thaliyil, Karuthedathu and Punnorkkottu belong to Pazhoor Griham, and Kizhakkumbhagathu, Vadakkedathu and Thekkedathu belong to Muringoth Griham of Ashtagrihathil Aadhyans. Asikyathu Othikkan and Thottakkattu Othikkan, though they reside in this Graamam, are not Vedanattu Graamakkar. Asikyan belongs to Sukapuram Graamam and Thottakkattu to Alathur Graamam. Kallanikkadu at Ayamkudi now resides there as their Othikkan. Asikyan is Kousheethakan; and the other two are Aaswalaayanans.

Chottanikkara Devi (Lakshminarayanan) is the Graama-Paradevatha. The Graamakkar used to conduct annual Easwara Seva at Chottanikkara from 1st to 12th of the Malayalam month Dhanu. But now that practice is not followed. In every family, Chottanikkara Devi was worshipped with "Padmamittu Pooja" called "Anthi Namaskaaram". Now-a-days this practice is also becoming rare in most of the families.

Originally, the people of the Graamam appointed Edaattu Namboothiry, to look after the affairs of the Graamam temple. When that family became extinct, Ayinikkattu Namboothiry was appointed in that place, with the responsibility to maintain accounts and to submit and get it approved in the annual Graama Yogam (meeting).

After 672 ME, this practice was not followed. In 1065 ME the Kochi Government took over the management of the temple when there were only female members in Ayinikkaattu Mana. Even though certain litigations were conducted for a long period, it continued; and the temple is now with the Kochi Devaswom Board. From those days onwards, the Graama Yogams and Easwara Sevas were not held.

Puliyannoor Namboodiri, Chenas Namboodiri and Manayathaattu Namboodiri are the Thanthry families in this Graamam. All the Vedanaattu Vedaadhikaari families are entitled to participate in the Ettumanoor Pattathaanam conducted by the Raja of Travancore. This also was stopped around 1065 - 70. There was no debate as in the case of Revathy Pattathaanam (Click here) of Tali under Saamoothiri Raja. Each family member who is present on the occasion will get "Vasthrams" (clothes) and the cash will be equally divided.

There were eminent scholars among the Vedanaattu Graamakkaar. Ulloor in his "Saahitya Charithram" mentions a Perumpilly Namboodiri of Vedanaattu Graamam; this family has become non-existent for the last 700 odd years. One Kanisaamattom Narayanan Namboodiri was famous as "Padakkaaran Kanisaamattom" for, there was no one to defeat him in that practice.

One Irishi Namboodiri of Ayamkudi was famous for his "Srautha" knowledge. The last Perunthanam Namboodiri also was a great scholar in this and other fields. Vishachikitsa of Kokkara Namboodiri (Click here) was famous; and he was the "Guru" (teacher) of the then Kochi Visakham Thampuran.

Vedanaattu Graamakkaar opposed the Paswaalambhana Yaagam. Even if a Vedanaattu Graamam Namboothiri takes part in a Yaagam, he should not be present on Paswaalambhanam days. In the famous Yaagam at Aluva conducted by the Travancore Dharmaraaja, even though the predecessor of the author of this article played a great role, he abstained from taking part on the days of Paswaalambhanam. When this author wanted to see the Paajaal Athiraathram, his father asked him to follow the same practice, though there was only Pishta Pasu and no Paswaalambhanam there.

Nedumthuruthi, Tripunithura Puthuva, Vettithara, Chettukaavu and Koramangalam are the Sanghams (Click here to know more about Sanghams or Sanghakkali teams) to which the members of the Vedanaattu Graamam were affiliated.

Apart from the Graamam temple common to all, each Desam has its own Desam temple:

Perumpilly Desam	- Perumpilly temple	(Vishnu)
Ekaadasi Desam	- Ekaadasi Perumthrikkovil	(Sivan)
Muriyamangalam Desam	- Muringoth temple	(Vishnu: Narasimhamoorthy)
Raamamangalam Desam	- Raamamangalam Perumthrikkovil	(Vishnu)
Paazhoor Desam	- Paazhoor Perumthrikkovil	(Sivan)
Thottara Desam	- Thottara Thrikkovil	(Sivan)
Chelaamattam Desam	- Chelaamattam Paddhathi Kovil	(Vishnu)
Aayaamkudi Desam	- Aayaamkudi Perumthrikkovil	(Sivan)

In Vedanaattu Graamam, there are Trikkalathoor Sree Rama temple, Bharathappilly Bharatha temple, Mulakkulam Lakshmana temple and one Sathrughna temple. Of these, the Bharatha temple is in a dilapidated condition and the Sathrughna temple is ruined now. Vaamanamoorthi temples of Thrikkakkara and Velloor are reinstated almost to its old glory, recently.

During the Perumal period, the following were the rulers ("Naaduvaazhis") of each Desam:

Vadavoor Raja of Pralayikkaad	- Chelaamattam Desam
Thachethu Moonnaamkoor Kaimal under Vadakkumkoor Karikode Raja	- Raamamangalam Desam
Vakke Kaimal under the Vadakkumkoor Kaduthuruthi Raja	- Paazhoor, Muringoth and Aayaamkudi Desams
Edappilly Raja under Perumpadappu Swaroopam	- Ekaadasi Desam and Muringoth Desam
Kuru Swaroopam	- Perumbally Desam

Subsequently from 1730 AD onwards, Travancore Raja was the king of Aayaamkudi, Paazhoor, Raamamangalam and Chelaamattam Desams; and Kochi Raja was the king of Perumpilly and Eroor Desams. These political transformations created some changes in the Desams as well, which were originally 7½ in number. Some families became extinct by 1024 (ME) itself (at the time of Lakshmidasa, it was more than 300) and afterwards, those marked by asterisk (*) also became extinct.

There are more than 100 non-Vedic families grouped under each Sangham. There are the Saagara Braahmanans (Click here) and Tulu Braahmanans mainly as Poojaaris in temples. During the invation of Tippu, some families got domiciled here; but they have no connection with the Graamam. The non-Vedic families have connection through the Sanghams.