Ambalavasi

Ambalavasi is the name of a Kerala community (not to be confused with caste) composed of a number of Hindu castes such as Pushpakas (Unni, Nambeesan, etc.), Chakyar, Moothath, Ilayath, Kurukkal, Warriers, Marar, Nambiar etc. Traditionally, they perform temple related jobs and artforms.

Etymology

The term Ambalavasi is derived from two words namely Ambalam (Temple) and Vasi (Inmate). The members of Ambalavasi community were dwellers and assistants in the Temples. Since they resided in the premises of temple, they came to known as Ambalavasis, meaning Temple-inmates.

Profession

The main profession of the Ambalavasis was assistance in temples. Each caste of the Ambalavasi community had fixed duties to perform. The Ambalavasis had to perform duties known as Kazhakam which was more of maintenance of the temple premises and providing assistance to the Namboodiri priests.

Castes in the ambalavais community

Ambalavais include various castes like Chakyar, Nambiar, Unni, Nambeesan, Ilayathu, Mūttatu (Moosad), Warrier, Marayar (Marar), Pothuval, Pisharody, Nambidi, Kurukkal, Adikal etc .Each set of people carried out certain jobs. For instance the Chakyars and Nambiars performs the Koothu & Koodiyattam, Warriers were temple administrators, Marayars were the ceremonial musicians, Nambeesans and Unnis were garlend makers and teachers etc.

Of the various castes in the Ambalavasi community, the members of the castes like Unni, Nambeesan,Ilayathu, Mūttatu,Nambidi and Chakyar wear the sacred thread "Yajñopavītam"(Pūnūl). They are known as Yajnopaveetadharis. Most of the remaining Ambalavasi castes do not wear the sacred thread.

Each of the Ambalavasi castes claims to be greater than the other, but historically speaking they all had more or less equal status. Wearing the sacred thread doesnt mean that the former is a greater caste. It can be said that Mūttatu headed the threaded while Pisharody headed the non threaded Ambalavasis.

The major castes in the amblavasi community are listed below.

Caste	Male surname	Female surname	Profession	House	Remarks
Ambalavasi Castes
Pushpakas	Nambeesan, Unni, Nambi or Nambidi	Brahmani or Amma	Teaching, Lamp works, Floral works, Theeyattu	Pushpakam or Madham	Pushpakan Unnis are associated with Teaching and Garland Making while Theeyattunnis are associated with Bhadrakali Theeyattu
Moothathu	Moothathu	Manayamma	Performing rituals for Nairs	Illam
Ilayathu	Ilayathu	Amma	Performing rituals for Nairs
Pothuval	Pothuval		Performing rituals for Nairs	Pothuvatt
Chakyar	Chakyar	Illottamma	Performers of Kooth
Nambiar	Nambiar	Nangyar	Temple arts like Tiyattu, Kooth,Thullal	Madham	Theeyattu Nambiars are associated with Ayyappan Theeyattu and Mizhav Nambiars are associated with Kooth and Thullal
Variar	Variar	Varasyar	Temple accountants and managers	Variam
Marar	Marar	Marasyar or Amma	Temple music like Sopana Sangeetham	Marath
Adikal	Adikal	Adisyar or Adiyaramma	Performing rituals for Nairs
Pisharody	Pisharody or Sharody	Pisharasyar or Sharasyar	Performing rituals for Nairs	Pisharam
Kurukkal	Kurukkal	Amma	Suppliers of milk-related products to temples
Pilappalli

A brief description of each of these castes are given below:

Pushpakas

Pushpakas are lower class Brahmins in Kerala. The Pushpaka Brahmins show attributes of both the Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Hence this caste is generally considered as an intermediate caste between Brahmins and Kshatriyas. They are commonly known as Arddhabrahmanar i.e. Semi-Brahmins. The Pushpakans are believed to be the lowerclass of brahmins in Kerala. Although they wear the Yajnopaveetam or the sacred brahminical thread and perform the Upanayanam, they were not considered Brahmins in the true sense of the term, but superior Ambalavasis.

There are various sub-castes within the Pushpaka caste. These include Nambeesans, Unnis, Nambis and Nambidis. The surname Nambeesan is used in North Kerala while Unni is used in South Kerala. In the Middle Kerala, both surnames are common.

Males of pushpakas served as teachers in Pathasalas, as assistants to the main priest and as lamp-bearers (vilakkeduppukaar), while females served as garland makers and as cleaners of inner cortyard of temples.

As per the famous Parasurama myth, the warrior sage Bhargava Rama (Parasurama) is said to have brought a group of Brahmins to Kerala of which 64 families were allowed to conduct the ceremonies in the temples. They became the Namboothiris. The remaining families of Brahmins became their assistants and were not allowed inside the Sree Kovil or main shrine of the temple. They came to known as Pushpaka Brahmins as their work was associated mainly with flowers.

Muthatu and Elayathu

The Mūttatu and Elayathu castes performed religious ceremonies for lower class Nairs. Like Pushpakas, they are also regarded as lower class brahmins.

Warrier

Variyers were temple administrators. The word "Variyar" has originated from Tamil, meaning a person who maintains the accounts (in short, "Accountant"). In the pre-Namboodiri era of Keralam, the agricultural property of every village belonged to a village temple. There was an elected committee to administer the temple and the properties. The Manager or Accountant of this committee was called Variyar, and he was accountable to the Committee. Managing the temple and providing materials required for "nivedyam," cleaning vessels used for the preparation of "nivadyam" and "puja", daily maintenance of the temple premises, etc., were responsibilities of the Variyar's family. Warrier ladies were known as Warasyars

Marar

Also it may be worth mentioning that in Travancore, the Marars are not typically considered members of the Ambalavasi caste but Nairs.

Pisharody

The Pisharodys have originated from a Brahmin who was on the verge of becoming a Sanyasin as per the then existent customs but ran away in the last moment.That is also the reason why Pisharodys did not burn their dead. Another story about the origin of Pisharodies is that they are the hindus converted from Buddhist religion in the period of Sankaracharya. The origin of the name is traced from the name Bhikswaradiakal, associated with Buddhism in Kerala. Pisharody ladies were known as Pisharasyars or Sharasyars.

Classification

Ambalavasis formed an intermediate class between Brahmins and Kshatriyas. There are similar Brahmin communities found all over India. Niyogi Brahmins of Andhra, Chithpaavan Brahmins of Maharashtra, Bhumihars of Bihar, Mohyal of Punjab, Tyagis of West Uttar Pradesh etc. are Brahmin communities which have the same status of Ambalavasis in Kerala. Besides all, the foreign travellers in Kerala classed the Ambalavasis with the Foreign Brahmins like Konkanastha Brahmins, Iyers etc while making records.

Gotras

Of the various castes the Yajñopavītadhāris (Sacred-thread wearing Ambalavais) like Unnis,Nambeesans, Mūttatu etc. belong to the Viswamitra Gotram. They adheres to the 'Gayatri' mantra.

The non-threaded Ambalavasis belong to Kaushika Gotram and adheres to Panchakshara mantra. However, some of the non-threaded Ambalavasi castes claim different Gotras. For example,the Pisharodys claim that they belong to the Vaikuntha Gotram and the Warriers claim that they belong to the Kailasa Gotram as they are mentioned in the Keralolpathi text as Vaikuntha Vasis and Kailasa Vasisrespectively. Pothuvals donot have a Gotra.

Services

Ambalavasis were temple employees but they were not aristocratic like the Namboodiris. In the past they resided within the temples in their quarters and were sustained by the temple. They were simple people who lived at the benevolence of the temple. The main ceremonials in the temples were carried out by the Namboodiris while assisting them was the duty of the Ambalavasis. Each of the castes in this community was associated with specific jobs.

Other than their services in the temple the Ambalavasis were the priests for the lower castes as well. Mūttatu (Muttatu/Moosad), Ilayatu(Elayathu), Nambidi and Nambeesans conducted the various religious sacrifices for the Nairs, though not in the temples while the Marayars conducted the birth, wedding and death ceremonies of lower Nair subcastes in Travancore. Elayatu is the traditional purohit (priest) of Nayars who conduct the after-death rites for them in Malabar.

The Ambalavasis, specially the Pushpakans and the Pisharodys were masters of the Sanskrit language. They worked as teachers in Pathasalas associated with Temples.

Art Forms

The contribution of Ambalavasis of Kerala to the cultural heritage of India in the fields of art is substantial in everysense. Ambalavasis has through the centuries developed several art forms of a religious or quasi-religious character. The major art forms developed by Ambalavasis are:

Customs and Ceremonies

For the Pushpakans among the Ambalavasis, many customs were similar to the Namboodiris though not exactly the same. Likewise the Ambalavasis proper followed most of the Nair customs and traditions though not exactly the same. Period of pollution after births and deaths for the Ambalavasis was always lesser than that of the Nairs.

Prominent Ambalavasis

Kottarathil Sankunni- Famous Malayalam writer; Writer of Aithihyamala
Kunchan Nambiar - Inventor of the performing art called Thullal
Ikkanda Warrier - Prime Minister of Cochin
P.S Warrier - Visionary Ayrvedic Doctor and founder of Arya Vaidya Sala of Kottakkal
Prof. P.R. Pisharoty - Famous physicist and meteorologist
Unnayi Warrier- a great author from irinjalakuda, composed nalacharitam in malayalam
Neralattu Rama Poduval - Sopanam artist, recipient of kendra sahitya akademi award
K.Karunakaran - former Chief Minister of Kerala
Manju Warrier - Actress
Divya Unni - Actress
Sharath Marar - Film Producer

References

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 56, 1926 (1926), pp. 83-89
Travancore State Manual by V.Nagam Aiya

External links