News :  PhD in Mech. Engg at Shiv Nadar University                              Food Story: The evolution of the Nadar cuisine                              Shiv Nadar: The outstanding philanthrophist                              Reliving the historic temple entry                              Members Celebrating Anniversary Today...                              Members Celebrating Birthday Today                              Welcome onboard Nadarsangam.com the Official Web Site for the World Nadar Community                              
Society & Social Issues > Lifestyle

Genesis of SuryaVamsham Ethnic Group

The sub sect, Nadar climber, was eradicated by the Northern Nadars through the process of Sanskritisation, Social Reformation and Surya Vamasam Kshathriya practices. The Northern Nadars are today predominantly wealthy merchants and they have not even any memory of Palm Jaggery, Palm juice or toddy associated with their ancestors 6 generations back.

However these confrontations aided the community to protest for the required rights and privileges, with integrity, and also test how much other communities were willing to buy the claims of the Nadars' high status. The Northern Nadar leaders then sought to unite their community by encouraging intermarriages within the five major Nadar subcastes and also uplift the depressed palmrya Nadar climbers. They also sought to maintain amiable relationships with other communities. This led to the formation of the Nadar Mahajana sangham in 1910.

the Northern Nadar leaders sought to unite the community by encouraging intermarriages within the five major Nadar subcastes. To encourage Nadar caste fusion, the community associations framed several cultural, ethical values to be followed by the community as part of customs and Traditions. These included practices such as strict personal Teetotalism, encouraging partial vegetarian or total vegetarian concepts, stopping animal sacrifices in family deity temples, following same food culture and unified cuisine within the community, reforming and simplifying with specific customs specially assigned for Nadar birth ceremonies, Nadar marriage ceremonies and Nadar death ceremonies.

For Nadar marriage ceremonies, the concept of SuryaVamsham descendancy was introduced. The Brahmin agni fire custom was replaced with the concept of bring Surya –Chandra worship and their presence in solemnising the marriage. The Nadars were specifically advised to mark the symbol of Sun and Moon in the Gold part of the Thali which is worn over the bride by the groom. The Nadars having undergone through humiliation for several centuries under Nayak rule in Madurai and understood that in order to accumulate wealth Gold is very essential to survive in trade and mercantilism. Hence they replaced the traditional “Majal Thali Kayiru” of Tamil customs with atleast a little of gold with sun and moon symbols as the traditional Thali to be gifted by groom to the bride. All the customs and practices were advised to the new couple to attain the characteristics of the Kshathriya characters of Surya Vamsham.

Bsram B

subscriber

I am a writer.

Article comments

Leave a Reply