Tamil Brahmins are divided into two major denominations: Iyers, who follow the Smarta tradition, and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism.
A minor population of Tamil Brahmins is also found in Sri Lanka, where, although its negligible demography, it formed an influential component of the Sri Lankan Tamil society since the foundation of the Jaffna Kingdom. This community, exclusively composed of the Iyer caste, was mainly strengthened by the more recent settlement of migrants from Southern India, mostly from the second half of the 18th century. This community should not be confused with the Ceylon's Indian Iyers, settled in the southwestern and central parts of the island in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
The Iyengars subscribe to the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. They are divided into two denominations: Vadakalai (Northern art) and Tenkalai (Southern art), each with minor differences in religious rites and traditions. They adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. Temple priests of the Sri Vaishnavite tradition are called Bhattacharyar, Bhattachar, or Bhattar.
Adi Saiva/Gurukkal and Dikshitar
In Tamil-speaking regions of India, two castes of Tamil Brahmins are further found. These communities are specialised into priesthood and ritual accomplishments.
Those who serve as priests in temples following the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition and perform pujas are the Gurukkal, or Ayyan. Peculiarly known as such in the northerly regions of Tamil Nadu, they are also called Bhattar in Pandyanad, the southerly portion of Tamil Nadu. In Kongunad, a territory expanding on the western side of the state, they are named the Adi Saiva (among other spellings Adishaiva, Adi-Shaiva, etc.; from Sanskrit Ādiśaiva, आदिशैव), or the Sivacharya. They follow the Agamas, the Vedas, and are distinguished by their rigorous observation of the Saiva Siddhanta faith and philosophical tradition. While forming an endogamous Tamil Brahmin community on their own, they are offered a distinct category in the demographic surveys conducted by the Government of Tamil Nadu, classified outside the Brahmin community (listed as '713.Brahmanar' (Brahmin)), as '703.Adi Saivar' and '754.Saiva Sivachariyar', in the list of forward castes.
The priests serving the temple of Thillai Natarajar (Shiva) at Chidambaram are known as the Dikshitar, or Potu Dikshitar. They form a distinct and endogamous community, entirely dedicated to conduct worship and rituals in that sanctuary. The Dikshitars are chiefly found in Chidambaram and its surrounding region.
Notable people
Sage Agastya, Indian sage revered in Hinduism, Tamil Siddhar in the Shaivism tradition, and author of Agattiyam, an early grammar of the Tamil language
↑Dutta, Ranjeeta (September–October 2007). "Texts, Tradition and Community Identity: The Srivaisnavas of South India". Social Scientist. 35 (9/10): 22–43. JSTOR27644238. (subscription required)
↑Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p.191.
↑Viswanathan, S. (26 February – 11 March 2005). "The patriarch of Tamil". Frontline, Vol. 22, Issue 5. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
↑"A gentleman Brahmin". Hindustan Times. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2023. he was like all displaced Tamil Brahmins
↑Colapinto, John (4 May 2009). "Brain Games: The Marco Polo of neuroscience". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 January 2022. In 1991, he became interested in the work of Tim Pons, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Mental Health, who had been investigating the ability of neurons in the sensory cortex to adapt to change.
↑Kanigel, Robert (1991). The Man Who Knew Infinity: a Life of the Genius Ramanujan. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp.11–12. ISBN978-0-684-19259-8.
↑"Srinivasa Varadhan". Abel Prisen. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018. I came from a Brahmin community, viewed by the government as privileged, and there was reverse discrimination
↑"How Brahmins became invisible in Tamil Nadu's politics". The Times of India. 12 April 2019. ISSN0971-8257. Retrieved 3 July 2024. Though many Brahmins like R Venkataraman, Mani Shankar Aiyar, and Subramanian Swamy shot into prominence in politics in later years, they chose to operate from Delhi.
Witzel, Michael (1993). "Toward a History of the Brahmins". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 113 (2): 264–268. doi:10.2307/603031. ISSN0003-0279. JSTOR603031.
