In Karnataka, bride's family takes care of the entire marriage expenses (done grandly normally) and good dowry paid. Logic is that the girl gets no share of parents' wealth. I doubt if a trading community would have been banished from any kingdom. They are so important to keeping the wheels of the kingdom running that no king would antoganise them (unless they were supporting enemies) Siva
so, iam starting off to puhaarpattinam.. to find any wealth of those people remain...
there is also a legend saying that during ancient tamil period ladies used their gold earrings to shoo away the birds.. but my doubt is that if they were so rich why did they not allow the birds to feed...
There is a story regarding Nagarathar community's wealth in Puhar (kaviripoompattinam). I am not sure about the authenticity. However, here it is :
All the doors in the house of nagarathar used to have thangakumizhgal / muthukumizhgal at that time. On seeing this, chola king ordered that they should be immediately replaced (obviously he would have thought that nagarathars were showing off). Nagarathars simply obliged and they have replaced these with rathinakumizhgal !!
Chlola king got furiated and ordered the nagarathars to evacuate the city.
similarly, when paarivallal sees "mullaikkodi" is looking out for hold to grow, he has left his thaer to mullaikkodi. What an idiotic way ? He could have simply arranged some post/pillar/pandhal for mullaikkodi.
Even you accept his attitude of helping mullaikkodi in need, logically whether it makes any sense ?
Similarly, pegan offering his shawl to dancing mayil. Another idiotic piece of act, mayil megam vandhaal aadathaan seyyum. Adhu kooda theriyaamal enna arasano ?
In PS, Thirukkovilur Malaiyaman (AK's thaththa) should be parivallal's parambarai. Since, we know that after Pari's death, Avvaiyaar had taken care of pari's daughters (Angavai & Sangavai) and avvai had conducted the marriage of these two daughters to Thirukkoilur mannan (maybe kurunila mannan).
Any interesting link available in this thread/thinking ?
the nagaraththars still celebrate a one week long home coming in poompuhar every year. called patinathar vizha i think. there is a lovely cofee table book by s.muthiah on chettiar heritage. one should see it to visualise the splendour.
en kittaya neenga bayappadareenga??? no way...neengalaavadhu ennai paathu bayapadradhaavadhu....
thanjavur rani vandhu afterall chennai kuppam paiyyanai paathu bayappadradhaa...
sari sari.. anyway thanjavur vara mudiyaadhunnu ninaikkiren... ennu theriyalai i have never been able to visit thanjai and surrounding places.. edho onnu thaduthunde irukku....
Should be 1st - 4th Century AD. Depth of Information on these is available in Purananuru. On PAri , ther and mullaikodi.
He might have come across, the mullai kodi, he found it is one the way and passers stamp on it, or just pass thier Ther over it.
To aviod it, he made it climb over this chariot. Usally, a King is accopnaied to soldiers and minister. So the capability of building pillar at that moment was not thier. His act is generous, and was instantaneous. And that was his asset.
He has also built a powerful fort and his kingdom was inaccessible to even moovendhars. His death was conspired. Even mooventhars dare not to fight him upfront.
There are many songs that praise his Valour. But, Tamils, praise generosity rather than anything. We should actually be proud.
Being Born and bought up from one the the prime town of Nagarathar..I'd like to add few words here.(I don't belong to that community):
1. I heard like, Nagarathar suffered a huge loss b'cos of flood or tidal wave or Tsunami at Kaveripattniam(Pumpuhar) at some time of our history and hence moved inside (far away from coastal/kaveri area).
2. They were to find a safer place from water yet the place shouldn't be scarce of water facility - Hence choose the current Chettinad area, where you find good source of Ground water and no nearby river, around 50kms from coast.
3. Still, they build their houses high from the ground level - you can see all the chettinad houses atleast 3-4 feet from ground level. Some houses even ard 6 feet from ground.. A flight of stairs to enter the house as if you are climbing a mountain..Just for safety from any flood..(u might have seen those houses in many of tamil movies..)
4. Yup..they got the 9 temples - and those who belong to the same Temple are brothers and sisters - they've to find their fiancees from other temple only..And b'cos of scarcity of girls, nowdays the community cheifs are changing their rule to go for marriages within same temple.. I think the change is happen'g slowly.
5. They follow a tight community relations.. I don't know the reason for the dowry system.. But amazed to see/hear their dowry system, marriage customs etc.,. - 3 days of marriage function
6. The "seer" to the Girl will be displayed - those items will take a full house(rem, Chettinad houses will have entrance in one street and exit in the another street..)and it includes their hereditary utensils to modern equipments..u can see the initials marked on those vessals going this.. "Ka. Ru. Me. Ye. Ka....." like wise showing up how many generations it has been tranferring..
7. But remember the girl/boy will get all these hereditary wealth only if they marry in their commiunity.. they strictly against cross community marriages -- Even our Fin. Minister(P.C) won't able to attend all his family hereditary functions b'cos he married other community lady..
8. I think the old proverb "Veedai katti paru, kalyanam panni paru" specifically meant from this community - where both are mega events..
My 2 c.. Yet somebody from the same community can enlighten us more..
> 4. Yup..they got the 9 temples - and those who belong to the same > Temple are brothers and sisters - they've to find their fiancees > from other temple only..And b'cos of scarcity of girls, nowdays the > community cheifs are changing their rule to go for marriages within > same temple.. I think the change is happen'g slowly.
comment each koyil has an utpirivu
for large koyil like mathurkoyil utpirivu marriages are allowed
but otherwise it is taboo for a same group marriage
even adoption( which is a major event in this community, you cant adopt a guy from another pirivu also)
people are very strict about it. for the marriage the main maalai has to come from that temple. otherwise its not a marriage sanctioned by the community
> > 7. But remember the girl/boy will get all these hereditary wealth > only if they marry in their commiunity.. they strictly against cross community marriages -- Even our Fin. Minister(P.C) won't able to attend all his family hereditary functions b'cos he married other > community lady..
comment: minister p .chidambaram attends all family functions. as far as i know he even got a share in the family business( mill and estate) but only did not get a share in the house in chennai.
I think this practise is across many communities in TN. In my community ( I hate to use the word caste! ) when they seek marriage alliance, they first query the name of the family deity. If it is the same, they reject the alliance, unless there is a very compelling reason. After the first level filteration is done, they check if having the same family name ( "vahaiyara" in Tamil ) If having the same family name, the allianc is totally rejected - cause they will be brothers and sisters...
>>>>Is the Minister allowed to attend the "Padaippu" which is strictly for their family/Community members which is highly hereditary Custom?
(the padaippu is anscestor worship function where the fore fathers are honoured with dress and favourite dishes. sometimes the anscestor being worshipped is several generations away.)
I will surely enquire this with somebody close to their family. and let you know. and by the way in which chettinad town did you grow up??
Dear Raj That was very enlightening and I would totally agree that all you have said is true because a very close freind of mine belongs to this community and wE were in aew when we went to his sisters wedding... One of the things we found disturbing is the display which was spread across a whole house..bou displaying langerie and feminine hygenic items....MM thats a bit too much Second thing I have notices is even between father and son they maintain very strict finalcial formalities in kodukkal vaangal Its sad those ancient mansions werent put to good use as most of them were empty with their families seeking better pastures just visiting once in a while... I heard that some of them are now used as heritage homes like in rajastahan for tourism purposes
Hai meena this book is about one of the 9 temples of chettinad. the first temple with the richest members of the society coming under this koyil
written by the editor of kumudam chettiars ( nagarathars)have a wonderful sense of honouring the past. in fact in any of the main 9 temples the first right to the puja goes to a member of the ilayathangkudi koyil ( okkur pirivu) because one of its members in the hoary past sacrificed his life for a community cause.( was willingly beheaded for a sacrifice says one story)
this book was released on the recent kumbabishekam of the temple half the book is of tales and history of the community. the other half slokams and pathigams. but one of the best books when you rate by print quality i think sps started this discussion based on this book
but the real must see is chettiar heritage by s. muthiah published by east west books. costs 2500 or so. will find out if i can scan some fotos of it on to the site.