Pathukudi
Encyclopedia
Pathukudi is a Malayalam
speaking Hindu community- mostly centered in Palakkad district
of Kerala
state, India
. The community is found mainly in Panangattiri
village of Kollengode
sub distrct, of Palakkad district and spread across Vallanghy, Nemmara
, Alathur
, Vadavannur
and Vithanaserry.
Other names used to refer this community are PathuMadom and Dashagotram.
/Malayalam
words namely ‘Pathu’ and ‘Kudi’ –which mean ten families,ten households,ten clans,ten classes, ten Gotra
s or ten mutts. The other names of this community are DashaGotram and PathuMadom, which also imply the same meaning.
. They were considered as elite class in Poompuhar society and had a dignified life as equal to Chola emperor. The community has its origin from the direct disciples of JnanaSambandhan
(a Brahmin child saint who revived Hinduism in Tamil land-7th century CE). The people of the community were expertise in both classical Tamil
and Sanskrit
languages. Though they were followers of Shaivite sect of Hinduism
, they were also worshippers of Vishnu
, Indra
and Iravan
. They were vegetarians and scholars of Vedic sciences and philosophies apart from their business profession. Though this community had business profession and had later adopted ‘Shreshthi’ (Chetti) title, they did not mix with other Vaisya communities and have lived according to Brahmin tradition. These merchant Brahmin lords had maintained a separate army and land in Chola Empire and were authorized to collect tax
es in their region.
s and other precious stones on their path to divert the attention of the soldiers. The soldiers spent much of the time to search these valuables in the sandy road. Though they escaped from soldiers but they could not find a solution when the nature came as an obstacle. It was a rainy season in Poompuhar. The Cauvery River was overflowing and they found it difficult to cross the river. They prayed at lord Ganesh temple nearby the river to save them if their deed was right. Their prayer got answered. The river got turned into two branches to enable them to cross the river without any difficulty. It is said that another Vaisya group who accompanied with them have taken a different route from there when they reached Avinashipattanam. By the advice of their Kula Guru they met Kollengode king. But Kollengode king asked them to contact Zamorin king of Kozhikode
.
, Puranas
and on other various subjects. He had honored them by asking them to sit on silk-bed. While their stay at Kozhikkode, Chola emperor had sent his ambassadors to request the Zamorin to send them back to Poompuhar. But Zamorin had refused to do so and informed that the community is the distinguished guests of his kingdom. The community leaders then discarded their sacred thread after accepting the titles like Vadhyar, Panicker
, Chettiyar (this title is a continuation from Poompuhar), Moothotty and Mannadiar from Zamorin. The king allowed the ten Mutts to be settled at his autonomous area in Palakkad called Panangattiry (which was also a land in dispute between kings of Palakkad and Zamorin). He asked both his counterparts of Kollengode and Palakkad to permit the community to lead an independent life as their own which should not be challenged by anyone of them at any cost.
, and lord Ganesh and for their tutelary deity lord Iravan. (Lord Iravan temple is only one temple for Iravan at Kerala state) The chief of the community became ‘Palakan’ (ruler or chieftain) of the land and has used title as Rajah in front of the name. Their mutts became known as ‘Tharavads’ as in local name and Rajah’s one was known as ‘Kovilakom
’. He used the lion depicted flag. Some families migrated to different parts of Palakkad afterwards.
s and agriculturalists. Their growth became stagnant at one stage due to rigid customs and disunity between different Tharavads. Later some Tharavads got ruined and after that some of the members were became administrators in aristocratic Nair
Tharavads. The community found a short fall in their count later because they were minority section in population in Kollengode. It is due to the same Gotra marriage is not permitted according to the customs and also alliances with other caste/-allied communities were strictly prohibited. So they solved the problem by splitting some ‘Tharavads’ in to two numbers. But this was not a permanent solution. Then some ‘Tharavads’, which migrated to Kollengode, made alliance with Tharakan community (an Arya Vaisya community originated from Poompuhar) and a new community has originated in that region called ‘Pathukudi-Tharakan’ community. Some tharavads of Pathukudi community got revived later on with new names in Pananagattiri land.
The following are the temples built by Pathukudi community at Panangattiry:
Lord Iravan is the tutelary deity of Pathukudi community.He is the son of legendary warrior Arjuna and the Naga
princess Uloopi. He is also called as Koothandavar or Koothanda colloquially. Iravan is worshipped in Tamil Nadu as ‘Aravan ‘ as a village deity. (In Tamil ‘Aravan’ effigy a cobrahood shelters His head which shows his Naga affiliation.) The idol placed in the sanctum sanctorum is a younger form of Iravan who is holding bow and arrow. Lord Krishna
‘s idol is also installed in the same Garbha Griha.
They also built temples for Siva, Serpent gods, Bhagavathy and Mariamman in Panangattiri. Among various lamp poles dedicated to Sri Pudussery temple at Palakkad by various communities, Pathukudi community’s one is the largest one, which is also considered as main and sacred nature.
The community follows patriarchal system.
They wore tuft in front of their head as like Nairs and Namboothiris.
Being a Trivarnika community, the after death pollution (pula) is only for ten days.
The unique Chitragupta
festival /Indrotsavam is celebrating by the community as a part of continuation of their Poompuhar life.
They observe Pillayar Noimbu for lord Ganesh like Tamil Brahmins and all Vaisya communities.
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
speaking Hindu community- mostly centered in Palakkad district
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The community is found mainly in Panangattiri
Panangattiri
Panangattiri is a village in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, India.-Etymology:Panangattiri-The word derived from "PANNAGADRI",which means "VAIKUNDAM-where Lord Mahavishnu is"...The main attraction is Lord Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple which is the most rarest in...
village of Kollengode
Kollengode
Kollengode is a small town in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India.Kollengode, 19 km from Palakkad town, has endless green paddy fields, an ancient Vishnu temple and the Kollengode Palace, built in the traditional Kerala architectural style....
sub distrct, of Palakkad district and spread across Vallanghy, Nemmara
Nemmara
Nemmara is a predominantly rural village in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala in India. Nemmara and Vallangi form the two parts of this village.-Location:...
, Alathur
Alathur
Alathur is a small town in the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India. It is the headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated at the south west end of the district 24 km from the district headquarters at Palakkad. Alathur Taluk is predominantly rural and has an agricultural economy...
, Vadavannur
Vadavannur
Vadavannur is a predominantly agricultural village in Chittur Taluk in the Palakkad District of Kerala, India. Vadavannur is also a Panchayat. Neighbouring Panchayats of Vadavannur are Kollengode, Puthunagaram, and Pallasena.- Pictures of Vadavannur :...
and Vithanaserry.
Other names used to refer this community are PathuMadom and Dashagotram.
Etymology
Pathukudi- the word is derived from two TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
/Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
words namely ‘Pathu’ and ‘Kudi’ –which mean ten families,ten households,ten clans,ten classes, ten Gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s or ten mutts. The other names of this community are DashaGotram and PathuMadom, which also imply the same meaning.
Poompuhar Parvam (Poompuhar Canto)
The community is originated from a group of Shaivite Brahmins who were specialized in the field of gem business in Poompuhar, Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. They were considered as elite class in Poompuhar society and had a dignified life as equal to Chola emperor. The community has its origin from the direct disciples of JnanaSambandhan
Campantar
Tirugnana Sampantar was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE....
(a Brahmin child saint who revived Hinduism in Tamil land-7th century CE). The people of the community were expertise in both classical Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
languages. Though they were followers of Shaivite sect of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, they were also worshippers of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
and Iravan
Iravan
Iravan , also known as Iravat and Iravant, is a minor character from the Hindu epic of Mahabharata. The son of Pandava prince Arjuna and the Naga princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central god of the cult of Kuttantavar —which is also the name commonly given to him in that cult—and plays a major role...
. They were vegetarians and scholars of Vedic sciences and philosophies apart from their business profession. Though this community had business profession and had later adopted ‘Shreshthi’ (Chetti) title, they did not mix with other Vaisya communities and have lived according to Brahmin tradition. These merchant Brahmin lords had maintained a separate army and land in Chola Empire and were authorized to collect tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es in their region.
Palayana Parvam (Exodus Canto)
Legend says that, centuries ago when a king of Chola Empire wished to marry a girl from this community. The community did not like that idea as alliances with other communities were prohibited. Though the community did not accept it, the king did not change his mind set. So the community, which comprises Ten Gotras, escaped from Chola kingdom at a midnight. Knowing this the king had sent his army men in search of them. As the community has understood imminent danger nearing them they scattered gemGem
Gem generally refers to a gemstone, a cut rock or mineral.Gem may also refer to:-Places:* Gem, California, a former settlement in the United States* Gem, Indiana, a small town in the United States* Gem, Kansas, a small town in the United States...
s and other precious stones on their path to divert the attention of the soldiers. The soldiers spent much of the time to search these valuables in the sandy road. Though they escaped from soldiers but they could not find a solution when the nature came as an obstacle. It was a rainy season in Poompuhar. The Cauvery River was overflowing and they found it difficult to cross the river. They prayed at lord Ganesh temple nearby the river to save them if their deed was right. Their prayer got answered. The river got turned into two branches to enable them to cross the river without any difficulty. It is said that another Vaisya group who accompanied with them have taken a different route from there when they reached Avinashipattanam. By the advice of their Kula Guru they met Kollengode king. But Kollengode king asked them to contact Zamorin king of Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
.
RakshaPurusha Parvam (The Protector Canto)
The Kula Guru of the community with his influence on Zamorin has made appointment for the community. They met Zamorin and had spent seven days in his palace. King Zamorin was highly impressed by the community leaders’ in depth knowledge of Vedic scienceVedic science
Vedic science may refer to a number of disciplines: ancient and modern, scientific and unscientific, religious, metaphysical, Hindu, occultist, New Age, proto-scientific, or pseudoscientific found in or based on the Vedas.Vedic period...
, Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
and on other various subjects. He had honored them by asking them to sit on silk-bed. While their stay at Kozhikkode, Chola emperor had sent his ambassadors to request the Zamorin to send them back to Poompuhar. But Zamorin had refused to do so and informed that the community is the distinguished guests of his kingdom. The community leaders then discarded their sacred thread after accepting the titles like Vadhyar, Panicker
Panicker
Panicker is an Indian title or last name used by members of various communities in the state of Kerala. The Kaniyars community of Kerala, particularly central and northern region, by virtue of their traditional occupation as teachers of a martial art are commonly known as Panicker...
, Chettiyar (this title is a continuation from Poompuhar), Moothotty and Mannadiar from Zamorin. The king allowed the ten Mutts to be settled at his autonomous area in Palakkad called Panangattiry (which was also a land in dispute between kings of Palakkad and Zamorin). He asked both his counterparts of Kollengode and Palakkad to permit the community to lead an independent life as their own which should not be challenged by anyone of them at any cost.
Palaka Parvam (The Kingship Canto)
The people of Panangattiry (ThenPanassai) has welcomed this community to their land and called them as ‘Pathukudi’ as they represent ten different Gotras. Later Pathukudi community was collectively known as ‘Pathukudi Panickers’ irrespective of their titles. They built a Nagaram (town) under the footage of Thenmala hills and became the Deshavazhis (rulers) of the land with the consent of king Zamorin. They chose central area of the land to protect them from any outside invasion and for the effective administration of the land. The adjoining areas were given to Tamil Brahmins, Gounders, and Kulalas etc. They built temples for Bhagavathy (Goddess), lord SivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, and lord Ganesh and for their tutelary deity lord Iravan. (Lord Iravan temple is only one temple for Iravan at Kerala state) The chief of the community became ‘Palakan’ (ruler or chieftain) of the land and has used title as Rajah in front of the name. Their mutts became known as ‘Tharavads’ as in local name and Rajah’s one was known as ‘Kovilakom
Kovilakam
Kovilakam is a term that denotes to the principal manor/estate/palace of a princely lineages of Kerala, India. This is the residence, where all who have not succeeded to get Rajaship remain under the management of the eldest resident male or female member of that particular branch of the family...
’. He used the lion depicted flag. Some families migrated to different parts of Palakkad afterwards.
Uchitajnata Parvam (Propriety Canto)
Pathukudi community’s prominence in the social set up came down after few centuries probably after decline of Zamorin dynasty. They led the rest of life as just petty landlordLandlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
s and agriculturalists. Their growth became stagnant at one stage due to rigid customs and disunity between different Tharavads. Later some Tharavads got ruined and after that some of the members were became administrators in aristocratic Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
Tharavads. The community found a short fall in their count later because they were minority section in population in Kollengode. It is due to the same Gotra marriage is not permitted according to the customs and also alliances with other caste/-allied communities were strictly prohibited. So they solved the problem by splitting some ‘Tharavads’ in to two numbers. But this was not a permanent solution. Then some ‘Tharavads’, which migrated to Kollengode, made alliance with Tharakan community (an Arya Vaisya community originated from Poompuhar) and a new community has originated in that region called ‘Pathukudi-Tharakan’ community. Some tharavads of Pathukudi community got revived later on with new names in Pananagattiri land.
Religion, temples and tutelary deity
The community generally follows Shaivite sect of Hinduism. As they are rooted from the disciples of JnanaSambandhan who revived Hinduism they follows religious tolerance with other sects. So they give importance to Vaishnavite gods. The ancestors of this community has preached both Siva and Vishnu are same and has lived according to that principle.The following are the temples built by Pathukudi community at Panangattiry:
- Sri Iravan
- Sri Viswanathaswamy
- Sri MahaGanapathy
- Sri KurumbaBhagavathy
- Sri Mariamman
Lord Iravan is the tutelary deity of Pathukudi community.He is the son of legendary warrior Arjuna and the Naga
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
princess Uloopi. He is also called as Koothandavar or Koothanda colloquially. Iravan is worshipped in Tamil Nadu as ‘Aravan ‘ as a village deity. (In Tamil ‘Aravan’ effigy a cobrahood shelters His head which shows his Naga affiliation.) The idol placed in the sanctum sanctorum is a younger form of Iravan who is holding bow and arrow. Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
‘s idol is also installed in the same Garbha Griha.
They also built temples for Siva, Serpent gods, Bhagavathy and Mariamman in Panangattiri. Among various lamp poles dedicated to Sri Pudussery temple at Palakkad by various communities, Pathukudi community’s one is the largest one, which is also considered as main and sacred nature.
Customs and traditions
In their earlier life of Pananagttiri, they followed same Brahmin traditions. Their Mangalya Sutra and marriages were same as that of Tamil Brahmins and was changed subsequently. The Mangalya thread must be a yellow thread (not chain) during marriage ceremony as it is considered sacred and auspicious which is applicable for both rich and poor.The community follows patriarchal system.
They wore tuft in front of their head as like Nairs and Namboothiris.
Being a Trivarnika community, the after death pollution (pula) is only for ten days.
The unique Chitragupta
Chitragupta
Chitragupta is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth. Upon their death, Chitragupta has the task of deciding heaven or the hell for the humans, depending on their actions on the earth...
festival /Indrotsavam is celebrating by the community as a part of continuation of their Poompuhar life.
They observe Pillayar Noimbu for lord Ganesh like Tamil Brahmins and all Vaisya communities.