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Nagarathar

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Nagarathar - Dravidian race
File:Nagarathar-colombo-chetty.jpg
Regions with significant populations
Tamilnadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia
Languages
Tamil
Religion
Shaivism, Shaiva Siddhanta
Related ethnic groups
Tamil people, Dravidian people

The Nagarathars are a Chettiar Community that originated in Kaveripoompattinam under the Chola kingdom of India. Also know as Nagarattar. They are a prominent mercantile caste in Tamil Nadu, South India.[1]

Business community

Business people are generally Hindus predominantly originating in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. They had been trading with Southeast Asia even during the heyday of Chola empire. But in the 19th Century they migrated to countries throughout Southeast Asia. (See Tamil diaspora)

Nagarathars also known as Nattukkottai Chettiars were an important trading class of the 19th and 20th century South East Asia and spread to Ceylon or Sri Lanka, Burma or Myanmar, Malayasia, Singapore, Java, Sumatra, and Saigon. Changing political and economic fortunes since then have caused many of these communities to disappear as their members returned to India or sought other, more hospitable homes.

Chettiars were traditionally involved in occupations such as money-lending and wholesale trading. Three banks established by Chettiars include the now defunct Bank of Chettinad and Bank of Madurai and the still thriving Indian Overseas Bank founded by Shri. M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettiar and Indian Bank founded by Raja. Annamalai Chettiar. Nagarathars are known for their philanthropy in the form of building temples, schools and maintaining them throughout Asia.

Chettinad cuisine is known for its spicy, delicious and aromatic cuisine and its influence amongst local cuisines of Burma, Thailand and Malaysia.

Carriers of Hindu religion

Apart from business, nagarathars also spread Hinduism in these countries. Even today one can find in these countries temples dedicated to Lord Murugan. There are Thandayuthapani temples in 15 locations in Malaysia. Singapore has two temples and Sri Lanka has three plus the famous Selva Vinayagar Temple (Kandy). Myanmar has 50 temples, and in Saigon there are two which were built and managed by them. Even today, they maintain various temples across the globe including North America.

Inscriptions within the Karpaka Vinayakar Temple at Pillayarpatti dating back to the time between 1091 AD and 1238 AD show that the Pillayarpatti Nagarattar became the custodians of the temple during the 13th century AD during the second growth phase of this temple.[2]

Traditional settlements

The Pandiya king had given the Nagarathar community nine villages around Pudukottai to settle. They built a Shiva temple in each of them and created the now famous "9 temple or "9 koil" division of the community. Initially they lived in 96 villages surrounding the Temple, Now (as of 2007), they have condensed to 74 Villages. The koil is used as a primary classification for the community. Members of each temple society treat themselves as brothers and sisters or "pangalis" and thus marriage is not allowed amongst members of the same temple. Bride and grooms of different temples marry, and the bride automatically becomes a member of the groom's temple.

The koils are:

Some of these temples have sub-divisions.

  • IIaiyatrangudi - Kazhani Vaasarkkudaiyar, Kinginikkoorudaiyar, Okkurudaiyar, Pattanasamiyar, Perusenthurudaiyar, Sirusenthurudaiyar, Perumaruthurudaiyar
  • Mathur - Arumbakkur, Kannur, Karuppur, Kulathur, Mannur, Manalur, Uraiyur.
  • Vairavankoil - Kazhani Vaasarkkudaiyar, Maruthenthirapuram, Periya vahuppu, Pilliyar vahuppu, Theyyanar vahuppu

Nagarathar Villages

Initially there were 96 villages were the Nagarathars lived, over the period of time it has been reduced. They were divided as follows:


Therkku Vattagai (South)

1. Nattarasankottai 2. Paganeri 3. Madugupatti 4. Okkur 5. Cholapuram 6. Kalayarmangalam 7. Kandramanickam 8. Vettriyur 9. Natarajapuram 10. Pattamangalam 11. Kollangudi Alagapuri 12. Chokkanathapuram 13. Allavakkotai 14. Keela Poongudi 15. Sakkandhi 16. Karungulam 17. Aranmanai Siruvayal 18. Pannagudi 19. Sembanoor


Mela Vattagai

20. Kilasivalpatti 21. P. Alagapuri 22. Kandavarayanpatti 23. Pulangkurichi 24. Aavinipatti 25. Magilvazhampatti 26. Viramathi 27. Nerkkupai 28. Sirukudalpatti 29. A. Thekkalur 30. Sevoor


Keela pathoor Vattagai

31. Arimalam 32. Rayavaram 33. Kadiapatti 34. Thenipatti


Keela Vattagai

35. Devakottai 36. Thanichaoorani 37. Aravayal


Mela pathoor Vattagai

38. Valayapatti 39. Kulipirai 40. Nachandupatti 41. Melachivalpuri 42. Kopanapatti 43. Rangiyam 44. Kuruvikondanpatti 45. V.Lakshmipuram 46. Ulagampatti 47. Pon. Pudupatti 48. Vendanpatti 49. Vegupatti 50. Virachilai 51. Panayapatti 52. Mithilaipatti


Pathinaru Vattagai

53. Karaikudi 54. Kandanoor 55. Kottaiyur 56. Uyikondan Siruvayal 57. Kothamangalam 58. Nemathanpatti 59. Ariyakudi 60. Amaravathiputhur 61. Managiri 62. Nachiapuram 63. Konapet 64. Athangudi Muthupattinam 65. Ramachandrapuram 66. Shanmuganathapuram 67. Pallathur 68. Puduvayal 69. Ko. Alagapuri 70. Kanadukathan 71. Ko. Lakshmipuram 72. Palavangudi 73. Chokalingamputhur 74. Kallal 75. Kallupatti 76. Siruvayal 77. Athangudi 78. Viswanathapuram 79. Sivayogapuram 80. Karaikudi Muthupatinam

Major accomplishments

Some famous people of the community includes Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar who started the Annamalai University in Chidambaram, Alagappa Chettiar (who built the now famous university in Karaikudi), A.C. Muthiah (one of the main members of BCCI, Board of control for cricket in India), M.A. Chidambaram Chettiar (Chennai's Chepauk stadium is named after him) and P. Chidambaram (Current finance minister of India). Dr. Justice AR. Lakshmanan, Judge, Supreme Court of India.

The P.S.S family, Devakottai- Pioneers of the textile industry in South India.Also referred to as the Kallikottaiyar family, because of their industrial accomplishments in Calicut,Kerala. A very noble,philanthropic family ; the earliest textile mills in Coimbatore were founded by Diwan Bahadur P.Somasundaram Chettiar.He was later succeeded by his son P.S.Sathappa Chettiar, who was widely known for his benevolence and then by his present heir P.S.S.Somasundaram Chettiar. Even today, quite a lot of Chettinad's surviving octogenarians and septuagenarians can still fondly recall the prosperity and grandeur this family once lived in.

Chettiars who have contributed to the development of the Community

  • Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar, the founder of the various educational institutions in Karaikudi and its surroundings. Alagappa University, ACCET and Alagappa Government Arts College are a few institutes named in his honor. A friend of Jawaharlal Nehru, he brought CECRI to Karaikudi, by donating large tracts of land.
  • Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar
  • M. A. Chidambaram Chettiar. The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is named after him.
  • Poet Kaviyarasar Kannadasan
  • Kalaimamani "Kathal" Aru.Ramanathan Chettiar of Kandanur ("Historical Novelist", who wrote Raja Raja Cholan Drama, Veerapandiyan Manaivi novel, Apart from authoring he was a "Publisher" who published various categories of books under the banner "Prema Pirasuram" & he was the chief editor for his magazines "Kathal", "Marma Kathai" & "Kalaimani - Cine Magazine launched in the year of 1948")
  • Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar
  • 'Balakavi" vainagaram V.Ramanathan chettiar(Thatpurusha Desikar), devakottai - A hindu priest, about 4000 followers from all over the world, he has given siva deekshai to all these 4000 followers.
  • 'Aanazhagan' Dr.A.Chidambaram - First Nagarathar to become a body builder(Mr.South India) & the first in South India to do a doctrate(PhD) in Physical Fitness
  • Chockalingam S First employed Chettiar
  • AMM Murugappa Chettiar (Murugappa Group)
  • Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar - Founding Family of Bank of Madura (which was later sold off to ICICI Bank)
  • AV.Meyyappa Chettiar (AVM)
  • M.Ct. Muthiah Chettiar
  • Politician, Economist, Lawyer, Hon'ble Finance Minister P.Chidambaram
  • Yogi S.A.A. Ramaiah
  • M.V. Arunachalam (Industrialist)
  • Dr. A.C. Muthiah (Industrialist)
  • A.Subramaniam (Industrialist)
  • Dr. VR. Ramanathan - (First Nagarather to receive doctrate)
  • Dr. M.A.M. Ramasamy
  • Dr. V. Sp. Manickam (Tamil Scholar and former Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University)
  • Dr.Justice. AR. Lakshmanan
  • Kasi Sri AR.Somasundaram - First Nagarathar to go on a pathayathra from Rameswaram to Kasi (1983). Also known as "Porkili Kavingar" as he received the first "Porkili" award given by the Tamilnadu government for Tamil literature.
  • "Kamban Adipodi" Saw.Ganesan - Founder of Kamban Kazhagam in Karaikudi

See also

References

  • Rajeswary Brown (1993) Chettiar capital and Southeast Asian credit networks in the inter-war period. In G. Austin and K. Sugihara, eds. Local Suppliers of Credit in the Third World, 1750-1960. (New York: St. Martin's Press)
  • David Rudner (1989) Banker's Trust and the Culture of Banking among the Nattukottai Chettiars of Colonial South India. Modern Asian Studies 23 (3), 417-458.
  • Heiko Schrader (1996) Chettiar Finance in Colonial Asia. Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie 121, 101-126.
  • Nagarathar Kalaikalangiyam - by Meyappa Chettiar
  • Nishimura, Yuko Gender, Kinship and Property Rights: Nagarattar Womanhood in South India Oxford University Press (1998) ISBN 0195642732.

Nagarathar Associations

Nagarathar philanthropical foundations

Nagarathar Educational Institutions

  • N.S.M.V.P.S. Higher Secondary School, Devakottai - 630302
  • Sir M. Ct. Muthiah Chettiar Higher Secondarry School, Purasawalkam, Chennai - 600084
  • M CT RM Ramanathan Chettiar Higher Secondary School, Kulipirai-622402 (founded in 1955)
  • Chettinad College of Arts and Science - Tiruchirapalli

Nagarathar Service Organisations

  • Nagarathar Matrimonial Service - Chennai [1]
  • Kovilur Madalayam - Kovilur near Karaikudi in Chettinadu [2]

ultra college of pharmacy , madurai scared heart college of nursing ,madurai best dental science college , madurai

Notes

  1. ^ "Gender, Kinship and Property Rights : Nagarattar Womanhood in South India/Yuko Nishimura". Retrieved 2007-02-04.
  2. ^ "Karpaka Vinayakar Temple at Pillayarpatti". TempleNet. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
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