Variar
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Variar (warrier/warrior) is a South Indian, Hindu sub caste. Variar people are Malayalees, from Kerala, India.
Variars are a group of people who belong to the Pushpaka Brahmin (Ambalavasi) community of Brahmins. Ambalavasi Brahmins are engaged to serve and assist the Namboodiri priests in various temple-related activities, primarily catering to the floral requirements and daily maintenance of the temple.
The word "Variyar" has originated from Tamil, meaning a person who maintains the accounts (in short, "Accountant"). In the pre-Namboodiri era of Keralam, the agricultural property of every village belonged to a village temple. There was an elected committee to administer the temple and the properties. The Manager or Accountant of this committee was called Variyar, and he was accountable to the Committee.
Managing the temple and providing materials required for "nivedyam," preparing garlands for decorating the deity, cleaning vessels used for the preparation of "nivadyam" and "puja", daily maintenance of the temple premises, etc., were responsibilities of the Variyar's family.
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[edit] Gotra
They are believed to be direct descendants of Goddess Parvati. Their gotra is Kailasa Gotra, which adheres to the Maha-Namah-Shivaya mantra. Since they are of Kailasa Gotra, they are considered to belong to the Shaivaite community, although names like Krishna Variar are not uncommon amongst the Variars.
There is a mythological legend which suggests that Lord Shiva, who was in the Ardhanarieswara form, took two ribs, one of his side and the other of Parasakthi's side, and created a warrier couple, to support the priest and manage the temple activities.
[edit] Occupation
In addition to Kazhakam (temple activities), Variars are also well-versed in Sanskrit. The Variars of Kottakkal (Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier's Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal) were (and continue to be) authorities on ayurveda.
After the Namboothiries' arrival and capture of landed properties through a bloodless coup or cultural revolution called "Bhramaswam", "Janmaswam" and "Kaanam" (claiming that the whole land was gifted to them by Parasurama and that they are the original owners of the entire land in Kerala), the Variar was made as "kazhakkaran", or temple assistant. However, through close association with the Namboothiries, Variars became proficient in Sanskrit, as well as, through the knowledge of Sanskrit, astrology and Ashtanga Hridaya (Ayurveda).
[edit] Inheritance
The inheritance of Variars is a long, matrilineal pattern, as they trace their maternal ancestry to Goddess Parvati. In this respect, the Payyannur Gramam of Nambuthiris also follow a similar pattern of inheritance.
The inheritance lineage was, in fact, created by the Namboodiries, to ensure that children of their male members on Variyar or other such community ladies in Kerala, do not have any right on the Namboodiri father's family property. Traditionally, only the eldest member of a Namboodiri family used to have an official marital relationship. All the younger male members used to have a socially-approved wife-and-husband relationship through a system called "sammmantham", or "sambandham" and were called "Sammanthakkaran".
[edit] Trivia
The feminine term for "Variar" is "Varasiar" and the house of a Variar is a "Variam". In olden days, it was considered derogatory to ask a Variar to go to his veedu (Malayalam term for "house"), as a Variam is something more than a veedu or tharavad (term used for dwellings of the mainstream Hindu community).
[edit] Prominent Variars
- Ikkanda Warrier - Prime Minister of Cochin
- Kaikulangara Rama Warrier - Sanskrit scholar
- P.S Warrier - Visionary Ayurvedic doctor and founder of Arya Vaidya Sala of Kottakkal
- Unnayi Warrier- A great author from irinjalakuda, composed nalacharitam in malayalam
- Ramapurath Warrier - Author of "Kuchela Vritham" - vanchipattu
- N.V. Krishna Warrier - The great Malayalam/Sanskrit scholar, poet, editor, etc.
- Manju Warrier - Actress
- Padmashree Warrier - CTO of Motorola
[edit] See also
- Pushpaka Brahmins
- Sree Pushpaka Seva Sangham
- Pushpakadhwani
- List of Ambalavasi Families
