Chakkala Nair
Intermediate Nair sub-caste

Chakkala Nair, also known as Vattakkat Nair,[1] and Vaniya Nair[2][3][4] one of the intermediate subcastes[5][6][7] of the Nair community. They are distributed throughout Kerala. In Travancore, they are known as Chakkala, while in Cochin and Malabar they are Vattakattu[8] and In the extreme north of Malabar they are called Vaniya.[9][3]

The Chakkala Nairs traditionally engaged in the hereditary occupations of oil trading and village teaching.[10][11] In addition to these roles, they were also trained as soldiers, and when conflict arose, they were duty-bound to abandon their usual occupations, arm themselves, and serve their respective kings in battle.[12]

Vattakattu Nairs[7] is a Forward caste and are now part of the mainstream Nair caste,[13][14][7] while vaniya nairs and chakkala nairs were recently added to the central OBC category and get a minimal reservation of 3% sharing with 70 other castes on a rotational basis.

It was the duty of Peru Vaniyan Nambiar[15][16] section among Vaniya nairs in Kurumbranad to present the Kurumbranad Raja with oil on the occasion of his formal installation.[17] Vaniya Nairs also held Achan title For example, Kunjikannan Ezhuthachan, a Vaniya Nair, was conferred the title "Nambrath Achan," by the kolathiri where Nambram refers to a place.[18]

Vattakkat Nairs were the hereditary Velichappadu of traditional Nambudiri-led Bhagavathi Temples in Kerala[19] and even held priesthood roles in some temples, such as the famous Kadakkal Devi Temple, where a Chakkala Nair with the title Nettur Kurup serves as the head priest.[20]

Muchilot Bhagavthi is the patron deity of Vaniya Nairs and the community serve as the Uralars (custodian) of 108 Muchilot Bhagavathi temples[21] spread across North Malabar from Tulu Nadu to Kozhikode resembling the 108 Shiva Temples mentioned in the Shivalaya Stothram. It is believed that Bhagavathi first manifested herself to Muchilot PadaNair, a chieftain of Mushika dynasty from the Vaniya nair sect.[22][23]

According to eminent scholars Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan was born in a Chakkala Nair family of Thrikkandiyoor Amsam in Vettathunadu.[24] The Nair family descendants of Ezhuthachan continue to reside in Amakavu, situated in the Palakkad district.[25]

Historically, the Chakkala Nair community fostered inter-religious harmony by engaging with various groups, including the Jacobite Syrian Church. A notable example of this is during the Saint Baselios Yeldo festival day, when a Chakkala Nair youth would carry the church's traditional lamp, leading the 'Rassa'—the customary church procession—to the church, symbolizing unity and mutual respect.[26][27]

See also

References

  1. ^ Menon, Krishnat P. Padmanabha (1984). History of Kerala: A History of Kerala Written in the Form of Notes on Visscher's Letters from Malabar. Asian Educational Services. p. 194. ISBN 978-81-206-0167-3.
  2. ^ Abraham, George (28 December 2020). Lanterns on the Lanes: Lit for Life…. Notion Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-64899-659-7.
  3. ^ a b Singh, Kumar Suresh (2002). People of India: Kerala (3 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 299. ISBN 978-81-85938-99-8.
  4. ^ Rao, M. S. A. (1957). Social Change in Malabar. Popular Book Depot. p. 48. The occupation of Oil trade is associated with the caste of Vaniyans who form a division among Nayars
  5. ^ Pallichan and Vattakad were treated as an intermediate class of Shudras because there was neither inter-dining nor inter-marriage between the members of these subdivisions and the high caste Shudras-Census of India, 1961 - Volume 7. p. 19.
  6. ^ Coomar, Palash Chandra (1987). Polyandry in India: Demographic, Economic, Social, Religious, and Psychological Concomitants of Plural Marriages in Women. Gian Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-212-0105-6.
  7. ^ a b c Institutions, Kerala (India) Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational (1966). Report of the Commission for Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions, Kerala, 1965. p. 141.
  8. ^ Fuller, Christopher J. (1975). "The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste". Journal of Anthropological Research. 31 (4): 283–312. doi:10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883. JSTOR 3629883. S2CID 163592798.
  9. ^ "ANTHROPOLOGY NAYARS OF MALABAR (WITH ELEVEN PLATES)" (PDF). MADRAS GOVERNMENT MUSEUM Bulletin. 11 (3): 203.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Jadavpur journal of comparative literature. Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University. 2006.
  11. ^ Gundert, Hermann (1872). A Malayalam and English Dictionary (in Malayalam). C. Stolz.
  12. ^ Jacob Canter Visscher (1862). Letters From Malabar. p. 123.
  13. ^ "Kerala Forward Caste list -Sl No 77: Vettakkattu Nair" (PDF). Kerala.gov.in.
  14. ^ http://www.collegeguru.in/doc/fc-list-kerala.pdf[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ CM Shankaran Nair, better known as CMS Chandera., CMS Chandera (1976). വടക്കേ മലബാറിലെ പാട്ടുത്സവം [The Song Festival of Northern Kerala.] (in Malayalam). The Author. p. 10.
  16. ^ Innes, Charles Alexander (1997). "Peruvanian Nambiyars , Chelladan Nayars and Vennapalan Nayars . All three observe fifteen days ' pollution . The name Peruvanian means " great " or " principal oil - man and it is the duty of this caste to present the Kurumbranad Raja". Malabar Gazetteer. Kerala Gazetteers. p. 120.
  17. ^ Thurston, Edgar; Rangachari, K. (1909). Castes and tribes of southern India. University of California Libraries. Madras : Government Press. p. 306.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  18. ^ Online, Janmabhumi (1 September 2015). "കുഞ്ഞിക്കണ്ണന്‍ എഴുത്തച്ഛന്‍ എന്ന നമ്പ്രത്തച്ഛന് സമാധിദിനം നാളെ". Janmabhumi. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  19. ^ Schneider, David Murray; Gough, Kathleen (1961). Matrilineal Kinship. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-7581-2756-3. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  20. ^ Rājēndran, Pi Ji (2000). ക്ഷേത്രവിജ്ഞാനകോശം (in Malayalam). Ḍi. Si. Buks. ISBN 978-81-264-0254-0.
  21. ^ "Travel Agency, Best of Homestay, Temple & Theyyam Tour Packages". old.travelkannur.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  22. ^ Folklorist, Jothish Thekkedath (1 December 2023). "MUCHILOTTU BHAGAVATHY -Why Not Women: A Selective study about representation and role of Goddess (Female Deities) in Theyyam" (PDF). Journal of Cultural Research Studies: 111–112.
  23. ^ "Muchilottu Bhagavathy: Fell into a trap but turned into a goddess". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  24. ^ Tarakan, Ke Eṃ (1990). A Brief Survey of Malayalam Literature: History of Literature. K.M. Tharakan. p. 26.
  25. ^ "ഭാഷാ പിതാവിന്റെ സ്മരണകളുറങ്ങുന്ന എടപ്പാൾ തറവാട്". Mathrubhumi Archives. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  26. ^ "Kothamangalam Cheria Pally Chapel". www.syriacchristianity.in. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  27. ^ "കന്നി 20 പെരുന്നാളിന് ഇന്നു സമാപനം; ഗജവീരൻമാർ കബർ വണങ്ങും". കന്നി 20 പെരുന്നാളിന് ഇന്നു സമാപനം; ഗജവീരൻമാർ കബർ വണങ്ങും (in Malayalam). Retrieved 21 March 2025.
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