Vadama (Tamil "Northerners") are a sub-section of the Iyer group of Tamil Brahmins.

Etymology of the term

The term Vadama is believed to have originated from the Tamil term 'Vadakku' meaning North. Some scholars believe that this is a possible indication of the Northern origin of the Vadama Brahmins. This claim is supported by the fact that, unlike other subsects of Iyers, some Vadama pay oblations in their daily Sandhyavandanam to the river Narmada in Central India.. However, all through, what is not certain is whether the 'North' refers to northern Tamil Nadu or the Southern Deccan, or regions further north. Other scholars are of the opinion that rather than the superficial indication of a northern origin for the people, the term "vadama" would rather refer to proficiency in Sanskrit and Vedic ritual, which were generally associated with the north, both at the turn of the first millennium A.D. and previously.

Sub-categories

They have further sub-categories among themselves based on the region or place of origin. Some of these are the Vadadesa Vadama, the Choladesa Vadama, the Sabhaiyar and the Injee. Intermarriage with other Iyer sects has been increasing in recent times, but even now some vadama only marry among themselves. What is significant is that, until a century back, most marriages were arranged only within the same subsect of vadama(This degree of exclusion is not common in 21st century). Exceptions existed,for example marriage of Kurratalwan's sons

Origins

There are primarily two groups, one of which is called the Vadadesa Vadama, which means the 'Vadama of the North Country', while another is called the Choladesa Vadama, meaning the 'Vadama of the Chola Country'. Some historians hold that all Brahmins who migrated to the far-south during and after the age of the Gupta Emperors, came to be classified as Vadama.

A majority of the Vadama community today are unsure of any particular date of their origin. The fact that there are neither ancient manuscripts nor land-grant records nor other communities having aught in common in practices and appearance with the Vadama, makes it difficult to decide upon a particular date of their origin. Although numerous traditions known to have existed at least since the 20th century are listed below, it is not known whether the Vadama before that period had any memories of a specific date of their ancestors' migration.Today the communities which follow practices most similar to vadama are the other notable sects among Iyers such as Brahcharanam, Ashtasahasram etc.

First Millennium A.D.

There is a perception that some Kashmir linked Vadama settled in Tirunelveli between 750 and 800 AD. This has been suggested based on an inscription at the temple of Tiruvalishvaram one of the earliest Nataraja temples in South India. An interesting fact corroborating this migration may be had from the treatise called Natyashastra written by Bharata Muni, held by some to have been from Kashmir and by others to be from the south, formed the basis of the dance-form Bharatanatyam which is particularly associated with Tamil Nadu.Art Historians such as Vasundhara Filliozat claim that there are inscriptional evidences to prove the continuous migration of teachers from Kashmir to South. Such scholars also state that some other South Indian Saivaite and Tantric traditions were also introduced by teachers from Kashmir.

It appears that the Sabhaiyar group of the Vadama, were present in the Chola Empire in the ninth century, since the grant of the entire village of Chirri[dai]yarru excluding the kani of Samgappadi-kilan was made to the temple of Mahadeva at Tirumalpperu as a tax-free devadana in the 21st year (892 A.D) of the reign of Chola Aditya I and the administration of the charity was entrusted to the sabhaiyar of Puduppakkam in Purisanadu.

The Srivaishnava hold that their guru Ramanujacharya was born a Vadama. It would appear from his biography, that his family had settled well into the region around modern-day Arcot and spoke Tamil at home. Though the exact period of his existence is subject to speculation, it is unequivocally agreed upon that he lived in the 10th-11th century A.D. thus indicating the likelihood of a substantial Vadama presence by the 11th century.

Second Millennium A.D.

A tradition from Kerala holds that the Vadama amongst the Palghat Iyers came in fleeing the destruction created by the armies of Alauddin Khilji, and directly settled in Kerala, rather than taking the more common, albeit more circuitous, route of most Palghat Iyers, of sojourning in the Tanjore and Madurai areas before migrating there. This might, perhaps, be on account of the Sultan's armies taking the route to, and reaching Madurai, before turning back north by way of Trichinopoly. It is also noteworthy to observe that the Tugluq armies, which followed the route of the Khilji invasions, succeeded in setting up the short-lived Madurai Sultanate, in the early 14th century, thus giving additional reason for Hindus to avoid Madurai. However, since most Kerala Iyers migrated from different regions of modern Tamil Nadu into Kerala in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in the reign of the Kerala Varmans and many Palghat Vadama trace their origin to the same families and villages as many Tanjore Vadama, the origins of this tradition are uncertain.

Instability prevailed in Peninsular India in the aftermath of the establishment of the Moslem sultanates in the Deccan and the Mogul invasion of Peninsular India in the reign of Aurangzeb. It must also be remembered that it was early in the reign of Aurangzeb that the depredations of the Deccan by the Mahrattas under Shivaji began. A combination of these belligerent powers and the desolation they helped create may have made the relative peace offered in the far south of the country under the Hindu kings of Travancore, Madurai, Tanjore and Mysore, far more desirable and could have induced many Hindus to migrate there. A fact supporting this idea, we have from English chroniclers in the 1600s, is that their procurement of goods along the west coast of India, along the Concan and Canara coasts, suffered severely after the Mogul invasions and the mass depopulation of the peninsula they caused . Another statement often encountered in their annals is that the economic growth of the factory at Fort St. George, Madras was in a large measure attributable to the fact that many people chose to settle there to escape the chaotic conditions farther north . When we consider, in conjunction with these two facts, Fort St. George's position as a newly-established, well-fortified and growing settlement in Aurangzeb's time, and therefore a secure refuge, a mass exodus southwards seems to have occurred in the period in question.

An interesting point which provides an insight into Vadama origins, is that the Vadama who migrated to what are today Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in the 17th century called themselves Dravida Brahmins.

Other Communities

It is also not uncommon for many Iyengars even to this day, especially Vadakalai Iyengars, to claim this community as their origin. Also, Some of the Gurukkal in temples in Tamil Nadu, are Vadama, though not recognised as such by the community, since they have certain practices that are prohibited for the Vadama.

There is also evidence that some south Indian Dravid brahmins settled in Kashmir. The actual sect of their origin is not known. This gives us a good indication of the dynamic situation in India, with people moving all across India.

There is a perception that some aarama Dravida Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh hold that their ancestors migrated in the 13th and 14th centuries, from Saurashtra to the banks of the River Cauvery in Tamil Nadu, whence some of them migrated to Andhra Pradesh, by all accounts before the 18th century .. If it is confirmed that,aaraama dravidlu, are indeed vadama, then it would appear that some section of the Vadama came to the Tamil lands from Saurashtra in the 13th-14th centuries.

Traditional occupation

They are held to have been the land-lords and head-men of the Brahmin villages called agraharams. They may also have led the agraharams' defence in turbulent times. A proverb still prevalent amongst the Aiyers indicating the supposed short-temper of Vadama Brahmins, may be indicative of their martial past. They were among the Brahmin nobles and administrators under the Nayaka, Travancore and Vijayanagar rulers. Administrative practices adopted by them were strictly in accordance with those prescribed in the shastras as may be observed from the records of the kings themselves and the writings of travellers, most prominently Ibn Battuta and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.

But, as with other Brahmins, their primary duties were to study the Vedas, teach them and perform the ceremonies they entailed. The vast majority of them, until the nineteenth century, were household priests with some even being temple-priests, particularly in Travancore.

In the nineteenth century, as with other Iyers, many of the Vadama joined, the judiciary of British India as lawyers and judges, or served in the Indian Civil and Revenue Services. Many others continued in the service of the kings of the princely states of Travancore, Mysore, Pudukottai, and Ramnad.

Religious practices

While the religious rituals of the Vadama are, in almost all respects, identical with those of other Iyers, there are a few minor deviations from them. One of these lies in the practice of some men applying Gopi Chandanam, an yellow pigment of mineral origin similar in appearance to that obtained from sandalwood, on the forehead, instead of Vibhuthi. However, there were some others like Appayya Dikshitar's family who applied only Vibhuti, being staunch devotees of Shiva. While it was more common in former times, the use of Gopi Chandanam continues, being replaced by Vibhuthi otherwise.

The Vadama traditionally claim to be superior to other classes of Iyers. However it was not uncommon for other brahmin sects to talk proudly about their own superiority. One ritualistic difference from other Iyers, arises in their having to recite the following verse in honour of the River Narmada, and to ward of serpents, as part of their Sandhyavandanam:

Narmadayai namah pratah Narmadayai namo nisi Namostu Narmade tubhyam pahi mam visa-sarpatah

Also, in some parts of Kerala, as Nambudiri Brahmacharis were not commonly found, a Brahmachari belonging to the Vadadesa Vadama was required to pour water into the hands of a Nambudiri sanyasi as part of the rituals connected with the latter's breakfast.

In most other respects, the modern day Vadama practice rituals and traditions very much similar to other sects included in Iyer community. They even follow the same set of priests and acharyas as other Iyers. In modern times, most also dress similar to other Iyers

Eminent Vadama

• Syama Sastri, one of the doyens of Carnatic Music, a descendant of a group of Vadadesa Vadama who fled Conjeeveram in the wake of a Muslim attack.
• Sundara Swamigal, a Hindu religious exponent of the mid 19th century and philosophical mentor of the famed Carnatic musician Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
• Gopalakrishna Bharathi, his father Ramaswami Bharathi and grandfather Kothandarama Bharathi, a family of eminent Carnatic musicians
• Ramaswamy Dikshitar (1735-1817?) and his son Muthuswamy Dikshitar, eminent Carnatic musicians
• Avadayakkal, a Saivite saint
• Appayya Dikshitar and nephew Neelakanta Deekshitar legendary scholars who re-established Advaita philosophy's predominance in the South belonged to the Vadadesa Vadama sect and migrated from places near Nasik. They were especially patronised by the rulers of Vellore and Madurai, Chinnabomma Nayak and Tirumalai Nayak, respectively.
• The Vaishnava saints Ramanuja, Tirumalai Nambi and Mudaliyandan were born Vadama.
• Swami Sivananda of Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, a direct descendant of Neelakanta Deekshitar

References

See also

• http://www.thummagunta.org/ contact for thummagunta dravida also part of vadama
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/a/m/Radha-Ramesh/ODT4-0001.html a link to appaiah deekshitar's family tree
• http://www.saranagathi.org/acharyas/ramanuja/life.htm life history of ramanuja