Ambalavasi, more properly Ampalavasi, (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: Ampalavāsi; ) is the generic name for a group of

castes A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...

among

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, India, who have traditionally rendered temple services.

Castes

The Ambalavasis are broadly divided into two groups, being those who wear the

sacred thread ''Upanayana'' () is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' or ''acharya'', and an individual's initiation into a school in ...

and those who do not.

Sacred thread wearers

Pushpakan

Pushpaka Pushpaka is a caste of Hindu Ambalavasis of Kerala. In Malayalam language, this caste is also referred to as Pushpakan, Pushpakar, Pushpaka Unni or Pushpakan Unni. They are a part of the Ambalavasi community in Kerala Kerala ( , ) is ...

(Pushpakan Unni) * Theeyatt Unni *

Puppalli Ambalavasi, more properly Ampalavasi, (IAST: Ampalavāsi; ) is the generic name for a group of castes among Hindus in Kerala, India, who have traditionally rendered temple services. Castes The Ambalavasis are broadly divided into two groups, b ...

* Plappalli (Pilappalli) *

Nambidi Nambidi is a Brahmin Caste of Kerala, India. They are considered to be Malayali Brahmins and to have originated when a section of the Nambudiris was degraded. They also have the same rights and rituals of nambudiri's. The nambidi ladies are u ...

Nambeesan Nambeesan (also written as Nambisan, Nambissan, Nambiyassan or Nampeesan) is a Ambalavasi caste of Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, fo ...

Threadless Ambalavasis

Pisharody Pisharody (also spelled Pisharodi, Pisharadi, Pisharoty, or Pisharoti; colloquially known as Sharody) is a Hindu brahmin community found more in Kerala. Pisharodys are vaishnavites and were traditionally caretakers of Hindu temples and hails fro ...

* Marar * Varyar *

Pothuval Ambalavasi, more properly Ampalavasi, (IAST: Ampalavāsi; ) is the generic name for a group of castes among Hindus in Kerala, India, who have traditionally rendered temple services. Castes The Ambalavasis are broadly divided into two groups, ...

Others

Chakyar Chakyar (also spelled Cakyar, Chakkiar, Chakiar, etc.) is a priestly caste within the Ambalavasi community of Hindus in the Kerala state of India. See also * Ammannur Madhava Chakyar * Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar * Mani Damodara Chakyar * Ma ...

Nambiar Nambiar may refer to: *Nambiar (caste surname), a surname used by multiple caste groups *Nambiar (Ambalavasi caste), a surname of Pushpaka Brahmin from Kerala, India *Nambiar (Nair subcaste), a surname of Nair from North Malabar, India People * ...

Kurukkal The Kurukkal, also known as Gurukkal are an Ambalavasi caste of Tamil origin. Originally a patrilineal community found in Travancore and Malabar region of present-day Kerala, whose traditional function was that of temple servants, they became matr ...

Temple services

Though all Ampalavāsis have to do service in temples, they have sufficiently distinct functions to perform. Pushpakans and Nambeesans are teachers in the Pathasalas or Mutts and suppliers of flowers to temple. Chakyar stages dramas called Kooth and

Koodiyattam Koodiyattam (; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''Koothu'', an ancient performing art from the Sangam era. It ...

. Marars are temple musicians. Variar and Poduval performed managerial and executive functions of temple committees and served as storekeepers and watchmen.

Social status

Their ritual rank in Hinduism lies between that of a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

and

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

. Ambalavasis were known as Antharala Jathikal.

Kazhakams

''Kazhakams'' or ''Ambalakkazhakams'' refer to associations of Ambalavasi peoples in a temple to perform specific duties in the temple.

Temple arts

Traditionally, Ambalavasis are associated with various types of temple arts. Earlier, each of these temple arts were performed only by specific Ambalavasi castes. Now there is no community or caste barrier.

References

{{Reflist Social groups of Kerala Liturgical castes Indian castes Ethnic groups in India South Indian communities