Andhra Vaishnavas is 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 ...

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

in the Indian states of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

and

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

who follow

Ramanuja Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavi ...

Vishishtadvaita

Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompa ...

Darshana and profess

Sri Vaishnavism Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vi ...

History

Andhra Vaishnavas were formerly Smarta brahmins who converted under the influence of Ramanujacharya and later Sri Vaishnava '' acharyas''. Sri Vaishnavas generally speak

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

, however, Andhra Vaishnavas are Telugu-speaking. Orthodox Sri Vaishnavas are exclusive and hold that they co-existed as a separate caste of Brahmins with the Smarthas. They seceded from Smarthas only after Ramanuja's teachings. Their ranks were swollen by frequent additions from others. Andhra Vaishnavas form a single distinct sect and are not divided into the Vadakalai and Tenkalai denominations, unlike the

Iyengars coreligionists. Their practices are similar to Tenkalai denomination as they follow Tenkalai Sri Vaishnava ''mutts'' of Tirukoilur Emperumanar Jiyar ''mutt'', Yathiraja Jiyar ''mutt'' and Tirupati Ramanuja Jiyar ''mutt''.

Subsects

Andhra Vaishnavas are sub-divided into two subsects, one entirely following the ''acharams'' of Tamil Iyengars and the other retaining those of the Telugu Smarthas. They are also called Pancharatra Sri Vaishnava as they follow Pancharatra ''agama''.

Sri Vaishnavism in Andhra Desa

Inscriptions, coins, and literary works suggest Vishnu worship date to at least 230 BC. It extended its domain to Andhra Desa in early 1000 AD, under the patronage of early local rulers such as Telugu Chodas. It received an impetus in the Palnadu region during the Haihayas regime, and its Chief Minister, Brahmanayudu.

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...

underwent a significant change in the post-Ramanuja period as it won substantial royal patronage, largely due to the influence of Sri Vaishnava ''acharyas'' such as Vedanta Desika, Nainaracharya, and Parasara Bhattar during the regimes of Padmanayakas of

, the Rayas of

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara

, and the Reddis of
Coastal Andhra Coastal Andhra, also known as Kosta Andhra (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kōstā Āndhra), is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, comprising the coastal districts of the state between the East ...
in the 14th century. Some other Sri Vaishnava families that moved from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh were Bhattars, Kandadais, Tirumalas, and Nallan Chakravatulas.
Annamacharya Tallapaka Annamacharya () (09 May 1408 – 23 February 1503), also popularly known as Annamayya, was a Telugu musician, composer, and a Hindu saint. He is the earliest known Indian musician to compose songs called '' samkirtanas.'' His devoti ...
, who was born in Nandavarika
Smarta The ''Smarta'' tradition (, ) is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Uttara Mīmāṃsā, Advaita Vedanta, Advaita, Yoga (philo ...

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 ...
family, took initiation into
Sri Vaishnavism Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vi ...
and composed 32,000 sankeertanas (songs) on the praise of lord
Venkateswara Venkateswara (, ), also known as Venkatachalapati, Venkata, Balaji and Srinivasa, is a Hindu deity, described as a form or avatar of the god Vishnu. He is the presiding deity of Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati. Hi ...
and played a significant role in popularizing the Ramanuja
Sri Vaishnava Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god V ...

Sampradaya ''Sampradaya'' (/ səmpɾəd̪ɑjə/,; ), in Indian-origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and transmissi ...
which is still popular in the region of Andhra till date.

Culture
Andhra Vaishnavas do not mix with Tamil-speaking Vaishnavas and retain some Telugu customs. They form an exclusive group adopting certain customs based on beliefs in which they have implicit faith, but in most of their general ritualistic observances, they do not differ from the other Brahmin groups. As a matter of fact all brahmins, to whatever section they belong, follow one of the
Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
and in the ceremonies, they adopt the rituals as laid down in the
sutras ''Sutra'' ()Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a ...
pertaining to their
Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
. They wear the Srivaishnava Urdhva Pundra and are expected to undergo a ceremony of initiation into
Sri Vaishnavism Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vi ...
after the
Upanayanam ''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 ...
ceremony. At the time of initiation, they are branded with the marks of
chakram The chakram (; ) is a throwing weapon from the Indian subcontinent. It is circular with a sharpened outer edge and a diameter of . It is also known as ''chalikar'' meaning "circle", and was sometimes referred to in English writings as a "war- qu ...
and
panchajanya Panchajanya (, ) is the '' shankha'' (conch) of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, one of his four primary attributes. The Panchajanya symbolises the five elements, and is considered to produce the primeval sound of creation when blown. Literat ...
on the right and left shoulders respectively. The ceremony of initiation ( Panca-samskara) is usually performed by the head of a ''mutt''. Sometimes it is carried out by an elderly member of the family. Such families go by the name of Swayam Acharya Purushas (those who have their own men as ''acharyas'').

References
{{reflist Telugu Brahmin communities Social groups of Andhra Pradesh Social groups of Telangana Vaishnava sects Hindu denominations Brahmin communities of Andhra Pradesh Brahmin communities of India Indian castes South Indian communities