Ilayathu (also written as Ilayath, Elayath, Elayathu) is a
Hindu community in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a 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 regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
, India, and belong to a sect of Malayala Brahmins. The house of an Ilayath is known as Illam. The origin of this community like those of
Nampoothiris 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 histo ...
s and perhaps most of the upper-class communities in Kerala is shrouded in mystery. And what remains is a few legends and traditions.
See also
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Ambalavasi
Ambalavasi, more properly Ampalavasi, ( ml, അമ്പലവാസി; 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 ...
Indian castes
Kerala society
Malayali Brahmins
Social groups of Kerala
Brahmin communities of Kerala
Ethnic groups in India
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