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 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 and those who do not.

Sacred thread wearers

Pushpakan

* Pushpaka (Pushpakan Unni) * Theeyatt Unni * Puppalli * Plappalli (Pilappalli) * Nambidi * Nambeesan

Threadless Ambalavasis

* Pisharody * Marar * Varyar * Pothuval

Others

* Chakyar * Nambiar * Kurukkal

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