Pannaiyar
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Pannaiyar Caste/Kathikaaran(Tanjore kallar) is an ethnic group of people who lives around Tuticorin, Mukkani,Tiruchendur, Kulasekarapattinam (Tuticorin District) and Koothankuli, Uvari from Tirunelveli District and North Tamarakulam, Puthalam, Variyoor from Kanyakumari District and Krishnapuram, S.Tharakudi, Keelakarai from Ramnad district and a few places inThiruppullani, Adiramapattinam Tanjore district.Alternate Names, Alwar, Chitravaliar,Chitravilli, Moopanar, Pannaiyan. Kathikara moopanar lives mostly in panagudi and tirunelveli.
Origin
The Pannaiyar/Kathikaaran(கத்திமறவர்) people migrated from Tanjore during the 11th century and they are seems to be descendants of Eesanaatu kallar. Social Settings of Tuticorin districts research says pannayar and kothikar are subcastes of maravar. They have the title Kathikaaran, Alwar, Alagar,Nainar,Moopanar, Chitravalli (or) ChitraVilli Folk song played by their traditional temple poosari reveals the history behind this community. "Tanjore princess Chitravali got married to Kulasekarapandian of pandyan dynasty. Chola warriors and officers who came along with princess Chitravali settled in kulasai and surrounding areas of kanyakumari". Pannaiyar title history reveals as below
கத்திமறவர் Social Settings of Tuticorin districts research says pannayar and kothikar are subcastes of maravar.
Kathikaran: Kathikaran are probably body guards of King raja raja chola. Kathikaran settled in Nanchil nadu ( so called kumari mavattam) in 10th century during kanthalur war. Kanthalur war started between rajaraja chola and Chera kings in Kanthalur.
Kulasekarapandian inscriptions shows the pandyan king made tax free for chittiravalli Village for expense of worship made in Thirumangai alwar temple in Thiruvali as below
No. 221 (Page No. 243)
(A. R. No. 149 of 1938-39)
South wall of the chakrattalvar shrine.
Registers the conformations by the king of the tax-free grant of the village Chittiravalli alias Kerala-chaturvedimangalam in Kottaikarai-nadu, made by his father (Ayyan) Kulasekhara, for the expenses of conducting the service called Kulasekhara-sandi instituted in his name in the shrine of Tiruvali-Alvar Quotes the 21st year and 290th day of the kings’s reign.
ChitraVilli (Title): Villi are descendants of malayaman and they are Chola War generals. Samithope inscriptions shows Alagiya chitravilli, Uyyangonda chitravilli, Kandirathitha chitravilli donates lamp to Kaliamman in salt pans. Later they controlled Alam(salt pans) in Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts. Kanyakumari Archeological survey describes Raja Raja Chola send officers from chola kingdom to govern salt pans. Refer Tamil Nadu Archeological Survey NO:1968/121.
Alagar (Title): Resembles Kallalagar. This title owned people live in alagar street, Kulasai. Some people will worship "Kari Pillan" as their kulatheivam.
Chitravaliar (Title): This names derives from their chola princess chitravalli. it shows Chitravaliar belongs to early kallars Muskunda king origin who ruled pananthal near tanjore. Chitravalli - daughter of Veerabahu Thevar and wife of Muskunda Chola.
Beliefs and ideology
Pannaiyar Community people are 100% Hindus. They worship Perianachi Amman as their idol god. During Tamil month "சித்திரை" they celebrate "Kovil kodai" for "'Peria Nachiar'" in Tuticorin on which all title holders Alavar, Alagar, Chitravaliar will attend the function. In Tuticorin kulatheivam temple "'Peria nachiar'" has same resemblance to Nisumba soodhani and Vada pathrakali. "Nisumba soodhani" is god worshipped by Cholas before war.
Tiruchendur Soora Samharam
During soorasamhar festival happened in kantha sasthi, Pannaiyar Community has the some traditional rights. The Asuras are decapitated by Lord Murugan using his Vel (Weapon) which looks like a kind of spear or javelin.Before starting all this, the vel carried by Pannaiyar people is consecrated and the ceremony takes place like Lord Murugan placing vel on Padmasura’s head and thereby it falls off on the ground. Soorasamhaaram is performed at the last week of Kanda Sashti festival.
Kallar sadangu
It is traditional function on kantha sasthi days. Kallars of Pannaiyar community will take Gold ornaments and later surrender to lord muruga and get blessings from Lord Muruga.
References
Kallar Sarithiram(1928): Venkatasamy Nattar.Nattar describes the meaning of Pannaiyar Title holders of Kallars. [1]Pannaiyar Community Participation in Soora samhar,Tiruchendur
[2] Tax Free for chittiravalli village by Kulasekarapandyan [3] மறவர் கிளை பிரிவு
[இந்திய நடுவண் அரசு அறிவித்துள்ள இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்டவர்களின் பட்டியல் – தமிழ்நாடு] Pannaiyar/kathikaran Unique descendants of Malaiyaman
