NAMBUDIRI

also spelled Namputiri the dominant caste of the Indian state of Kerala. Orthodox in the extreme, its members regard themselves as the true repositories of the ancient Vedic religion and of the traditional Hindu code. The Nambudiri caste follows a distinctive marriage alliance with the important warrior caste of the Nayars (see Nayar). Though the eldest son of a Nambudiri household customarily marries a Nambudiri woman, thus observing the typical caste practice of endogamy, the younger sons marry Nayar women and obey the matrilineal-descent system of the Nayars. In contrast to other Brahman castes in southern India, the Nambudiris place great emphasis on their priestly status and do not normally engage in profitable professions. They derive their wealth from their landholdings, being the chief landowners of Kerala. There are five subdivisions within the Nambudiri caste: Tampurakkal, the highest in status, who with the Adhyas form an endogamous subcaste; the Adhyas, who are temple priests; the Visistas, some of whom are ritualists, while others pursue traditional learning and philosophy; the Samanyas, who study the Veda; and the Jatimatras, who are the leading physicians according to the Ayurvedic school of medicine.