STUDIA ORIENTALIAPUBLISIIED BY TTIE FINNISH ORIENTAL SOCIETY

9l

Kerala Bratrmins in TransitionA Study of a Namputiri Family

by

Marjatta Parpola

HELSINKI 2OOO

MarjaraParpolaKerala Brahmins in Transition. A Study of a Nampútiri FamilyStudia Orientalia Vol. 91. 2000

Copynght @ 2000 by the Finnish Oriental Society,

Societas Orientalis Fennicq

c/o Instituæ forAsian and African Su¡dies

P.O.Box 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B)00014 Univenity of Helsinki

FINLAND

Editorial Board:

Jaaklco Hämeen-Annila (Arabic and Islamic Studies)

Tapani H arvia¡z¿¿ (Semitic Studies)

Arli Hurslcainen (African Studies)

JulwJønhune¿ (Altaic and East Asian Sodies)P etteri Koskilcallio (Rrblication Secretary)

Kaj Ôhrnberg (Secretary of the Society)

Heikki Palva (Arabic Linguistics)

Asla Parpola (South Asian Studies)

Símo P arpola (Assyriology)

Reín Raud (Japanese Studies)

rssN 0039-3282

ISBN 951-938G48-5

Gummerus PrintingSaarijär-vi, Finland 200 1

PREFACE

I got my introduction to the lndian subcontinent in January-May 1971, when,

together with our two daughters aged 5 and 2,I followed my Indologist husbandAsko Parpola on his ftrst field trip to that a¡ea. This experience made me radicallychange my future plans and I became a student of general ethnology and

archaeology æ the University of Helsinki. I staned working in the ethnography

section at the National Museum of Finland n 197 4.

From l97l to 1983, going to the field had to remain a dream for me for familyand employment reasons. The support from the Academy of Finland for myhusband's proþt 'Domestic rituals of the Jaiminîya Sãmaveda' included a grarit

for me to assist him in the field-work and in fhe arrangement of the field material in1983 and 1985. I continued field study in 1990, 1992, and 1995-96,not assisting inthat project any more, but concentrating on my own research. The Nordic Instin¡teof Asian Studies financed my retum air ticket to Kerala in 1990. I direct my thanksto these two institutions. However, I have done most of my research at home and inthe field as a hobby during my arurual leave and other leisure time without anyfinancial help. For that reason my work has repeatedly had to remain dormant forlong periods of time.

I wish to thank my husband for leading me to India and to my subjert, and forhis invaluable advice in questions of Indology. Likewise my Indian informants fortheir patience, hospitality, and thei¡ laborious attempts ro satisfy my curiosity. Ithank Matti Sarmela and Jukka Siikala for advice given in their semina¡s. I also owethanks to otso Kantokorpi, Peneri Koskikallio, Anna-Maria viljanen, and KajÖtrmUerg for thei¡ help in ttreoretical or practical problems. I thank Henri Schildtfor measuring Ravipuram and drawing its floor plan as well as the maps of Kerala,Michael vollar for revising my English, and Juri Ahlfors, påúvikki parpola andPekka Jussila for advice in problems conceming computer technology.

My healty thanks go to Pauline Kolenda for reading the manuscript for thispublication, and for giving me many helpful suggestions conceming Indian anthro-pology and style of presentation. I also thank Karen Armstrong for reading themanuscript for my licentiate's dissertation and for giving valuable advice; Leashamgar-Handelman and Don Handelman for shaking off the dust from an earlydraft, and bringing it to active preparation by giving me useful suggestions; v. K.Ramachandran and Madhura Swaminathan for personal encouragemenq and Valen-

vt

tine Daniel, who looked æ my field description in 1989, suggested some reading

and assu¡ed me thatthe material could be used, apart from my museum work foranindependent study as well.

I know that I am not as deeply inæresæd in a theoretical angle as my advisors

might wish. None of these illustious scholars are responsible for the shoræomings

of the result

Helsinki, in August 1999,

Marjatta Parpola

Note on orthography and transliteration

While speaking of pan-Indian matters, I have, as a rule, used the Sanskrit orthogra-

phy for names of gods and other concepts, while tlre conesponding orthography ofMalayalam, the language of Kerala is used when speaking about speciñcally Kerala

contexts. Generally,I have used the standad international tanscription system in

Indian ærms and names. The English spelling is followed in geographical names,

and Indian names and terms that have become curent in English, and the names that

Indian authors use of themselves. ln citations the spelling chosen by ttrc authors is

often reproduced, but in othercases the inæmational transcription is adopted for the

sake ofclarity.

CONTENTS

Preface

Note on ortlngraphy and transliæration

List of figures

I.INTRODUCTION

l. Auvrs oprræ PRESENTSTUDY

2. IIson¡c¡r"BAcr(GRorJ¡{D

The Vedas and Hinduism

Kerala and its Bralmins, the Nampütiris

Ancienttimes

The Second CêraEmpire

The mini-kingdoms and Nampütiri power

British rule

The ïVest and the nationalist movement in IndiaRadical rcforms in Kerala

tr. ETHNOGRAPFtrC DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS

5. PnysIc¿¡-¡¡¡o socIALsETr]Nc

Settlement and cultivation in KeralaPanjal village

T1rc jãtis

vvixi

2

3

3. IvfsTHoDs A¡TDFIELÞwoRK

Studying an ancient literate civilizationFocus on the family and household

Sources and field-workSources

The focus of my workOur way of life among the NampttirisField methods

4. IrrnooucronycoNsrDERATloNsABourpuRlrr, poLLuIloN, AnDRITUAL 57Hierarchy andpower 57IVhat is ritual? ó8

35

35

39

404046

48

54

9

9

t313

t4l520

23

26

70

7t7t72

74

The Nampätiri mamß and theirtemples

Sphere of life of the Nampûtiris

6. Tlæ rn¡ornox¡r Bi{sls oFpouiER: Tlm r¡¡oGeneral development in Kerala

Family land

Ownership of cultivated land

Cultivating thepaddy

Luck, loss, problems andnew chances

7. DolæsrrcsplcsThe house and compound as a microcosmos

The Panjal Nampütiri compound

The space outdoors

Buildings in the compound

Rooms

Fiuings and fumishings

Stages of life and cyclical activities

Ownership of tenitory and privacy

Othercastes

S/ill the microcosmic near+ompleæness last?

8. N4Eno¡mFAMILYCategories of Nampätiris

Grãmaand gotra

Stan¡s groups

Stages in thelife of BralminmalesSix generations

Ancestors

IR and his generation

IR's children and their generation

IR's grandchildren and their generation

Profits and losses

9.'lVom¡orrr{E FA¡úILY

Purity of women

Friends

Unmaniedgirlshe-pubenyTira4lu-lcalyâ4a4r or the rite of the first menstn¡ation

Educæion

85

91

93

93

95

96

99

ll0ll3l13tt7tt7t22129

t37t4t142

r43t4t47t47147

148

t52160

160

163

1ó8

169

t7lt75t75178

180

180

181

189

MarriageWithin the caste

Ouæide the caste

Age of marriage

DowryI-ove marriage

Non-Vedic maniage ceremonies

Wives

Co-wivesRespect and subjugation

ChildrenHousehold routines of Ravipuram women

Namputiri women's ritual practices

WidowsFrom purdah to multiple, yet limited, options

I 0. I¡rrn¡nre PoLLUTToN

Indirect and touching pollution

Birth pollutionMenstrual pollutionDeath pollutionThe temple is not a place for those who are under a pollution

I l. Fooo, DRINK At'¡D srIMUt-ANTs

Raw maærials and recipes

Rules relaæd to eating and drinking

Rules concerning particular consumables

Women and old men are conservative in their diet

I 2. PSRSoNAL AppEARANcE

General attitude towards personal appearance in the light ofancient texts

Life stages and d¡ess in the light of ancienr rexts

Nampütiri bodycare and adomment

Bath

Hai¡ and nails

Mouth hygiene

Marks and colours on the face and body

Nampútiri dress and omaments

Dress

Omaments

The functions and change of Nampùtiri dress and adomment

l9l192

197

20r204

206207

209

209

2tr2t4215

217

229

230

?33

233

237

240

242

243

245

246

250

257

261

263

265266270270

277

281

282

287

287

299

307

13. Is P¡¡.u¡r. ¿, N¡¡rætirru rry¡¿cs?

Distanoe pollutionInærcaste relations, fuktip and dãna

Joint and separate culn¡ral efforts ofthe castes

Vfesæmization and globalization

Caste, class andpolitical power

14. Corqcus¡ons

ASSREVIATIoÌ{s oF FREqUEITLY MENTIottED ÆRsoNAL NAIIIES

E¡euneronv LIsroFNATwETER¡\ts AND NAMES

BTeUmRAPHY

Appel¡p¡æs

l. Sãnkara-Sqti 1.12.4 in Sanshit2. The lvlalayalam prose commentary on S-anlca¡a-Smrti

1.12.4 by Ti. Si. ParamêSva¡an Mässa¡ava¡lcal

3. An annotated Engtish translation of Sankara-Smr,ti 1.124by Asko Parpola

4. Setikara's ó4 n¡les quoted by Logan, with Fawceü'sminor changes and comments

5. Examination of Sankara's 64 rules as tarislated andgrouped by S. Venkiøsubramonia lyer

6. Kerala customs according to Gundert

Nop(

311

3ll3t732t326329

335

347

349

393

403

N3

405

407

4n

4r4420

4n

cover:

LIST OF FIGURES

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

t7.18.

19.

20.2r.22.

23.-24.

25.

26.-28.

29.-30.

31.

32.

33.

34.35.

36.-37.

38.

39.40.

41.

42.

Water-vessel /<it¿fi (drawn by Henri Schild$

Map of Kerala 4

Nampätiri boys being taught Sãmavedic chant 10

T\e agnicaya¡n¿ ritual 12

Old Nampätiri reading a newspaper 30

Nampütiri studying his palmJeaf manuscripts 36r9Vinding the cotton sting for a marriage badge 49

Caster family at work 59

Map of Panjal village in the early 1960s 73

Village goldsmith at work 80

The l^aks.mr--Nãrãyaqta temple in Panjal 86

Village scene with paddy fields and c¡aftsmen's houses in Panjal 86

Namputiri performing apúja in the Ayyappan temple 89

Women worshipping the idol in the Ayyappan æmple 89

Men with tlreir æams of animals preparing the soil for planting 100

Tractor ploughing the fields 100

Labourer strengthening the paddy-field walls with mud 104

Women replanting seedlings 104

Women threshing paddy with rods 107

Rubber sheets drying ll2Nampütiri house I l8Granite image of a cobra and granite snake temples l2lNamputiri houses 124Thatched house with palmleaf walls 126Making of sun-burnt bricks, and a house built of them 128

Plan of a Nampûtiri house: the ground floor 130

Meal in the old style 132Television-watching 132Preparing food on the floor 135

Modem kitchen and eating space 135

l"heannaprãSanante 153

The Mumm¡kkãttu Mãmannu kin group 162Family photograph 163

Namputiri lady dressed in the traditional way 178

Namputiri bride and bridegroom 193

Nampûtiri with his two wives 210Namputiri ladies performtnganñ,ëdyam 218

l.2.-3

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

nt

43. Nampútiri lady liehtine the evening wicks

4. Informants and resea¡chers

45. Staning tlre curds

46. T\esonfuarta¡wnæ47. Nampûtiri performing his moming riual48. The holy tank of aNampütiri house

49. Nampütiri lady taking her bath in ttte tank

50. Women's hairstyles

51. The loincloth of an Ãdhyan lady

52. The loincloth of an Ãsyan lady

53. Vfashenvoman waiting outside the verandah

54. Nampätiritransacting with his family goldsmith

55. Disrics of Kerala

22t234u8269272

272

n5280296296315

3ls426

To Asko, Päivikki, Pekka and Mette