Ezhuthachan-The kerala guru's

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Hare rama krishna

dear sreenadh ji

 

This post is Good remeberence for those gurus who keep the intellectual tradition of kerala beyond the caste and class for millioniums .The contribution of this set of ppl tho not belong to any purticular caste /community mainly has helped to percolate knowldge ,sanskrit ,ayurveda ,astrology ,astronomy and even mathematics etc etc to reach all classes of ppl and only place where even non brahmins knows sanskrit like a mother toungue was kerala till recently we completely engulfed by english education .

They were guru for many european scholars and even preists ( jesuits ) .

for exmple --azhikode othenan gurukkal who was guru of herman gundart .who made first Malayalam Nighandu .

 

sri Uppottu kannan gurukkal who helped to make world's first Botanical text .

horthus indicus malabaricus .( the trees and plants of kerala or india ??i dont know translation ) it even says this book was written equaly in malayalam and latin .

so many unknown gurus also helped the flow the intellectual ganga in society and they were instrumnt in keeping many many ancient texts which would hav been forgotten already and i take this as an opportunity salute to their memory .

 

regrds sunil nair

om shreem mahalaxmai namah .

 

, "Sreenadh" <sreesog wrote:>> Dear All,> I found a good blog post on Ezhuthachan at:> http://krspalakkad.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!894FC8FB47A0271F!1356.entry> <http://krspalakkad.spaces.live.com/blog/cns%21894FC8FB47A0271F%211356.e\> ntry>> > It is very informative.> Love and regards,> Sreenadh> > ===========================> Ezhuthachan> It is well known that Ezhuthachan was the name used to denote teachers> and learned people in olden days. (Ezhuthamma - female counterpart.)> People who performed Shaktheya puja were also called by the same name.> > > > Teachers of all castes were not called so. Eg. - Pisharody, Warrier,> etc, who were teachers, were not called Ezhuthachans.> > > Ezhuthachans used to copy important grandhas also, in the thaliyola. We> can see their names in the end of the old thaliyolas or grandhas. The> castes of many of these teachers may be thus inferred.> > > > A search for Tunjath Ezhuthachan's caste took into account the> following:> > > > 1) Some Ezhuthachans in Kerala and their castes:> > > > The main disciples of Tunjath Ezhuthachan were 1). Karunakaran> Ezhuthachan, (Nair), 2). Suryanarayanan Ezhuthachan, (Tharakan), 3).> Devu Ezhuthachan (Tharakan) and 4). Gopalan Ezhuthachan (Menon). The> house of Suryanarayanan Ezhuthachan (Chozhiath kudumbam), is at> Mangalamkunnu near Ottappalam. The land where Chittur Ashram is situated> was bought from the family of Chambathil Chathukkutty Mannadiar by this> Suryanarayanan Ezhuthachan, which is mentioned in the records pertaining> to the sale of the land.> > Members of the Chozhiath House are still called Ezhuthachans.> > > > Ezhuvath Gopalamenon became the disciple of Tunjath Ezhuthachan and> assumed the name Koppaswamikal.> > > > Tunjath Ezhuthachan himself has mentioned that he was a Sudra.> > > > Edappal House: Tunjath Ezhuthachan is said to have married into a family> in Amakkavu in Koottanad, the Edappal House, and he had a daughter. The> lineage still lives there. They are of the Nair caste. Those among the> household who established themselves as teachers were called> Ezhuthachans. These teachers used to initiate children to the alphabets,> and the people in the place have regarded them as descendents of Tunjath> Ezhuthachan for generations.> > The well known Koppanezhuthachan (Gopalan Ezhuthachan) who lived during> the last century and taught the now famous living Astrologer Soolapani> Varier, belonged to Edappal House.> > When some of the Nair families vied with each other to have had marital> alliances with high caste Namboothiris, the Edappal House maintained> through generations that they were descendents of Tunjath Ezhuthachan> even when he was supposed to belong to the low caste Chakkala Nair> community.> > > > Aithihyamala Page 263 (Kottarathil Sankunni) - States that Ezhuthachan> is not a caste, but is the equivalent term for 'Asan' in the northern> parts, in his essays on Chembra Ezhuthachans.> > > > The renowned astrologer Kutti Ezhuthachan, known as Kerala Brihaspathi,> was Gupta by caste. His name was Krishnanguptan.> > > > Ramankutty Ezhuthachan (Gupta by caste) is the father of the great> Sanskrit scholar Mridanandaswamikal.> > > > The names of traditional Ezhuthachans who initiate children to the> alphabets in Tunjan parambu in Tirur even today during the Vijayadashami> festival are printed in all leading newspapers like the Malayala> Manorama and Mathrubhumi every year. They belong to the Nair and Menon> castes.> > > > The Ezhuthachan status among some of the people was quite traditional> and the status hereditary, as in Ezhuthachan families.> > > > The following facts prove that teachers were called Ezhuthachans> irrespective of their caste, not only in South Malabar but in North> Malabar also. (North Malabar was not under Zamorins of Calicut):> > > > Othenan Ezhuthachan who established an Ezhuthu pallikkoodam for the> first time in Narath, in 1800 A.D., belonged to the Nair caste. Berlin> Kunjananthan Nair is the great grandson of Othenan Ezhuthachan.> (Mathrubhumi Weekly, February 22, 2004)> > > > Pothera Narayanan Nambiar is the nephew of the famous astrologer late> Pothera Krishnanezhuthachan, who was the writer of the historically> important book Sooryasthuthi. Pothera Ezhuthachan learnt Sanskrit and> Astrology from the famous Astrologer Kandabath Sekharanezuthachan.> Pothera Narayanan Nambiar has a website at> http://www.payyanur.com/pothera <http://www.payyanur.com/pothera>> > > > The well known astrologer V. P. K. Poduval is the son of the famous> astrologer Karayil Kandambath Kunhambu (Ramanezhuthachan). [Poduval is> Nair in North Malabar and Ambalavasi in Kochi and South Malabar]> > > > > > > > 2) About the Ezhuthachan (Kaduppattan) caste:> > > > Some of the people belonging to the Kaduppattan caste who settled in> Calicut later became teachers. They were Buddhists. They taught> Vattezhuthu. These teachers were also called Ezhuthachans.> > > > Castes and Tribes of Southern India by Edgar Thurston, page 30> (Published in 1909). - About Kaduppattan caste - 'The members of this> caste are, Mr. H.A. Stuart writes, at present mostly palanquin bearers> and carriers of salt, oil etc. The educated among them follow the> profession of teaching and are called Ezhuthachan, ie master of> learning. Both titles are used in the same family.'> > This statement clearly points out that Ezhuthachan was not a caste name,> but a title even among the Kaduppattan community.> > > > The Cochin tribes and castes (Vol 2) - By Ananthakrishnaiyer (written in> 1912) : Has recorded the stories given by the people of the Kaduppattan> caste during that time. Page 104 - "The tradition is that the> Kaduppattans were Brahmins of the Kadu village who were banished from> the country. They went to Kerala and sought the protection of the then> Zamorin of Calicut, who allowed them to settle in his territory. Then> they met Sri Sankaracharyar who directed them to teach Sudras and other> low caste men. The date of their arrival in Kerala is commemorated by> "Kaduka thyaktha stheya (1447 A.D.)." However, in a footnote,> Ananthakrishnaiyer has also written - "The account appears to have been> cooked up to prove their Brahmanical pretensions. Sri Sankaracharyar> lived more than 1000 years ago."> > Page 105 - "Ezhuthachan (teacher) is a title originally given to the> educated members of the caste.... Even now this title is conferred on> them (Kaduppattans) by the rulers and chieftains on payment of some> thirumulkazhcha (nuzzer). Panikkar is another title possessed by some.> The caste-men below them address the male members as Pattarappan and> their women as Pattathiar or Pattathiar Amma."> > Ananthakrishnaiyer has also recorded the activities of the Kaduppattan> caste leaders during this time (1912). They formed an Adhyapaka Samajam,> conducted a number of meetings and passed many resolutions. They> demanded an equivalent status with the high castes among the Nair> community. Some modifications were made to rituals pertaining to> marriage and those after death. Other important decisions were : "The> caste-men and women are prohibited from taking the food of any other> caste-men except that of Brahmins..... The title of Ezhuthachan should> be obtained chiefly by merit and not by the payment of money> (thirumulkazhcha) to some chieftain or Namboothiri landlord." (page 114,> Tribes and castes of Cochin, L. K. A. Aiyer) (written in 1912)> > ===========================>