Nokkan caste is surname of many people in southern India. Nokkan caste meaning is The Nokkans, who often go by the name of Jadipillais (children of the caste), are a class of mendicants, who beg from members of the Palli caste. The word Nokkan is said to meanhe who looks. The Nokkans make periodical visits to villages where Pallis live, and receive from them a small fee in money. They attend at Palli marriages, and, during processions, carry flags (palempores) bearing devices of Hanuman, tigers, Agni, etc, which are made at Kalahasti.
The Nokkans claim fees from the Pallis, because one of their ancestors helped them. The legend runs as follows. During the reign of a Palli king at Conjeeveram, a car, bearing the idol of the god, stood still, and could not be moved. A human sacrifice was considered necessary, but no one would offer himself as a victim. A Nokkan came forward, and allowed his only daughter, who was pregnant, to be sacrificed. [417]Pleased at his behaviour, the king ordered that the Pallis should in future treat the Nokkans as their Jadipillais. Some Nokkans say that they were presented with copper-grants, one of which is reputed to be in the possession of one Nokka Ramaswami of Mulavayal village in the Ponneri taluk of the Chingleput district.
In the course of their rounds, the Nokkans repeat the story of the origin of the Pallis, one version of which runs as follows. Two Asuras, Vathapi and Enadhapi, who were ruling at Ratnagiripatnam, obtained at the hands of Siva, by means of severe tapas (penance), the following boon. No child should die within their dominions, and the Asuras should be invincible, and not meet their death at the hands of uterine-born beings. The Devatas and others, unable to bear the tyranny of the Asuras, prayed to Brahma for rescue. He directed them to the Rishi Jambuvamuni, who was doing penance on the banks of the river Jumna. This Rishi is said to have married a woman named Asendi, who was born from the cheeks of Parvati. Hearing the request of the Devatas, the Rishi lighted the sacred fire, and therefrom arose a being called Rudra Vanniyan, and forty other warriors, including Nilakanta, Gangabala, and Vajrabahu. The Pallis are descended from these fire-born heroes. (See Palli)
Nokkans wear the sacred thread, and carry with them a big drum and a gourd pipe like that used by snake-charmers.
Nokkan caste is one of the many castes subcastes of India.
India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. They were created to solve the problem of division of labor. Nokkan caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Nokkan caste do or did in earlier times. Many last names in India indicate the place the person originally belongs to. All castes sub castes are primarily divided into 4 categories:
1.Brahmins – The learned or priestly class
2.Khastriyas – The warrior class or those with governing functions
3.Vaishyas – The trader, agriculturalists or cattle rearers class
4.Shudra – The class that serves other three categories
Nokkan caste belongs to one of the above 4 categories. Indian caste system is the best system to solve the problem of division of labor. In earlier times there was no rigidity in caste system. Indian caste system is still the best solution for the problem of division of labor, the only change that is needed as per changed times is that rather than having a vertical hierarchical system with Brahmins on top and Shudras at bottom, it would be good to have a horizontal socialist system with Brahmins, Khastriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras all at same level.
The caste system of India is in ruins at present. It is also cause of bloody quarrels in certain parts of the rural India. People of backward castes have reservations in government jobs, this facility is widely misused in India. Many of the backward caste people have become rich and still use the facility for their benefit. Many in India believe reservation in jobs should be given on the basis of poverty rather than caste because there are many poors in upper castes as well.
Many criticize the Indian caste system because of bad material condition of lower castes but if they observe in an unbiased way they would find that there are many in upper castes with bad material conditions. The problem lies in power not in castes, power can corrupt anyone be it from upper caste or lower caste.
All cultures, all countries, all religions have caste system in one form or the other. Christians have different churches depending on the region or language or skin color of people. Muslims have a priestly class that tries to control everything. Arab Muslims before the oil boom were so much divided among tribes that if you drank water from a well of a different tribe you could be shot dead. Tribal divisions still exists among Muslims. You can also see the caste system in a different form in your corporate companies. I had seen different food and drinking facilities for people at different levels.
Nokkan caste is also known as Nokkan Gotra.
Caste situation is quiet different in urban India, people in urban areas especially youngsters don?t bother about castes. Inter caste, inter religious, inter lingual marriages are quiet common in urban India. Inter caste, inter religious and inter lingual marriages in rural areas attract severe criticism and many times people are expelled from community for not marrying as per religious and caste rules.