Elayad caste is surname of many people in southern India. Elayad caste meaning is For the following note on the Elayads or Ilayatus I am indebted to Mr. N. Subramani Aiyar. [205]Ilayatu literally means younger, and the name is employed to denote a caste, which is supposed to be the last among the numerous sub-divisions of Malabar Brahmans. The caste-men make use of two titles, Ilayatu and Nambiyatiri, the latter of which has the same origin as Nambutiri, meaning a person worthy of worship. Women are generally known as Ilayammas, and, in some parts of North Travancore, also Kunjammas. By the caste-men themselves the women are called Akattulavar, or those inside, in the same way as Nambutiri women. Children are called Kunjunnis. The Ilayatus exact from the Nayars the name of Ilayachchan, or little father.
According to the Jatinirnaya, a work ascribed to Parasurama, the Ilayatus were once Brahmans of undiminished purity, but became degraded owing to the priestly service which was performed for a Nayar servant attached to one of their households. Two members of the house of Azhvancheri Tamprakkal were brothers. The younger resolved to go to a foreign country, and could get no other Nayar servant than one who was obliged to perform his mothers anniversary ceremony on the way. He promised to act as the priest on this occasion, and is even believed to have eaten the food prepared by the Nayar. When the matter became known to his elder brother, he assembled all the Vaidik Brahmans, and the younger brother was excommunicated. This tradition, like the majority of Malabar traditions, has to be accepted with reserve. The Ilayatus assert that, until interdicted by Rama Iyen Dalawa in revenge for a supposed dishonour to him, they had the privilege of commensality with Nambutiri Brahmans; but Rama Iyens authority, large as it was, did not extend to Cochin and British Malabar, where too the Ilayatus appear to [206]labour under the same difficulty. Those who encouraged the higher classes of Nayars with ritualistic functions became Onnam Parisha or the first party of Ilayatus, the remainder being grouped in another class known as Randam or second party. The latter are lower in the social scale than the former. The two sections do not intermarry, and interdining is restricted to the male sex.
The Ilayatus generally have a dejected appearance, and their poverty is proverbial. Most of them earn only a scanty living by their traditional occupation, and yet it is notorious that other walks of life have absolutely no attraction for them. Not only is English education not welcomed, but even the study of Sanskrit finds only a few steadfast votaries. The Ilayatus are, however, a naturally clever, and intelligent community, and, under favourable conditions, are found to take a more prominent place in society.
The house of an Ilayatu is, like that of a Nambutiri, called illam. It is generally large, being the gift of some pious Nayar. Every Ilayatu house possesses a serpent grove, where periodical offerings are made. The dress and ornaments of the Ilayatus are exactly like those of the Nambutiris. The wedding ornament is called kettu-tali. Children wear a ring tied to a thread round the neck from the moment of the first feeding ceremony. The Ilayatus are strict vegetarians, and, though in some of their temples they have to make offerings of liquor to the deity, they are strictly forbidden by caste rules from partaking thereof.
The chief occupation of the Ilayatus is the priesthood of the Nayars. The first division perform this service only for the Ilakkar or highest class of Nayars, while the second division do not decline to be the priests of any section of that community. In performing such services, [207]the Ilayatus recite various liturgic texts, but hardly any Vedic hymns. The Ilayatus have also been the recognised priests in several North Travancore temples, the chief of which are the Kainikkara Bhagavata shrine, the Payappara Sasta shrine, and the Parekkavu Siva temple at Kuttattukulam. Ilayatus are the priests in most of the snake groves of Malabar, that at Mannarsalay commanding the greatest popularity and respect.
Ilayatus are, in all matters of caste such as Smarta-vicharam, or enquiry into charges of adultery, etc, governed by the Nambutiris, who are assisted by Vaidiks belonging to the caste itself. It is the latter who are the regular priests of the Ilayatus, and, though ignorant of the Vedas, they seem to possess considerable knowledge of the priestly functions as carried out in Malabar. Nambutiris are sometimes invited to perform Isvaraseva, Sarpabali, and other religious rites. Purification rites are performed by the caste priests only, and no Nambutiri is called on to assist. Brahmans do not cook food in the houses of Ilayatus.
The Ilayatus are divided mostly into two septs or gotras, called Visvamitra and Bharadvaja. The marriage of girls is performed before or after puberty, between the twelfth and eighteenth years. No bride-price is paid, but a sum of not less than Rs. 140 has to be paid to the bridegroom. This is owing to the fact that, in an Ilayatu family, as among the Nambutiris, only the eldest son can lead a married life. All male members of a family, except the eldest, take to themselves some Nayar or Ambalavasi woman. Widows do not remove their tuft of hair on the death of their husband, but throw their marriage ornament on to the funeral pyre, probably as a symbol of the performance of sati. The Ilayatus resemble the Nambutiris in all questions of inheritance.[208]
The Ilayatus do not omit any of the sixteen religious ceremonies of the Brahmans. The rules of name given are that the eldest son should be named after the paternal grandfather, the second after the maternal grandfather, and the third after the father. A parallel rule obtains in giving names to daughters.
The Ilayatus belong in the main to the white and black branches of the Yajurveda, and observe the sutras of Bodhayana and Asvalayana. They recite only twenty-four Gayatri hymns, thrice a day. Women are believed to be polluted for ninety days after childbirth.
It is noted in the Cochin Census Report, 1901, that the Elayads are their own priests, and for this reason, and from the fact that Nayars perform sradhas (memorial service) in the houses of Elayads, the Nambudris do not cook or take meals in their houses, nor do they, Kshatriyas or Nampidis, take water from Elayads. In former times, the Elayads used to take their meals in Nayar houses during the performance of the sradha ceremony of the Nayars, as Brahmans generally do on such ceremonial occasions amongst themselves, but they now decline to do it, except in a few wealthy and influential families. Muthads and Elayads wear the sacred thread. Though in many respects the Elayads are more Brahmanical than the Muthads, the majority of the Ambalavasi castes do not take the food cooked or touched by the Elayads. There are some temples, in which they officiate as chief priests. The Muthad and Elayad females are gosha. They both practice polygamy, and perform Sarvaswadanam marriages like the Nambudris.
Elayad 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. Elayad caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Elayad 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
Elayad 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.
Elayad caste is also known as Elayad 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.