Koil Tampuran caste is surname of many people in southern India. Koil Tampuran caste meaning is The following note is extracted from the Travancore Census Report, 1901. The Koil Tampurans form a small community, made up of the descendants of the immigrant Kshatriya families from certain parts of Malabar lying to the north of Travancore and Cochin. They are also known as Koil Pantalas. In early records, the term Koviladhikarikal appears to have been used. Immemorial tradition connects the Koil Tampurans with Cheraman Perumal, and goes to say that their original settlement was Beypore. About 300 M.E. a few male members were invited to settle in Travancore, and form marital alliances with the ladies of the Travancore Royal House, known then as the Venat Svarupam. Houses were built for them at Kilimanur, six miles from Attingal, where all the female members of the Royal Family resided. In M.E. 963, eight personsthree males and five femalesfrom the family of Aliakkotu, oppressed by the invasion of Tipu Sultan, sought shelter in Travancore. Maharaja Rama Varma received them kindly, and gave them the palace of the Tekkumkur Raja, who had been subjugated by Rama Iyen Dalawah. This site in Changanachery is still recognised as Nirazhikkottaram. In 975 M.E. one of the five ladies removed to Kirtipuram near Kantiyur [297](Mavelikara taluk), and thence to a village called Gramam in the same taluk. Another shifted to Pallam in the Kottayam taluk, a third to Pa̱liyakkara in Tiruvalla, and a fourth, having no issue, continued to live at Changanachery with the fifth lady who was the youngest in the family. Ra̱ja Raaja Varma Koil Tampura̱n, who married Ra̱ni Lakshmi Bai, sovereign of Travancore from 985 to 990 M.E. was the eldest son of the lady that stayed at Changanachery. Their present house at that place, known as Lakshmipuram Kotta̱ram, was named after the Koil Tampurans royal consort. Raja Raja Varmas sister gave birth to three daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter and sons removed to Kartikapalli in 1040, and thence, in 1046, to Anantapuram in Haripad. In 1041, the second daughter and issue removed to Chemprol in Tiruvalla, while the third continued to live at Changanachery. Thus there came into existence seven families of Koil Tampurans, namely those of Kilimanur, Changanachery, Anantapuram, Pallam, Chemprol, Gramam, and Paliyakkare. Some time after 1040 M.E. (A.D. 1856), three more families, viz, those of Cherukol, Karamma, and Vatakkematham, immigrated from North Malabar.
The Koil Tampurans are all regarded as blood relations, and observe birth and death pollutions like Dayadis among Brahmans. They follow the matriarchal system of inheritance. Nambutiri Brahmans marry their ladies. Their religious ceremonies are the same as those of Nambutiris, whom they resemble in the matter of food and drink. Their caste government is in the hands of the Nambutiri Vaidikans.
Their ceremonies are the usual Brahmanical SamskarasGatakarma, Namakarana, Annaprasana, etc. Regarding the Namakarana, or naming, the only [298]noteworthy fact is that the first-born male always goes by the name of Raja Raja Varma. The Upanayana, or investiture with the sacred thread, takes place in the sixteenth year of age. On the morning of the Upanayana, Chaula or the tonsure ceremony is performed. It is formally done by the Nambutiri priest in the capacity of Guru, just as the father does to his son among Brahmans, and afterwards left to be completed by the Maran. The priest invests the boy with the thread, and, with the sacrificial fire as lord and witness, initiates him in the Gayatri prayer. The Koil Tampurans are to repeat this prayer morning, noon and evening, like the Brahmans, but are to do so only ten times on each occasion. On the fourth day, the boy listens to a few Vedic hymns recited by the priest. There is not the prolonged course of severe discipline of the Brahmanical Brahmachari, which the Nambutiris so religiously observe. The Samavartana, or pupilage stage, is performed on the fifteenth day. The ceremony of proceeding to Benares is then gone through. Just as in the case of the Brahmans, a would-be father-in-law intercedes, and requests the Snataka (past Brahmachari) to bless his daughter, and settle in life as a Grihastha. The Nambutiri priest then steps in to remind the boy of his dharma (duty) as a Kshatriya, and gives him a sword symbolic of his pre-ordained function in society.
The marriage of a Koil Tampuran does not present many peculiar features. One item in the programme, called Dikshavirippu, may be referred to. During all the four days of the marriage, the bride is confined to a special room, where a white cloth with a carpet over it is spread on the floor, and a lamp burns day and night. The ceremonial bridegroom is either an Aryappattar or a Nambutiri, now generally a Nambutiri. Of course, [299]the marriage is a mere ceremonial, and the bridegroom at the ceremony is not necessarily the spouse of actual life. His death deprives her of the right to wear the tali, and makes her an Amangali (an inauspicious person) for all socio-religious purposes. At sraddhas (memorial service for the dead), the Tampuratti with her married husband alive faces the east, and one that has lost him has to look in the direction of Yamaloka (south).
Mr. Ravi Varma, the celebrated artist, who died recently, was a Koil Tampuran of Kilimanur, an extensive village assigned to his ancestors rent-free for the military services they had rendered to the State in times of trouble.137
Koil Tampuran 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. Koil Tampuran caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Koil Tampuran 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
Koil Tampuran 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.
Koil Tampuran caste is also known as Koil Tampuran 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.