Kottai Vellala caste is surname of many people in southern India. Kottai Vellala caste meaning is The Kottai Vellalas, Mr. J. A. Boyle writes,16 have been shut up within narrow walls, the others between two rivers. The result of insulation has been the same, and they have developed from small families into small, but perfectly distinct, castes. In the centre of the town of Srivaiguntam, in the Tinnevelly district, is a small fort, composed of a mud enclosure, containing the houses of a number of families known as Kottai (fort) Vellalas, who are separated from social intercourse and intermarriage with other families of the great Vellala caste. The traditional origin of this settlement is dated nearly a thousand years ago, when their ancestors were driven by a political revolution from their home in the valley of the Veigay (the river which flows past Madura). Under the Pandya dynasty of Madura, these Vellalas were, they allege, the chamberlains or treasurers, to whom belonged the hereditary dignity of crowning the newly-succeeded kings. And this is still commemorated by an annual ceremony, performed in one of the Tinnevelly temples, whither the heads of families still repair, and crown the head of the swami (god). Their women never leave the precincts of the mud enclosure. After seven years of age, no girl is allowed to pass the gates, and the restriction is supported by the tradition of a disobedient little girl, who was murdered for a thoughtless breach of this law. Into the fort no male stranger may enter, though there is no hindrance to women of other castes to enter. After marriage, no woman of the caste may be seen by mans eyes, except those of her husband, father, [34]brothers, and maternal uncles. When the census was taken, they refused to say how many women there were inside the fort, and infanticide is not only possible, but most probable; for there is a suspicious absence of increase in the colony, which suggests some mode of disposing of theuseless mouths, unknown to health officers and policemen. Until recent times, housed within the fort, were certain prædial slaves (Kottar, smiths) of inferior social status, who worked for their masters, and lived in the same rigid seclusion as regards their women. They have been turned out, to live beyond the enclosure, but work for their masters.
It is said that, during the days of oppression at the hands of Muhammadan and Poligar rulers, the Kottai Vellalas had to pay considerable sums of money to secure immunity from molestation. The Kottai Pillai, or headman of the community, is reported to possess the grants made from time to time by the rulers of the country, guaranteeing them the enjoyment of their customs and privileges. The fort, in which the Kottai Vellalas live, is kept in good preservation by Government. There are four entrances, of which one is kept closed, because, it is said, on one occasion, a child who went out by it to witness the procession of a god was killed. Brahmans who are attached to the fort, male members of various castes who work for the inmates thereof, and Pallans may freely enter it. But, if any one wishes to speak to a man living in the fort, the Paraiyan gatekeeper announces the presence of the visitor. Females of all castes may go into the fort, and into the houses within it.
On marriage and other festive occasions, it is customary for the Kottai Vellalas to give raw rations to those invited, instead of, as among other castes, a dinner. [35]The Kottans eat and drink at the expense of their masters, and dance.
Like the Nangudi Vellalas (Savalai Pillais), the Kottai Vellalas have kilais (septs) running in the female line, and they closely follow them in their marriage customs. It is usual for a man to marry his paternal aunts daughter. The bridegroom goes in state, with his and the brides relations and their respective Kottans, to the brides house. Arrived at the marriage pandal (booth), they are welcomed by the brides party. The homam (sacrificial fire) is then raised by the officiating Brahman priest, who blesses the tali (marriage badge), and hands it to a Kottan female, who passes it on to the elder sister of the bridegroom, or, if he has no such sister, to a female who takes her place. She takes it inside the house, and ties it on the neck of the bride, who has remained within during the ceremony. The contracting couple are then man and wife. The husband goes to live with his wife, who, after marriage, continues to live in her fathers house. On the death of her father, she receives half of a brothers share of the property. If she has no brothers, she inherits the whole property.17
Kottai Vellala women wear ordinary jewels up to middle life, when they replace them by a jewel called nagapadam, which is a gold plate with the representation of a five-headed cobra. This is said to be worn in memory of the occasion when a Pandyan king, named Thennavarayan, overlooking the claims of his legitimate son, gave the kingdom to an illegitimate son. The fort Vellalas living at Sezhuvaimanagaram refused to place the crown on the bastards head. They were consequently persecuted, and had to leave the country. They [36]decided to throw themselves into a fire-pit, and so meet their death in a body. But, just as they were about to do so, they were prevented by a huge five-headed cobra. Hearing of this marvellous occurrence, the Pandyan king who was ruling in Tinnevelly invited them to settle at Srivaiguntam. The fort Vellalas claim that one of the Pandyan kings gave them extensive lands on the bank of the Vaigai river when they lived at Sezhuvaimanagaram. They claim further that the ministers and treasurers of the Pandyan kings were selected from among them.
The dead are usually cremated. The corpses are borne by Kottans, who carry out various details in connection with the death ceremonies. The corpses of women are placed in a bag, which is carefully sewn up.
I am informed that, owing to the scarcity of females, men are at the present day obliged to recruit wives from outside.
The Kottaipaththu Agamudaiyans believe that they are the same as the Kottai Vellalas.
Kottai Vellala 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. Kottai Vellala caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Kottai Vellala 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
Kottai Vellala 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.
Kottai Vellala caste is also known as Kottai Vellala 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.