Variar

Variyar (also written as Variar, Varyar, Warriar or Warrier) is a Hindu Ambalavasi caste in Kerala, India.

Etymology

The term Variyar has its origin in the Malayalam word 'Variyam' (Malayalam: വാരിയം /വാര്യം), which refers to a committee or a board. Variyam refers to an office of supervision. Thus variyar is a supervising officer or a member of a supervisory board or committee. The word is commonly used in the plural form as Variar (Vārian + -ar) to denote respect. The feminine equivalent of Variar is Vārassyar. It is a combination of Variyassi/Variaththi and the plural suffix -ar.

Warrier caste belongs to Ambalavasi community. In the caste hierarchy, Ambalavasi community is positioned next to Brahmin community.^[1][2]

People

Notable people called Variar, Variyar, or Warrier include

• Aishwarya Warrier-a Mohiniyattam dancer, art educator, choreographer, and researcher.
• C. B. C. Warrier– Ex-Member of Legislative Assembly (Kerala)
• E. Ikkanda Warrier (1890–1977) – the first and the last prime minister of the state of Cochin, India, beginning in 1948.^[3]
• Gopi Warrier – specialising in Ayurvedic medicine, playwright and poet.
• Jayaraj Warrier – Actor
• Kaikulangara Rama Variar- a scholar, poet, astrologer/astronomer, and commentator and translator of several well known Sanskrit treatises dealing with a variety of subjects.
• Madhu Wariar – actor and producer, brother of Manju Warrier
• Manju Warrier – an Indian actress and dancer in the Malayalam film industry.
• Mridula Warrier – playback singer.
• N. V. Krishna Warrier – an Indian poet, journalist, scholar, academic and political thinker.
• P. K. R. Warrier – a cardiothoracic surgeon, author and social activist.
• P. K. Warrier – Indian Ayurvedic physician.
• Priya Prakash Varrier – Actress and Model
• Rajan Warrier – Infamous missing persons' case
• Rajashree Warrier – Bharata Natyam dancer.
• Ramapurathu Warrier -pioneer of the "Vanchipattu" or Boat-song form of poetry in Malayalam language.
• Sachin Warrier – playback singer and composer in the Malayalam cinema industry.
• Sankarankutty Sandeep Warrier – an Indian first-class cricketer.
• Sankara Variar – an astronomer-mathematician of the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics.
• Shashi Warrier – author.
• Shobha Warrier, a journalist
• T. Sankara Warrier- Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Diwan of the Kingdom of Cochin
• Unnayi Variyar-a poet, writer, scholar, and dramatist who lived in Thiruvananthapuram, India during the 17th/18th century.
• Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier

See also

• Ambalavasi