Veluthedath Nair

Veluthedath Nair, also spelled as Veluthedathu Nair (Malayalam: വെളുത്തേടത്ത് നായർ) is a temple oriented Service Caste within Nair community in Kerala,^[1][2][3][4] in India. They use 'Nair' surname. They are distributed in almost all districts of Kerala.^[5] Their major role and hereditary duty was submitting Thiru Udayaada, a sacred cloth to deities in temples which is even done today. The term "Veluthedath" means "purify" or "whiten" and it indicates their role in ritual purification and submission of clean sacred cloths , especially in Temples.^[6] Veluthedath Nairs belonged to Non Military Nair Sub group as they were associated with Temple service.

Roles and Traditional Occupation

Veluthedath Nair is a temple oriented service caste and their major role was submitting a specific sacred cloth which is known as "Thiru Udayaada" or "Thiru Vasthra" to the deities.^{[7][8][9][10]} It was also the duty of Veluthedath Nair to perform ritualistic purificatory ceremonies in various occasions.^[11] Pothuven, A Sub sect of Veluthedath Nair caste in older Cochin state had role in performing purificatory ceremonies.^[12] The sacred specialists from Veluthedath Nair caste performed birth rites among the Nair community.^[13] When someone from the Nair community died, the death news was announced throughout the village by a Veluthedath Nair. Initially they belonged to Ambalavasis and later integrated into the wider Nair community due to some socio-economic reasons.

Common Legends

According to Kerala Mahathmyam, the first book discussing on the formation of labour based caste divisions in Kerala , it is believed that Veluthedath Nairs were brahmins who were outcasted from the community by lord parashurama and made to serve temples by submitting sacred clothes to gods.

Important Verdicts

The Kerala High court on Friday, 10 july 2015 in a judgement titled VM Sasi v/s Kishore held that the petitioner who belongs to the sub-sect of ‘Veluthedath Nair’, no doubt, a Nair for all practical purposes and therefore, he could not be treated as an ‘Avarna Hindu’. “When he belongs to a sub-sect of the Nair community, he squarely falls within the category of the fourth ‘Varna’ namely ‘Shudra’. Hence he is a Savarna Hindu,” the court held.

Reservation Policy

The Veluthedath Nair Caste is classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) by the Government of Kerala, although some other sections of the Nair community are considered as forward caste(General).This categorization is for social upliftment to ensure these communities receive necessary educational and employment benefits.

See also

• Vilakkithala Nair
• Padamangalam Nair
• Ezhuthachan (caste)