Ashtasahasram
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
Tamil people |
Ashtasahasram is a sub-sect of the
Indian state of Tamil Nadu
.
Culture
The Ashtasahasrams as Iyers belong to the Smarta (Shaivite) tradition, along with the Vadamas, Brahacharanams, Vadyamans/Madhyamans, and the Kanials/Kaniyalars. However, the Ashtasahasrams are smaller in numbers and are considered inferior to the first two Brahmin groups.[1]
The Ashtasahasrams follow the
Kr̥ṣṇa Yajurveda.[2]
They are Aparaśikhā Brahmins, who wear their traditional hair tuft towards the back of their head.[3]
Divisions
The Ashtasahasram community is further sub-divided into four groups:[4]
- Āttiyūr
- Arivarpede
- Nandivādi
- Satkulam
References
- ^ Fuller, C. J.; Narasimhan, Haripriya (2014). Tamil Brahmans: The Making of a Middle-Class Caste. University of Chicago Press. p. 6.
- ^ Mahadevan 2008, p. 51.
- ^ Mahadevan 2008, p. 3, 142-143.
- ISSN 1084-7561.