Brahatcharanam

Brahatcharanam is a Iyer Tamil Brahmin Sect. The word Brahat in Sanskrit means "great" or "vast" or "significant" and the word charanam refers to feet. The name Brahacharanam can be thus literally translated as the great feet. Their exact origins are not clear but based on indirect evidences in history it can be inferred that their presence in Tamil nadu has been there before at least 1000 AD. This can also be inferred from the fact that many of the agraharam villages of the Brahacharanam Clans have very ancient origns.

They have many subsects among them popular being Kandaramanickam, Pazhamaneri, Mazhanadu, mangudi, Lohita etc. Some of them have even spread to Kerala, where they are part of the palghat Iyer community and in Andhra were they have settled in places like puduru and called puduru dravidlu.

Some of them along with others joined the Vaishnava movement and became part of Iyengar Community. The evidence to this exists from the Vaishnava literature which records that some of the acharyas in their lineage were brahacharanam.

They were traditionally priests and vedic teachers and also performed yagnas. Some of them also seemed to have assumed the title of dikshitar. They have good image within the Iyer community for being well behaved, simple and traditional.

Brahacharanam also consider themselves to be among the first followers of Adi Shankaracharya.

Some famous Brahcaharams from the past are

1. Manakkal Nambigal disciple of Uyyakondar an early discple of Nathamuni

2. Vaidyanatha Dikshitar of 17 th century the renowned author of Vaidhiyanatha Dikishiyam- Smurthi Mukthabhala Nibandana Grandham which laid down the code of conduct for brahmins.

3. Maha Vaidyanathan Sivan of Vaiyacheri, Tanjore considered by some to be the greatest singer composer after thyagaraja

4. P.S.Sivaswamy Iyer - Advocate General of Madras during British times

5. Mahagnichit, Vajapeyayaji, Srowtha Bhaskara, Srowtha Ratnam,Nalliseri Brahmari N.R. Jambukeswara Srowthigal - One of the renowned Vedic Priests of the present centures

6. Manakkal Rangaraja a renowned Carnatic Musician

7. Kalki Sadasivam - Freedom Fighter and husband of M S Subbulakshmi