Illam

Illam

Illam (pronEng|ˈɪləm) is a malayalee lineage system used for classification and identification of castes in Kerala, South India. The House of Namboothiries (the Brahmins of Kerala) are also called the Brahmaalayam or Mana. The house is built according to the canons of Vaasthusaasthram, meaning architecture in Sanskrit language.

Each Namboothiri male (or unmarried female) is identified by his/her respective paternal family name. A married female adopts her husband's family name. Each family is affiliated to a "Gothra" and "Pravara". The Gothra name demonstrates the family's traditional style of knowledge acquisition and expertise in ancient theories. Based on the fact that cross-breeding of excellent but different species yields better quality, marriage from a family belonging to the same Gothra was and is still banned for Namboothiris. Looking from another angle, Namboothiris believe that marriage from the same Gothra has a better chance of generating mentally retarded or physically handicapped children or at least children of less intellectual capacity. Each Gothra has several sub-classes known as Pravara. If by mistake, a boy marries a girl of same Gothra, he is not allowed to have sex with her. He has to treat her like he treats his mother.

Common gothra (and their pravara in brackets) among Namboothiris are:
* "Bharadwaajam" (Amgirasam, Bhaarhaspathyam, Bharadwaajam)
* "Kousikam" (Viswaamithram, Akhamarshanam, Kousikam)
* "Vaatsam" (Bhaargavam, Chyavanam, Aapthavaanam, Ourvam, Jaamadagnyam)
* "Koundinyam" (Vaasishtam, Maithraavarunam, Koundinyam)
* "Kaasyapam" (Kaasyapam, Aavatsaaram, Naidruvam)
* "Vaasishtam" (Vaasishtam, Indrapradamam, Aabharaswath)
* "Jaamadagnyam" (Bhaargavam, Chyavanam, Aapthavaanam, Ourvam, Jaamadagnyam)
* "Viswaamithram" (Viswaamithram, Devaraatham, Oudalam)
* "Gouthamam" (Amgirasam, Aayasyam, Gouthamam)
* "Athri" (Aathreyam, Archanaanasam, Syavaaswam)

Eight more Gothras also exist among Namboothiris, as branches of the Gothras listed above. They are: "Kutsam, Mudgalam, Aamgirasam, Gaargyam, Naidruvam, Saandilyam, Dhaananjayam, and Samkhyaayanam."


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  • Kalakat Illam — is the house name of a family of Brahmins in northern Kerala. This family of Brahmins are allegedly gifted with powers of [http://www.namboothiri.com/articles/manthravaadam.htm Manthravaadam] and [http://www.namboothiri.com/articles/thanthram.htm …   Wikipedia

  • Vivekanandar Illam — (or Vivekananda House, also called Ice House , Castle Kernan, etc.,) is a structure at Chennai, India. This is remembered as the place where Swami Vivekananda stayed for nine days when he visited Chennai (then Madras) in 1897. Vivekanandar Illam… …   Wikipedia

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  • Hotel Illam — (Ченнаи,Индия) Категория отеля: Адрес: No. 4/27, Cenotaph Road, First Street, Teynampet …   Каталог отелей

  • Hotel Malabar Illam — (Коччи,Индия) Категория отеля: Адрес: N.H Bypass Road, Chalikkavattom, Vytilla …   Каталог отелей

  • Dhanam Illam, Kadamangudi — Dhanam Illam [http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=11.0905866 lon=79.4278425 z=18 l=0 m=a v=2 search=kadamangudi] is situated in the Indian village Kadamangudi in Tamilnadu. It is owned by a retired teacher Ethirajalu. The name Dhanam Illam given in… …   Wikipedia

  • Mediocritatem illam tenere, quae est inter nimium et parum. — См. Золотая середина …   Большой толково-фразеологический словарь Михельсона (оригинальная орфография)

  • Ngurai-illam-wurrung — /ˈŋuraɪ ɪləm wʊrʊŋ/ (say ngoohruy iluhm wooroong) noun 1. an Australian Aboriginal people of an area from the Campaspe River to east of the Goulburn River, Victoria. 2. the language of this people. –adjective 3. of or relating to this people or… …  

  • quando dispositio referri potest ad duas res ita quod secundum relationem unam vitietur et secundum alteram utilis sit, turn facienda est relatio ad illam ut valeat dispositio — /kwondow dispazish(iy)ow rafaray powtast aed d(y)uwas riyz ayta kwod sakandam raleyshiyownam yuwnam vishiyiytar et sakandam oltaram yuwtalas sit, tarn feyshiyenda est raleysh(iy)ow aed ilam at vaeliyat dispazish(iy)ow/ When a disposition may… …   Black's law dictionary

  • secta facienda per illam quae habet eniciam partem — /sekta faeshiyenda par ilam kwiy heybat anish(iy)am partam/ A writ to compel the heir, who has the elder s part of the co heirs, to perform suit and services for all the coparceners …   Black's law dictionary

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