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Marar is the name given to the caste of hereditary temple musicians[1] of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar region in the state of Kerala, whose primary duty was to provide the traditional temple Sopanam music.[citation needed] They belong to the Ambalavasi caste.[1][2]
| Marar | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Temple musicians, Musicians caste |
| Religions | Hinduism |
| Country | India |
Etymology
editThe word 'Marar' comes from the tamil word 'mar', which means 'beat' and marar meaning the one who beat instruments like chenda and idakka in temples.
Men of marar caste are called Mārar and ladies are called Mārasyar or Amma.
Paani, the indispensable part of high tantric rituals of temple such as ulsavabali, sreeboothabali etc. is another main hereditory temple profession of Marar.[3] They were also known for their playing of chenda (valam thala represents deva vadyam (usually play inside the nalambalam) and edam thala represents asura vadyam) and idakka[2] (deva vadyam) in temples[4][5] Sopanadwani[6] is the monthly publication of Akhila Kerala Marar Kshema Sabha.
Social status
editMarar of Kerala maintained a high ritual life akin to Brahmins and other Ambalavasi castes. The social status of Ambalavasi and Marar varies with region.
In North Kerala, they were popularly known as antharala jathikal, with a ritual rank lying between Nairs and Brahmins. They formed Akhila Kerala Marar Maha Sabha for the welfare of Marars.[7][8]
In South Kerala, Marar and Paathamangalakkar, along with other temple-related Ambalavasi castes, were considered as Auxiliary Nair subcaste. Despite being Ambalavasi, they were also known as Nair-Marar, and were part of Akhila Kerala Marar Maha Sabha along with the Nair Service Society.[7]
Notable People
edit- Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, artist.
- K. Karunakaran, ex-chief minister.
- G. Sankara Kurup, artist
- Kuttikrishna Marar, writer.
- Kizhakkoottu Aniyan Marar, artist.
- Aparna B. Marar, classical dancer.
- Annamanada Parameswara Marar, artist.
- K. G. Marar, politician
- Shadkala Govinda Marar, musician.
References
edit- ^ a b Bodies of Silence, Floods of Nectar: Ritual Music in Contemporary Brahmanical Tantric Temples of Kerala. Yale Journal of Music & Religion: Vol. 7: No. 2, Article 2.
- ^ a b "It is God's own instrument". The Hindu. 27 December 2018.
- ^ https://malayalimanasu.com/us-news/arivinte-muthukal-7/ PMN namboothiri
- ^ Vishnu, Achutha Menon (2020). "The Rhythmic Structure of Melam". The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design. 4 (2): 1–14. doi:10.21659/cjad.42.v4n202. S2CID 242270596.
- ^ "On a journey with the edakka". 21 May 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "SOPANADHWANI". Readwhere - India's Largest Digital Newsstand. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ a b Thurston, Edgar (28 September 2020). Castes and Tribes of Southern India (Complete). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-8236-2.
- ^ Kerala Brahmins in Transition: A Study of a Namputiri Family. The Society. 2000. ISBN 978-951-9380-48-3.