Desikar

Desikar / pandaraththar / jankam / yokeeswarar
Classification	Saiva siddantha, Thambiran, Lingayat, Scholars, Landlords, Tamil scholars, Tamil literature
Religions	Saiva Siddhantam, Hinduism
Languages	Tamil
Region	Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma
Related groups	Abisheka Desikar

Desikar (தேசிகர்) is a Tamil-speaking community from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They are particularly priests and land owners in the upper caste stream.

Origin of Desikar

The Desikar community is a very ancient one which promotes the Saivite religion. This community especially focuses on Saiva Siddhanta and Thirumurai. The caste Desikar or Desigar is derived from pandaram, meaning "sage" in Tamil. There are different theories concerning the meaning of the word pandaram. The caste Pandaram comprises two divisions, Abhisheka and Desikar. But the later name Desikar as taken as a back title.

Dhikshai process

Those who lead a celibate life wear lingam. They became Saivas by getting Dhikshai.

"Samaya"
"Nirvana, Visesha"
"Kala sothanai"
"Abhishekam"

are the few stages of Dhikshai practice.

Few of them are temple servants, supply flowers for God, Sings hymns in temple. So, they use to be called Meikaval (Body god of the God) and Oduvar (reader).

Divisions in Pandaram

The Pandaram caste is composed of respectable people. The name pandaram means valuable storing place of jewels, navarathnas stored in the temples and palaces, they are placed to maintain the jewels of temples and palaces. They are Land holders, Traders, Sanyasis (monk), Priests (guru) and Managers of richly endowed temples.

These managers are commonly called Thambiran. They are all vegetarians and staunch believers of Saiva Siddantha. Abhisheka pandaram has to pass through few ceremonies related to Saiva Agama.

The mendigate pandarams, recruited from a few other classes, wear the lingam but do not abstain from eating flesh.

The Lingayat pandaram are known as lingayats.

The latter respect their Jangam and used the sacred water, in which the feet of the Jangam are washed, for washing their stone lingam.

Some of the sub-castes of the predominant Desikar community are

Desikar
Abhisheka
Oduvar
Meikaval

Distribution

The community is distributed throughout Tamil Nadu and also in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. However, they form a significant proportion of population in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

Marriage and their customs

They do not mingle with other castes by marriage; but some do marry from other castes like Pillai, Saiva Vellalars

List of Adheenam / mutts in Tamil Nadu

Velakurichi Adheenam
Madurai Adheenam
Mailam Pommapuram Adheenam^[1]
Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam,^[2]^[3]
Sivagiri Adheenam
Perur Veera saiva Adheenam^[4]
Thiruvannamalai-Kundrakudi Adheenam ^[5]
Suriyanarkoil Adheenam
Thiruppanandal Adheenam^[6]
Senkol Adheenam,
Thuzhavoor Adheenam,
Kamakshipuri Adheenam
Pollachi Adheenam
AvaduthuRai Adeenam^[7]
Dharmapuram Adheenam,^[8]^[9]

Desikar Mutts in brief

The pioneer who established Adheenam ( Mutts, Dynasty) are known as "Desikar" or "Desikar Paramacharya", pontiff in English. Most of the pontiffs are Brahamacharis maintains celibacy. Only a few became Samsaris. So only few mutts followed the successive pontiff by lineage. But most of the Adheenam select the pontiff by "Guru Shishya Parambara". Ancient Tamil history pronounces that Saivaite religion or sector doesn't have the casteism. After the invasion of the other races, casteism dominate a prominent role in the Saivaite unknowingly. so. the successive pontiffs are selected or elected from the so-called various communities. Hence few of the mutts only at the hands of Desika Paramacharya lineage.

Velakurichi Adeenam

Tamil Nadu is pronominally a traditional State. Here are several important and noteworthy Temples apart from Math’s. Hindu Religious Charitable Endowment Department Regulate and control most of these temples through its administration. A Temple is an institution of prehistoric antiquity, having continuity of existence through centuries and through many political upheavals in the land. Temple have played prominent role in the history, not only in the promotion of religion but also in the promotion of social and cultural life of the people. The Law of Karma and Re-incarnation Aim of life to realize God is the major belief of Hinduism.

It is one among the various institutions spreading the message of Hinduism for many centuries in south India. The founder of the velakurichi Mutt is SATHYAGNANA DESIKA DEERGA DHARSINIGAL. He descended from ‘God Siva’ one Sri Kandaparamasivam. The Velakurichi mutt was founded in the 15th century on the banks of Thamirabarani River in Velakurichi village, a part of Ambasamudram Taluk, Thirunelvely District.

The peculiarity of the mutt, as distinct from the other mutts is, a ‘Grahastha – Sanyasi’ managing the mutt, where as the Heads of the other mutts like Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, Kanchipuram Adheenam and Dharmapuram Adheenam are pure ‘Naistiga – Sanyasis’. By custom in succession the Velakurichi Adheenam, controls and supervise the four famous temples viz,

The adheenam is the hereditary trustee of Five temples in Thanjavur District

Agniswarar Temple, Thiruppugalur
Utharapatheswarar Temple, Thiruchenkattankudy
Meganatha Swami Temple, Thirumeeyachur
Thiyagaraja Swami Temple of Abhiseka Kattalai
Annadhana Kattalai, Thiruvarur

Thuzhavoor Adheenam

Sri la Sri Gnanaprakasha desiga swamigal is current thuzhavoor aheenam

Notables

Spiritual

Sri Arunagirinathar, Madurai Adeenam

Tamil literature

Velaiyar, Eminent Tamil poet
Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai^[10]
Senthamiz Chezhian (a) Muthukumarasamy desikar^[11]

Historical personalities

Siva prakasar^[12]
Isanya desikar^[13]
T. V. Sadasiva Pandarathar (Tamil: தி. வை. சதாசிவ பண்டாரத்தார் 15 August 1892 - 2 January 1960) was a Tamil historian from Tamil Nadu, India. Sadasiva Pandarathar was born in Thiruppurambiyam to Vaithiyalinga Pandarathar and Meenatchi Ammal. He finished his schooling in 1910 and learnt Tamil grammar and literature from Pinnathur Narayanaswamy Iyer and Valmpuri Balasubramania Pillai. He worked at Kumbakonam Taluk office and as a teacher at Kumbakonam high school for a few years. During 1917-42 he worked as a teacher in Vanathurai high school. He published his historical essays in the magazine Senthamizh. In 1930, his first book Mudhalam kulothunga Cholan was published. During 1942-53 and 53-60 he was a lecturer at the Tamil research department of Annamalai University. During this period he conducted extensive field research and wrote his most known work Pirkaala Cholar saritharam (lit. History of the Later Cholas). It was published in three parts in 1949, 51 and 61. Apart from this he is known for his two Tamizh ilakkiya varalaaru (lit. Tamil literary history) books and his various Thala Varalaaru (lit. Temple history) books.

Freedom fighters and social leaders

Mr. V. Selvaraj, Ex secretary of Gandhi memorials, Madurai and Sakthi kudil-Pudupatty near Aruppukottai.
S.V.S.Rathinam,
Thiyagi Poonga Thangavellanar freedom fighter

Education

K.P.Desikar^[14]

Music

Dandapani Desikar^[15]
Thomas Rathnam, Music Director

Arts and cinema

N. S. Krishnan, legendary comic actor
Dharani, film director
Vikraman, film director
Aparna Pillai, actress
Vincent Therraisnathan, USA, singer, publisher, industrialist
Azhagam Perumal, film director
Vijayalakshmi, actress.
Thambi Ramiah, associate director turned actor
Anbuththamizh , writer,speaker, social interest, politician.

Business

Pritham Padmanaba desikar
N.Shanmugam, Singapore

Politicians

B. S. Gnanadesikan -Chief of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee
Vijayadharani - M.L.A

References

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