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Nadar also Kshatriya Nadar, Natar, Sanar and Chanar is one of the Tamil and Malayalam castes found primarily in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in the Tamil diaspora, particularly those living in Sri Lanka. The term is also used to refer to a man belonging to that caste.

History

The Nadars have always been a hardworking community, in the southern part of tamilnadu and Kerala.

It has been suggested that the traditional occupation of some nadars were being kings of the early Pandyan kingdom,excellent Soldiers under the Pandiya kingdom and have been minor rulers of parts of Chera kingdom (kerala) some others were toddy tapping,trading in palm products, and agriculture.The 19th century saw the Nadars embracing Christianity in large numbers some out of will and some due to the easier acceptance into Christian schools. Today the distribution of Nadars between the two major religions, Hinduism and Christianity, are 60% and 40% respectively. The deities like Sudalai Madan and Karuppasamy, Isakki, Mariamman and Murugan are prominently worshiped by Nadars of South Tamil Nadu. Nadars form about 10% of Tamilnadu's Population, and they are predominant in the districts of Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam( Kerala). They constitute a major chunk in the districts of Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Coimbatore, Erode, Chennai, Cuddalore, Thanjavur and Namakkal. Though ethnically same the Pandiya kula Kshatria Nadars,Nadars and Shanars had been separate clans in the ancient times.Nowadays all the clans of Nadars have been intermarrying.

Nadars have traditionally divided themselves by clan. Although outwardly they are united as Nadars, there is a clear cut distinction between the Nadars of various regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. For example the customs and practices of Nadars hailing from Tirunelveli are completely different from that of Nadars hailing from Madurai or Nagercoil. The poor among the Nadars during early times possessed no agricultural lands. . Nadars descended from early Pandiyan rulers and Soldiers were called Kshatriya Nadars or Nadalvars.(Nadu+Alvar). Some Nadars were well trained Kalari warriors and are still preserving the ancient martial arts of Tamil Nadu.They were landless labourers. One occupation that a large number of them took up, in circumstances where there were no opportunities for better undertakings, was toddy tapping. Their counter-parts were mostly a land-owning agricultural community that was also traditionally involved in mercantile activities. The rich among the nadars, who were considered to be wealthy landlords, in those days were known as Nadans and the poor among the caste, who did toddy tapping for a living, were known as Chanans. Though both rich and poor nadars shared similar ancestry, they were separate castes at a time. Recent generations of Nadars, like the current generation of most castes in India, have started to open up to each other.

The premium placed on education by the Nadar community resulted in a drastic improvement in the socio-economic landscape of the community, a distinction reserved by upper classes of India. The Nadars are known for their work mostly in small businesses. Most cities in Tamil Nadu have a grocery store run by someone from this community. They are even referred to as 'Annachi Kadai' or 'Nadar Kadai.' The Nadars also have branched into electronics, applicances and silverware retail mega-stores. Nadars form about one tenth of Tamilnadu's population and are a powerful business community.

Nadar Community of South India are generally concentrated in the Southern most part of Tamil Nadu, India. They had originally emanated only from this region and though they have migrated all over India, (even overseas) for many decades.

They appear to have been originally very much involved in agricultural products. Considering the general nature of agricultural pattern in the Southern most part of India, it is not surprising that they have been associated in dealing with sugar, grains and other related cereals. Their business evolution, has been for many years, now in trading and distribution, only.

Their networking has been remarkably well organised, in spite of basic deficiencies in modern communication. Buying and Selling has been their expertise. From early stages, they have cultivated a close business acumen to procure farm products, at best prices, transporting them to ware houses, and distributing them, for both whole sale and retail markets all over India.

It is interesting to note that their range of products in the early stage of their development was confined to:

1. Rice
2. Pulses
3. Edible Oils
4. Sugar, etc.

It would be appear, in the early stages and even now, they have become the most essential link with the actual farmer and the consumer on the other end.

It is therefore easy to realise that they have emerged dominant, not only in whole sale purchase and sale, but also as retail shop owners in many towns and centres all over the country.

As mentioned earlier, their networking is superb, and their ability and skill to get involved in such farm products, and make them available across the counter, all over the country has been possible mainly due to their close business and community linkage.

This traditional business specialisation has been their main strength for several decades.

However, with the growing economy and improvements, in infra structure all over India, they have been modifying their business pattern to spread into many other areas of trading business.

Such new patterns started with the building industry and they developed equal skills in procuring such vital materials like:

1. Cement
2. Iron Hardware for building
3. Roofing materials
4. Other constructional Inputs
5. Paints, varnishes and related materials

As such, the traditional business of the family continue in a more professional manner, with such educated member of a family leading to considerable changes in modernisation approach, proper business forecast combined with sound management principals looking at the future.

Another interesting thing that has been happening is their ability to channel talent with proper focus. Every family has been grooming and training both academically and otherwise the necessary managerial man-power. However, where the business was not big enough to accommodate such members of the family, they have been branching off into other areas to support the trading activities. In the past 20-30 years, there has been a big boom in building in construction work, and in the Nadar community have established themselves very well in principal cities, towns and even many villages.

It is, therefore, a familiar sight, as one drives through the country side, to notice, shops of groceries, big whole sale distribution centres, etc., for agricultural products. Alongside one would notice shops selling building and construction materials, cement, paints, varnishes, etc.

In the past few decades, this community has shed its conservative attitude and almost all families have sent their children to Universities to qualify as Professional Managers, Engineers, etc.

So, further diversification has been seen by getting into manufacturing business generally small scale, in areas which are closely compatible to the trade linkages. Such manufacturing activities have been spread around agricultural sectors and other support areas.

One important industry, in which they have been very dominant in the manufacturing sector in the South, relates to the Edible Oil Industry. Many brands of edible oils with constant innovation has been their effort. Such edible oils include coconut oil, ground nut oil, sesame oil, etc. Their latest attempts are to refine and improve such cooking media to high standards.

Whilst discussing the business pattern and growth of the Nadar community a certain amount of exclusive discussion on one Industry in the South needs merit. This industry is actually the brain product of the Nadar community namely that of producing safety matches.

In a small town called Sivakasi, in the southern part Tamil Nadu, India, the making of matches became a reality over a few decades ago, started by the Nadar Community. These matches are made in Cottage Industries employing considerable number of people including children.

There is not much mechanisation, and all the processes are practically manual and follow a stereo type process.Hundreds of such units exist in and around Sivakasi, producing millions of safety matches every month. This entire business is run and managed by the Nadar Community at large, very successfully and very efficiently.One of the offshoots of the match industry, is the making of fire crackers. This also is produced in a specialised manner and controlled closely by the same community.

The supply infrastructure of chemicals and pyro-technical requirements are also interestingly produced by them in surrounding industrial areas, and very successfully managed.

If one were to look at the success story of this community, there is nothing to beat the safety match Industry in the South. Not only looking after the Indian requirements, they are also exporting to various other countries.

The Nadars are very hard working people. They have been well known for their,courage, perseverance, untiring energy, commitments and dedication to their business. They have become highly modernised. Many of them are qualified nowadays from advanced countries from Engineering institutions and Business Schools. Electronics field is also no exception and of one of the top leading computer companies in India, has been founded by a member of this community.

Nadars movement for elevated social status:

Among the various communities of South India, the Nadars have perhaps clearly evidenced the impact of change over the past 200 years. Considered by high-caste Hindus in the early nineteenth century to be of extremely low status, the Nadars – toddy-tappers, climbers of the palmyra palm – suffered severe social disabilities and were among the most depressed communities in the Tamil country.The Nadars have had a turbulent and colourful history.

After the Naicker invasion (1550s)the Maravas dominated the territory between Tirukkurungudi (hamlet nestled at the foot of the ghats in southwest Tirunelveli District, near Kanya Kumari) across a dry landscape dotted with irrigation tanks spanning about twenty miles across the edge of mountains (western ghats in the west) and the plains below; and from Madurai (in the North) it curves east down to Rameswaram (inthe East). It is the territory in which Maravars or Tevars have exercised dominance for roughly 350 years. It is marked by the old fort towns founded by Marava palayakkarar under the Royal Nayaks of Madurai. This Marava territory was historically defined by its separation from areas of Telugu Nayak power in the east and Vellala/Malayala Nair-Brahman power in the south along the Tambraparni River to Kumari territory.

In the 1890s, riots broke out regularly in this territory especially in Kalugumalai, Kamuthi, Sivakasi and various other villages of former Thiruvelveli and Ramanathapuram jilla of South Tamilnadu as the dominant community tried to restrict

-the rising status of Nadars merchants who were fighting in the courts and on the streets for rights of temple entry.

- Keeping the community people out of temples& temple car streets, defending sacred temple precincts from pollution, expressed a wider power over space, Land ownership, access to forests, privileged house sites, places of honor in processions, a place at the table of the Raja or in the court of the British Collector

as all of the above constituted power by control over symbolic space by specific higher communities.

Their struggle to rise above their depressed condition assumed dramatic forms in a series of escalating confrontations between the caste and its antagonists. Hostility to the efforts of Nadars to establish a new status resulted in a series of violent outbursts culminating in the riots of 1899 known as the Sivakasi Riots where more than 5000 armed men of Nadar antoganists attacked then so called Shanar community of Sivakasi to drive them out of their new settlement.

CONSTRUCTION OF COMMUNITY’S SOCIAL IDENTIY:

The construction of identities is an interactive social process in which multiple actors, states, governments, civil society and individuals all play a part. States invent social categories to map society and to depict the objects of social policy so that they can collect taxes, provide services, maintain law and order, enforce legislation. States often work under the positivist illusion that social categories are objective, “out there,” needing only to be actualised in administrative records. They do not recognize that the very act of naming creates or transforms reality. When the ruled experience the consequences of being categorized, they often respond by denying or challenging the naming that has taken place.

The construction of difference is not the exclusive domain of the state or of elites.

Groups and individuals that constitute civil society can confront states in a contest over the content and consequences of discursive formations and social constructions.

For example, the debate in the U.S. about the ways to represent racial categories in the 2001 census, whether to provide predetermined categories or let respondents give their own version, illustrates the role of the state data apparatus in the construction of difference. The state must have categories in order to make social policy. Somewhat surprisingly, the American state did not assert that its categories were objective. It recognized they were political: the categories represent a social-political construct designed for collecting data on the race and ethnicity of broad population groups in this country, and are not anthropologically or scientifically based. And the state was not the only actor. There was strong opposition to self-designation by parts of the black community, fearing the effects on black-targeted legislation if numbers were reduced by defection n to mixed race categories. That seven million persons chose to report themselves in the 2001 US Census as multiracial suggests the fluidity of social categories.

More than a century back from the indian history cycle, the Census of India under the British raj too provides a classic example of how states can take a lead role in naming and ranking social groups.

From their reading of classic Sanskrit texts, raj officials inferred that Indian society consisted of discrete social groups with firmly ascribed rules of conduct and specifically ranked positions in a social hierarchy. They reified the meaning of texts that native interpreters were in the habit of using more flexibly. Starting in 1888, raj officials used the census in ways that were supposed to lend scientific precision to these social categories.

The census officials under British Raj defined and enumerated: Brahmans, literate persons who perform ritual functions, advise authorities on correct Hindu conduct, and occupy the top of the socio-religious ladder; Gujars, herdsmen, of modest social standing; Jats, sturdy cultivators; Nadars, laborers who climb the coconut palm and whose polluting work of making liquor relegates them to the lower end of the social ladder. Such listings created both a certified reality and resistance to it. The certified social designations became the basis for social policy, which further confirmed the categories.

However thise census story does not end with a theoretical orthodox document-creating state freezing social phenomena in stereotypical categories run, the state did not succeed in imposing a neo-Brahmanical view of Indian social structure. Civil society groups especially owing to Nadar community background collectively countered the census descriptions by organizing self-help caste associations. The associations mounted legal, administrative and political challenges to the names, occupations and histories that the census imposed on them ,

Specifically, in the case of the cocopalm-climbing Nadars, their caste associations presented evidence to the authorities that many of their caste fellows had left the polluting work of palm liquor production, developed clean habits by personal renunciation of liquor intake and become merchants, and that by history they had been part of Kshathirya clan or regional lords. Hence they were incorrectly named, characterized, and ranked.

Nadar associations vigorously lobbied the authorities to change what the census said about them and encouraged thousands of Nadars to offer a different occupational description to the census takers.In the Nadar story we see the creation and re-creation of identity and status as a result of interaction and contestation between state and civil society.

The nature of caste identity are complex than is indicated in the text and this complexity is particularly clear in the case of the Nadar Mahajana Sangam (the largest Nadar Association which organises annual Nadar Conferences for the upliftment of the community and bring social reformations within the community). The successful way of the Nadar Community Uravinmurais (local associations) and the main representative bodies namely Nadar Mahajana Sangam and Thiruvelveli Dakhsinamara Nadar Sangam need special mention in promoting the unity of the various sub-caste groups and in emancipating themselves from sanskritisation in southern India. These local Community Welfare associations promoted Nadar caste fusion by supporting the expansion in the unit of endogamy. With this the associations have greatly succeeded in making the sub-caste community members to adopt the same name in the Census and to break the barriers of endogamy, even if, within a caste, the members of the upper class still tend to inter-marry -but then it is more economic endogamy than purely caste-based endogamy.

This cultural community innovation introduced `qualitative change in the ideological field of caste' since `blood purity', on which relies ritual purity, has lost its importance.

Nadar Conferences

Nadar community conference organised by Nadar Mahajana Sangam and other local associations are considered as conference without communalism. Without harming others, these conference have been taking place to secure the Nadar people's rights and welfare, though at very early stages Community conferences and communalism were created only because of the harassment by the upper castes. These Conferenes emphasize that True unity will be created only when people can help themselves. It is necessary to foster the feeling of unity among one another within the community group and to develop self-respect, equality within the community and assurance of self-esteem through which national progress can be attained.

By way of organising of various conferences, the community memebers took up to Social reformation with restriction to Brahminic cult in their practices and customs through various routes especially the Ayya Vazhi, the Social Respect movement spearheaded by WPA Soundarpandia Nadar, Social reforms with the invovlement of Suthanthira Party leader Shri T S Adhimoolam Nadar, Mukkudal. The role of Brahmins in Nadar community were highly restricted, with the local Pandarams or Community members donning the role of preists of their own temples for Amman, Ayyanar, Karuppasamy, Periasamy and SudalaiMadasamy. The services of Brahmins were terminated for other family rituals and customs such as birth, death and Marriages. The community leaders themselves started taking to solemnising the marriage and other social functions at the behest of active support from leaders of Social Respect Movement and Nadar Mahajana Sangam. All the birth and death related ceremonies are handle by Barber community specifically identified for the practice who are called as Ambattiars.

An expert treats this Nadar community practice for social reformation is actually achieved through overwhelming support of ambitious caste clusters of several sub groups aiming to form as a large single cultural caste group. Though, it is questionable to what extent all of the Nadar castes constituting the Nadar caste cluster ever organized themselves even in a purely modern socio-cultural fashion, let alone whether they interacted with respect to occupational, affinal, and martial considerations. On the other hand, discrete Nadar subcastes do seem to have operated as corporate groups in several Nadar stronghold villages and towns with respect to a variety of considerations, over a wide regional territory in South TamilNadu and South Kerala. One of the major achievement was that Nadars while turning away from their traditional occupation by leaving the toddy processing to jaggery and distilling Palm juice to make arrack, were keen to be members of local community associations to take up cluster based mercantilism network. In the initial stages Nadars trading economy constituted on a major chunck of processed output of Palm juice such as Palm Jaggery & various other types of Palm candies, Salt, dried fish and other agricultural products. Simultaneously along with progress in mercatilism, they strived to gain the elevated social status by practicing clean habits with the disapproval of alcoholic consumption and staking claim to Kshathiya status.

Nadars, who utilized mercantile and business sites, which are called pettais (term for a fortified market) in which itinerant traders engaged in trade, protected their mercantile goods and cattle used for caravan goods movement. Coordination of their pettais through self help and micro-financing (taxing measures such as Thalaikattu vari, meni vari, churul etc.) for developing community funds paved way for local business-cum- merchants promoted community run temples and schools started in pettai premises with the support of community philanthropists and whose furthur consolidation is accomplished only through branches of their own organized committee based associations. When the Nadar community were suppressed they a exemplary cutlural life with extra ordinary cooperative efforts coupled with learnings from the advantages of western schooling & modern business principles.

From the breast-cloth controversy (TholSeelai Porattam) in Kumari nadu's Thovalai jillah/Nanjil Nadu through the sack of Sivakasi to the unification movement under the ageies of Nadar Mahajan Sangam, the Nadars’ rise, exemplifying the processes of mobilization in Indian society, provides rich material for an analysis of the social life of a community in change.

One great aspect of their movement is their adotption to clean habits shying away from the traditioanl toddy which came for praise from every national leader of the freedom struggle period; especially from the Father of Nation "Mahatma Gandhiji", even from the British Raj officials and then spiritual heads of higher communities. After a long legal and social struggle and with the continued exhibtion of good character by the entire set of community, their old name of ‘Shanar’ was abandoned and the honorific title ‘Nadar’ was adopted. The Justice Party government adopted the term in all public records from 1921. Right from early history, there was never any restriction for the Nadar community people to eneter temples of Palani, Erode Bhavani, Trichy and Tanjavur Jillahs since the community was in respectful position in those places. In spite of this the community could not win the movement for entry to temple premises in South TamilNadu till the orders were issued by Travancore Maharaja for Temply Entry permitting all the downtrodden community in Travancore Zamasthanam which included then Nanjil territory. In the same way entry to temples in Srivilliputur, Thiruchendur, Madurai, Rameswaram gained acceptance only towards Indian Independance period, after then Indian Government's promulgation of order to allow all the suppressed communities.

TRANSFORMATION FROM CASTE SYSTEM TO CULTURE BASED & VALUE CENTRED ETHNIC COMMUNITY GROUP

There are examples of actual use of culture to be able to promote the interest of disadvantaged people which is the case of Nadars in Tamil Nadu in India who created a new myth of origin—making them descendants of the sun god—to help them raise their status in society. From the history of Nadar uprise movement, it is learnt that by and large to meet any cause, resources are not a problem. The problem is the presence of committed people. If there are people committed to a particular cause, resources come. Instead of thinking of funding and resources, the community group should try to create better human resources for the purpose of promoting human rights.

Caste or Community based Cultural institutions should be looked at intelligently and imaginatively to be able to become effective support for human rights education. Caste system is undergoing a change in India. From being a hierarchical, interdependent system, it is moving into a situation where each caste is functioning like ethnic communities. Values that are within the Nadar community can be used to deal with the present social problems. Human rights education can bring out the fact that people in the community have established cultural ethos and values which people such as technicians who develop modern capital industries do not have.

The Nadar cultural ethnic group is not the original jati (ie. groups of castes), any more but one ethnic group that represents a long process of `atransition from caste to ethnic social blocs'. In the early nineteen century endagomy within the subcastes was the first step towards an ethnicisation of caste which also implied tha a collective urge to regain regal and royal sovereign lineage history of the past - at least a notion of golden Age rekindling to the development of a separate, cultural identity of the Nadar community.

Of late, this way endagomy of the Nadar ethic identity continues to expand to one that is observed as unique and positively interesting Nadar Culture on national and global level with the community's whole-hearted wide acceptance to several of the current generation Nadar community youth intermarrying life-partners with inter-faith; inter-community; inter-cultural; inter-linguistic and inter-continental background getting matched spontaneously in their social and professional work fields.

Nadars in Inscriptions

1655 AD Inscription
Another 1655 AD inscription, records an accord between the sthanathar, the Chetti merchant community and the Nattar to contribute 50 kalanju of gold to the Elunattu Mutt at Chidambaram Source:Nattar Nadalvan title Karunilakkudi-nadalvan

Genetic study

Recent genetic studies on the antigenic variations among south Indian populations suggest Nadars share several genotypic characters with East Asian populations, consistent with the demographic history of South India, and also revealed that there are several genetic markers unique to the group. The study suggested a distinct evolutionary lineage with lesser admixture in the gene pool among groups of Tamilnadu. The gene pool of nadars show more similarity to the East Asian populations (Tissue Antigens. 2003 December; 62(6): 542-7), a trend not observed in the Brahmin communities of south Tamilnadu, who are more closely related to the branch of the Indo-European and Central Asian tree (Human Biology 1996, 68(4), 523-37 Inference: Nadars colonised most of the East Asian countries including Indonesia during the Pandiyan times.

See also

• Pandiya Kula Kshatriya Mara Nadar
• Pandiyakula Kshatriya Nadars PKN of Thirumangalam
• Nattathi Nadars
• Sri Lankan Tamils
• Caste in Sri Lanka
• Goud a related group of AP also called Edigas
• Ezhava community from Kerala
• Durave community in Sri Lanka
• Nalavar community in Jaffna
• Illuvar community in TamilNadu
• Billava a Tulu community
• Bhandari a Marathi, Gujarati Community.
• Naik a Goan Community
• Jaiswal community from Madhay Pradesh / Uttarpradesh

Relataionship With Ezhava Caste of Kerala

Ezhava community is Malayalam speaking caste found in the state of Kerala engaged in Toddy tapping, ayuvedic business, liquor business and martial arts. The word ezha or era or ira or izha in Tamil (hence in Malayalam) means toddy. Ezha means south while Ezha Nadu means Sri Lanka. In Alappey and some areas of kollam ezhavas are also called channars. Interestingly nadars who engaged in toddy tapping are also called chanars in some parts of Tamil Nadu.But there exist a difference between Chanar and Nadar. Ezhava or similar identity caste are not much found in Tamil Nadu but is strong in all other three south Indian states. The toddy tapping community of Andhra says they are descedants of nadars of Tamil Nadu but called themselves as Edigas(also called Ezhiya), name resembling toezhava of Kerala. In Trivandrum the single majority caste is Nadars(about 40 percent). At Tamil Nadu, almost 20 lakhs Ezhavas and Thiyyas have settled down while other south Indian states migarted to the state like billava and ediga or goud. Nadars are not directly related to all of them the apparent similarity could be due to recent intermarriage.In anciet times some Nadars were also called Ezhavas. Though Ezhavas Thiyyas might descend from the ancient Pandiyan kingdom of Srilanka and the colonies from Indonesia they have a Buddhist past contrasting with Nadars Jain past.The Edigas also may descend from Sri Lanka. While Billavas descend from hunters and Gouds might descend from Kurubas.

When Sree Narayana Dharma Pariplana (SNDP) yogam is formed in kerala in 1883, its first General Secretary, Mahakavi Kumaran Asan, read out the constitution and byelaws of the S. N. D. P. Yogam to the Sree Narayana Guru. As per the original by-law the word 'community' (sarnudayarn) that was given in the constitution it was limited to those communities known as Ezhava, Thiya, Billava and Nadar. The Guru objected to the definition of the word 'community' (sarnudayarn) that was given in the constitution. Link SNDP Yogam

Nadar Dominating Towns and Villages of Tamilnadu

• Aruppukkottai
• Sattur
• Virudhunagar
• Srivilliputhur
• Tenkasi
• Keelapavur
• Surandai
• Palayamkottai
• Tuticorin
• Tiruchendur
• Nagercoil
• Sivakasi
• Kovilpatti
• Padmanabhapuram
• Colachel
• Kuzhithurai
• Kadambur
• Elayirampannai
• Chennampatti
• Sathangudi
• Palamedu
• Palayampatti
• Ambasamudram
• Keela Eral
• Arumuganeri
• Udangudi
• Sathankulam

Further reading

• M. Immanuel (2002) The Dravidian Lineages: The Nadars Through the Ages. A Socio-Historical Study. From Indus Valley Civilization to Present time. Published by: Historical Research & Publications Trust, 137/H-4 Bethel Nagar, Nagercoil-629004, Tamil Nadu, India.

• D. Templeman. (1996) The Northern Nadars of Tamil Nadu: An Indian Caste in The Process of Change (February, 1996): New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• Robert L. Hardgrave, Jr.(1969) The Nadars of Tamilnad; the political culture of a community in change. From year 1800 British records to 1968.

• Golden Stag by Sivasundari Bose (2006) A work of fiction with the Nadar community as the background.

Famous people

Politics

• Kamarajar - Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,King Maker of India.
• Marshall nesamani, freedom fighter, father of kanyakumari district, Ex.M.P
• Arunachalam @ Aladi Aruna, Ex.M.P and former State Minister
• Vasanthakumar, President, Tamilndu Trade Congress, M.L.A
• K T K Thangamani, a barrister and communist leader
• Ananthan, Kumari Ananthan, politician, Ex-president TNCC, great orator
• Tamilisai Soundararajan, President, Tamilnadu Womens wing,B.J.P
• Soundara Pandian, Veteran Congress leader,Ex.MLA, Former President of Dhakshinamara Nadar Sangam
• Pon. Radha Krishnan, Former Central Minister, B.J.P
• R.Dhanushkudi Adityan, Former Central Minister, Congress
• Appavoo, MLA from Radhapuram
• Paul Hector Pandian@ P.H.Pandian, Ex.M.P. Tirunelveli, X-Speaker Tamilnadu legislative assembly.
• Kadambur M.R.Janardhanan, Ex.M.P and former Union Minister
• Minor Moses, Former Mayor Chennai
• A.V.P.Asaithambi, Former M.P
• S.P.Sarguna Pandian, Former State Minister
• A.V.Bellarmine, M.P Nagercoil
• K.T.K.Thangamani, Barister and CPI Leader
• Dr.Poongothai Aladi Aruna MBBS, MRCOG, DNB, Minister for Social Welfare
• Dr.C.Aranganayakam, Former State Minister
• Dr.Ma.Po.Sivagnana Gramani, Leader Tamilarasu Kazhagam
• Si.Ba.Adithanar, Barister,Former Speaker TN Assembly, Founder Daily Thanthi
• Dr.Neelalohidasan Nadar, Former State Minister, Kerala, JDS Leader
• A.Charles, Former M.P, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• V.Radika Selvi, M.P, Tiruchendur
• A.Y.S.Parisutha Nadar, Former M.L.A, Thanjavur
• Ila.Pugazhendi, DMK Leader and Former MLA, Cuddalore
• Ravindran Duraisamy, Political Analyst
• Anitha. Radhakrishan, Former State Minister,
• H.Vasanthakumar, MLA, Nanguneri and Founder Vasanth & Co chain of companies
• Theodore Reginald, MLA, Padmanabhapuram
• Thamaraikani, Six Term MLA, DMK Leader, Srivilliputhur
• R.Ponnappa Nadar, Congress Leader
• Thanulinga Nadar, Hindu Munnani Leader/Hindu Activist
• A.Miller, Former State Minister, Gudalur, The Nilgiris
• S.N.Rajendran, Former State Minister, Tuticorin
• R.Chockkar, Veteran Congress Leader/Speaker/Ex.MLA/Ex.Municipal Chairman
• T.K.Palanichamy, Former DMK MLA, Thiruvottriyur
• T.C.Vijayan, Former DMK MLA/Muncipal Chairman, Thiruvottriyur
• Nellai.Jebamani, Veteran Leader INC, Freedom Fighter
• Dr.Kumaradass, Former MLA, Killiyur
• Valarmathi Jebaraj, Former State Minister, Madurai
• A.Lawrence, Former State Minister
• Subramaniya Adithyan, Ex.MLA, Tiruchendur
• Puthu Nainar Adithyan, Ex.MLA, Cheranmahadevi
• K.Rajan, MLA, Nagercoil
• Dr.Moses, Ex MLA, Nagercoil
• Captain.S.P.Kutty, BJP Leader, Kanniyakumari
• John Jacob, MLA, Thiruvattar
• John Joseph, MLA, Killiyur
• Bala Janathipathi, DMK Leader, Kanniyakumari, Ayyavazhi
• Ravi Arunan, Ex MLA, Tenkasi, Congress Leader
• P.Ramasamy, CPM Leader, Ex.MLA, Tiruchengode
• K.Jayabal, MLA, Colachel
• Geetha Jeevan Periyasamy, State Minister, MLA,Tuticorin
• A.S.A.Arumugam, INC Leader,Virudhunagar
• Sundharan Nadar Ex Deputy Speaker Kerala Assmebly
• Shakthan Nadar Former minister of Transport, Kerala.
• S.S.Ramasubbu, Former MLA, Alangulam
• M.Sakthivelmurugan, Former MLA, Ambasamudram
• N.Rathinsababathy, Former MLA, Vilathikulam
• M.S.Sivasamy, Ex.MP, Tiruchendur
• Dr.A.D.K.Jeyaseelan, Ex.MP, Tiruchendur
• Natesan Paulraj, Former State Minister
• David Selwyn, Ex.MLA, Srivaikundam
• S.S.Mani Nadar, Ex.MLA, Sathankulam
• Pon Vijayaraghavan, Ex MLA, Killiyur
• K.P.Rajendraprasad, Ex,MLA, Padmanabhapuram, Former State Minister
• T.S.A.Sivaprakasham, Mukkudal.
• K.T.KosalRam, Ex-MP, Thiruchendur,
• Kandan Sangaralinga Nadar, Fighter for Tamil Linguistic Stage Naming.
• Thalamuthu Nadar, Kumbakonam, Fighter for Tamil linguistic progress.

Business Leaders, Munuficent Donors and Philanthropists

• P. Ayya Nadar, Sivakasi.
• N.R.K Rajaratnam, Sivakasi.
• A Shanmuga Nadar, Sivakasi.
• M.S.P Nadar, Virudhunagar,
• M.S.P.Senthikumara Nadar, Virudhunagar,
• S.Vellaichamy Nadar, Virudhunagar.
• Shiv Nadar - Billionaire, CEO, HCL Group (Infotech), a technocrat who heads a multinational IT giant
• Dr VG Santhosam - industrialist who pioneered hire purchase scheme in the early 50s in Tamilnadu and is the chairman of VGP group of companies who are leaders in shopping malls, travel and tourism in Tamilnadu.
• Gunasekaran Ayyanathan -(Chairman - Safire group of industries) - Industrialist who pioneered the import of printing machinery in India. Safire printers are the only printers in Tamilnadu, who hold a maximum share in printing cinema posters.www.safireguna.com
• M.G.muthu - chairman of MGM group of companies, MGM disney land
• IDAYAM MUTHU CHAIRMAN of Idhayam Oils, a leading oil industry in India
• A.V.Thomas, AVT Premium Tea
• V.G.Pannerdass(Late), Industrialist,VGP Group of Companies
• T.P.S.Hariram Sait, Ramsait Beedi
• Dr.Amarnath Prabhakar Ramsait, Industrialist
• M.G.Muthu, Industrialist
• K.A.S.Sekar, Madurai, Industrialist/Real Estates
• N.V.Shunmuga Nadar, N.V.S.Snuff
• T.A.S.Rathinam, T.A.S.Snuff
• P.Rajagopal, Saravana Chain of Restaurants
• Selvarathinam Brothers, Saravana/Rathna Chain of Stores/Malls
• Jeyachandran Textiles
• Rajaiah Nadar, Rajmahal, Madurai
• Munusamy, Goldwinner Oils
• P.K.Mani, Athisayam Theme Park
• M.G.Muthu, M.G.M Theme Park, Industrialist, Shopping Malls
• AR.A.Shanmuga Nadar, AR.A.S& P.V.P.V Industrialist
• Leo Coffee, Pattiveeran patti.
• H.Vasanthakumar, Vasanth & Co Chain of Companies
• Sivanesan, Premier Brand Utensils
• K.S.P.Ganesan, Arun Ice Creams
• A.M.M.S.Ganesan, Shipping Corporation/Spinning
• S.G.Jayaraj Nadar & Sons, Jayaraj Automobiles, Leading Industrialist
• M.S.P.Solai Nadar, Industrialist
• Perrys.Mahendravel, Industrialist
• V.V.Dhanuskodi Nadar, V.V.D Group of Companies
• Dr.Madhuram, Guru Thailam
• Idayam Muthu, Idhayam Gingelly Oil
• Dr.Sivanthi Adithyan, Daily Thanthi
• B.R.Adithyan, Director, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank
• N.Kannan (http://www.kannan.in), the founder of http://www.nadar.info

Media

• S P Adityan - Founder of Daily Thanthi
• David Davidar, prominent publisher and writer,
• Premananthan (Ramesh-Prem), famous post-modern writer and thinker who has written around 30 books. His writing includes poems, novels, tales, short stories, drama and non-fiction. He contributed much to create many new thoughts in Tamil.
• M Shanmugavel, - Editor Makkal Kural, Trinity Mirror newspapers
• Nellai Kavinesan, Orator, Career councellor, His writings include poems, short stories, novels, inspirational books and career guidance books.
• Thamarai Senthoorpandi - Writer
• P.D.Samy, Writer
• T.P.Meenakshisundaranar
• Su.Samudram
• Narana. Duraikannan
• Salai.Ilanthiraiyan
• Dr.P.Solvilangumperumal
• Ma.Pa.Gurusamy
• Thamarai Manalan
• Keerampandi.Pitchaimuthu
• Palani Ilankamban
• Nellai Nedumaran
• Kurumbur.Kuppusamy
• Melanmai.Ponnuchamy
• Ramani Chandran
• Prapanjan
• M.Abraham Pandithar

Artists

• Balaiyah - Tamil Film famous commedy/supporting Actor
• Sathyan - Malayalam Film Actor
• Sarathkumar - cine star, president of the Tamilnadu Film Actors Society
• Ramarajan - Tamil cinema actor
• Pandiya Rajan - comedy actor and director.
• Charlie - comedy actor
• A.R.Murugadas - film director
• Hari - film director

Academic

• Prof.Dr.Gift Siromony and Prof.Dr.Rani Siromony - Inventors of Siromony numbers, kolam theory, cryptography.

• Dr. Ramachandran - Vice Chancellor - Anna University (Trichy)

Government

• Admiral O S Dawson, former Chief of the Naval Staff,
• Walter Thevaram - Former I.G of Police, Tamil Nadu
• Dhass - Former Chief of Army, Nagercoil
• Sylendra Babu I.P.S - Tamil Nadu Police
• Alexander I.P.S - Tamil Nadu Police
• Rajanikaanthan I.A.S

Religion

• Mohan. C. Lazarus - Jesus Redeems, Nallumavadi
• Ayya Vaikundar - reformer and religionist from the community- established Brahmin-free worship system - Ayyavazhi
• Mudisoodum Perumal - social reformer, crusader for the Hindu Nadars, anti-brahminist
• V S Azariah - the first Indian Bishop consecrated by the Church of England,
• D.G.S. Dhinakaran - prominent Protestant preacher and founder of Karunya Institute
• Chairman Sri Sri Arunachala Samy, Eral - spiritual person noted for healing the people's problems.
• Bala Prajapathi Adigalar - Ayya Vazhi spiritual head.
• Enadhy Nayanar - one among the 63 Nayanmars belonging to Shanar tribe.

Social and Community Welfare Association Leaders

• Rt.Rev. Dr. Samuel Amirtham, (Former Director Theological Education- World Council of Churches)
• M S S Pandian, social scientist,
• Dr.Gift Siromoney, Mathematician, Specialist in Graph Theory and Automata Theory
• Dr. Besant A.Raj, MD, Besant International
• V.S.Azariah, First Indian Bishop, Church of England
• Admiral.O.S.Dawson, Former Chief, Naval Staff
• Suzhil Kumar, Former Chief, Indian Army
• Dr.Ranjan Roy Daniel, Physicist, Padma Bhushan Awardee
• Sam Rajappa, Noted Journalist
• Dr.Muthunayagam, Chief ISRO, Thumba
• A.Ganesh, Rediff.Com, Correspondent
• W.P.A.Soundara Pandiyanar, social reformer,
• G.Karikolraj Nadar, Secretary of the Nadar Mahajana sangam and TamilNadu Nadar Peravai.
• Sabapathy Nadar, Secretary Thirunelveli Dakshina Mara Nadar Sangam, Sindhu Poondhurai, Thirunelveli Junction.
• S.S.S.Nathan, Joint Secretary, Thirunelveli Dakshina Mara Nadar Sangam, Sindhu Poondhurai, Thirunelveli Junction.

Sports

• Manuel Aron, India's first International Chess Master and the first chess player to be honoured with the Arjuna Award,
• Vijay Amrithraj, former international tennis player and presently a renowned tennis commentator
• Rajarathinam, Captain of Kabbadi Team, Winner Gold Medal, ASIAD
• Kiran Nadar, Bridge Champion
• Helen Mary, Goal Keeper, Gold Winner, Indian Hockery Team, 2002

Underworld

• ], Leader of the All India Nadar Pathukapu Peravai. Well known underworld don of Tamil Nadu.
• David(Karate) Selvin Nadar, Renowned don of the Tirunelveli District.
• Pagalavan, well known don of Virudhunagar.
• Rajesh.M, well known person of Virudhunagar.
• Rocket Raja , Don of the Tirunelveli district

External links

• http://www.nadarworld.com - NADAR community & NESAM online webportal
• http://www.nadar.org - Nadar community Online Webportal
• http://www.nadarsangam.com - the portal for the nadar community online
• http://www.nadar.info - Virudhunagar Nadar community online
• http://www.virudhunagar.org - Virudhunagar Nadar community online
• http://nadar.kuttyjapan.com/famous-nadars.asp - Famous Nadars
• http://www.kuttyjapan.com/nadar/page07.asp - Prominent Nadar institutions
• http://www.nadar.info - Nadar - The Employer Community forum
• http://www.nadarmahajanasangam.com - The Nadar community's institution for charity and educational institutions.
• http://www.nadarlanka.com - Nadar Welfare Association of Lanka.
• http://madhakamakshi.net - Some information on the temple, and history of Karuppa Nadars and the Kotachar Clans
• http://www.manadu-thandupattu-628208.org - Manadu Thandupattu situated near Tiruchendur with most of the people belong to Hindu nadar community.
• http://www.pattiveeranpatti.uni.cc - PattiveeranPatti is an important wholesale market for coffee and pepper and the Hindu Nadar Uravinmurai Paribalana Sangam manages schools and Temples in PattiveeranPatti .

• Indian castes