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Revision as of 11:37, 18 September 2004 by Rajasekaran Deepak (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Aiyangar is the name of a community of Brahmins of India whose members profess the Visishtadvaita philosophy codified by Ramanuja. The word Aiyangar (Anglicised from the Tamil ஐயங்கார்(Aiyaṅkār)) could be derived from the Tamil word Aiyā (used as a term of respect), which in turn derives from the word Arya. It could also mean "people entrusted with five tasks", referring to the five duties that traditional Aiyangars perform (see ).
Although most Aiyangars speak Tamil, there are also large numbers of Kannada speaking Aiyangars in southern Karnataka (popularly known as Bangalore Aiyangars), as well as smaller numbers of Telugu-speakers in southern Andhra Pradesh. Today, Aiyangars are divided into two sub-communities of Thenkalai and Vadakalai due to a 13th century schism between the followers of Pillai Lokacharya and those of Vedanta Desika respectively.
This article covers the Aiyangars as an ethnic group.
Aiyangar |
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| Classification: | Ethnic group/ Caste/Community of South India | |
| Total population: | 2004: (approx) 1,000,000 (roughly 1% of Tamilians) | |
| Significant populations in: | Chennai: XXXX Mayavaram: XXXX |
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| Language | Mother tongue is Tamil with unique Aiyangar accent and dialect. Knowledge in Sanskrit for religious/traditional reasons. | |
| Related ethnic groups | Brahmin Aiyangar |
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Some Famous Aiyangars
- Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan
- Ariyakkudi T. Ramanuja Aiyangar
- Rajaji
- B.K.S. Aiyangar
- T.T. Krishnamachari
- T.V. Sundaram Aiyangar
- J. Jayalalithaa
- Krishnamachari Srikkanth
The following were born Aiyangars but denied their casteist identity later in life. In some cases, it may even be debatable whether it is appropriate to mention their names here.