Tamil Nadu, the land of Culture and Diversity

The cultural heritage of a country is defined by its traditions and customs. India is
one such country that is endorsed with its rich culture, which is distinct in one or
more ways. Despite the vast rising modernism, it is this aspect that brings out its
identity and recognition. The Indian social structure and cultural pattern are
characterized by unity as well as diversity. The number of states, its population
and division present a complex cultural trait of the Indian society. Historically,
Tamil Nadu has been embracing numerous groups of immigrants with varying
degrees of civilization. Recognizing its ethnically diverse nature, the land can be
described as an ethnological and linguistic museum.

From first century A.D. to seventeenth century A.D. Tamil Nadu was ruled by
successive empires such as the Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras and Vijayanagara.
Latter it came under the rule of Nayaks and the British till India's freedom was
achieved in 1947. This frequent change in political power has brought a
tremendous impact on the social and cultural life of the Tamil society. In fact
large-scale migration towards Tamil Nadu took place when Tamil Nadu was
under the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire. During this time many Telugu and
Kannada speaking people made their entry into the state. The main factor
responsible for the migration of the Telugus and the Kannadigas was the policy
that the emperors of Vijayanagara and the Nayaks favoured for various
administrative and military purposes. This undoubtedly led to their influx into Tamil
Nadu.

On the other hand, the Maratha conquest of the Carnatic followed by the
establishment of their rule at Tanjore resulted in the influx of the Marathi-
speaking people into the land. The Muslim conquest (Madurai Sultanate) also
brought in a forceful means of people professing a different faith (Islam). The
proselytizing zeal of the British and the secular attitude of the Nayakas allowed
the growth of Christianity. Each of these minority groups, besides living with the
Tamils strove to preserve their ethos through organized efforts. As a result,
noticeable changes began to occur in the Tamil Society.

Artisan Community in Tamil Society

The occupational system of Tamil society falls under two broad groups- The
Right-hand (Valangai) and The Left-hand (Idangai) which is roughly categorized
as the Agricultural (Brahmins, Vellalas, Naidus etc.) and the Artisan groups (the
producers of textiles and goldsmith, blacksmith, carpenter and some other
services like barbers etc.).

The right hand faction, being the landholders enjoyed a better position and had
control over the left hand faction. Although the artisan groups were relatively
poor and few in number, at times they gave stiff resistance to the dominance of
agricultural groups. One disadvantage for the artisan group was that they did
not have roots in the villages. They moved towards city or town seeking feudal
patronage and to carry out their skilful occupations.

The most important weaving communities in Tamil Nadu at present are namely
(1) The Sengunthars (or The Kaikkolars);
(2) The Devangars;
(3) The Saliars and
(4) The Saurashtras.

Except the Sengunthars all the other three groups are products of migration.
While the Saliars and Devangars are migrants from the adjacent states like
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka respectively, the Saurashtras came from
Gujarat.
A survey conducted by the All India Handloom Board has revealed that the
above four groups constituted a total of 67% of the total weaving population in
Tamil Nadu.

The chart produced below exhibits the representation of various weaving

communities in the State.

Predominant Weaving Communities of Tamil Nadu

Division Percentage to total weaving population

Sengunthars 33.9
Saurashtras 14.4
Devangars 14.2
Saliars 4.5
Others 33.0

Total 100.0

Source: Govt. of India - A Survey of Handloom Industry in Madras State, 1959.

The traditional weaving groups placed the non-traditional weaving groups at

the lower rank. They believe that the weaving skill is not only something an
individual acquires through the learning and working experience, but also
something he acquires through his caste membership.

Of course, there are obvious differences between the Saurashtras and other
weaving communities at many levels. Apart from physical appearance and
linguistic differences, there exists a life style difference, variations in customs,
festivals, social activities, occupational and social mobility patterns. The
Saurashtras are Northern in their customs and behavior. The other weaving
groups posses Dravidian cultural traits, although a few among them claim
Brahmanical status. But among all the artisan communities in Tamil Nadu, the
Saurashtras occupied a higher status due to their silk weaving, elaborate rituals,
smart physical appearance and their intellectual attainments.

Saurashtras- The possessor of multiple roots

Saurashtras are the people from the southern part Gujarat who are identified
with Modern Sorath in Kathiawar on the Gulf of Kanthi or Kachi in Western India.
In ancient times this kingdom was rich and prosperous due to their Silk trading
and was frequently visited by merchants of Romapuri, Arab and several other
countries.

Image 1&2- Representing the original settlement of Saurashtras in Gujarat

From 500 to 1000 A.D. Saurashtrians lived in Mandsar, Dasapura towns of the old
Saurashtra Province which included portions of the present Gujarat and
Maharashtra States doing spinning and weaving works. In Dasapura they
built their own a Sun Temple and worshipped Sun God. The Sanskrit
term Saura means sun. As they built and worshipped Sun or Saura God they
were called as Saurashtrians and the region they lived was naturally called as
Saurashtra Province.

In major portions of Saurashtra region cotton was growing in large quantities. It

was long staple variety cotton. As it was growing in the Arabian Sea breeze, it
was similar to the Egyptian or American type cotton very suitable for making
thin thread. Even today these cotton plants grow abundantly in Ahmedabad
and in the whole of Deccan Plateau. So, they naturally learned the art of
weaving thin clothes out of the very thin silk like cotton available there.

Saurashtra region was ruled by the Mourya dynasty King Somasarma, Saka
dynasty King Rudradama and Gupta dynasty King Chandragupta called
Vikramaditya. King Kumaragupta of 473 A.D. has said in his Royal Charter that
the Saurashtrians who were spinning silk like thread and weaving thin clothes out
of it, migrated from Lata town of Saurashtra region to Mandasar of Malwa
region during the Gupta period; they were fondly called as "Pattavayahs"
weavers of thin silk like cotton clothes or silk clothes.

In 1024 Mohamed of Ghazini attacked the area of Somnath in Kathiawar. He

plundered, looted, destroyed the Temple of Somnath and carried away
valuable jewels, gold, diamonds, etc. As the Saurashtrians were unable to bear
the harassments, continued disturbance of their works and destruction of
properties, they left their beloved place and migrated to peaceful places in
the North, Centre and South of India.
 Image: 3- Representing the migration course taken by the Saurashtras from Gujarat to
Madurai. Source- Authors’ own.

Some migrated to the Surat town on the banks of River Tungabadhra and then
to Devagiri of Yadava Kingdom. In Devagiri or Dauladabad they lived for
about 2 to 3 centuries. As the culture and traditions of that region were more or
less similar to that of theirs, they began to have a comfortable livelihood.
Thereby some terms and words from the Varaja language got mixed with the
Saurashtra language.

In 1294 the Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji along with his General Malik Kafur
crossed the Vindhiya hills and Devagiri and waged battles with the Yadava
King Ramchand. In the battle Yadava King was defeated and imprisoned,
letting Kiliji to plunder all the properties and leave for Delhi. Due to this historical
reason, Saurashtrians left Devagiri and initially migrated to Marata Kingdom
and then to Vijayanagara Empire. In that way many terms and words from
Marati, Konkani and Kannada languages mingled with the Saurashtra
language. Examples: Amti (curry), Limbu (Lemon), Angidi(Shop), etc.

Vijayanagar was situated near Hampi in the Bellary District back then. The first
kings of the region were Harisharar and Bukka. Bukka sent delegates to
Madurai to save the Kingdom from the destructions of Malik Khafur and to
establish the Pandyan Rule. When the heirs to the throne of Pandyan Kingdom
were not available in 1500 Madurai came under the direct rule of Vijayanagar
Empire, which was at its best under the King Krishadevaraya between 1509
and 1531.

Vijayanagar Empire was defeated in the battle by Bahmani Sultan at Talikota

in 1565. At that time Saurashtrians who were living there with the full support of
the kings for about 2 centuries had to leave Vijayanagar also. During that
period many words and terms of Telegu language got mixed with the
Saurashtra language such as Lohan (Iron), Boskanna (a festival), etc.

The nayakas, who were the military governors of the Vijayanagara Empire,
emerged as a dynasty after the downfall of the Vijayanagaras and established
their direct rule on Madurai during the 16th Century. During their rule, the City
flourished with its administrative reforms, artistic and cultural achievements and
creation of a unique style of temple architecture. The Naykas also renovated
the temples that had been sacked by the Delhi Sultans.
When Tamil embraced the Saurashtra

The lifestyles of Nayakas are revealed through their sculptures, paintings and
the costumes worn by them. The life of women and their dress pattern had a
great influence in their art. Use of bright colours in their buildings and garments;
initiatives taken by female queens and ministers, for construction of various
architectural monuments exhibit the valiant character of women prevailed
during the Nayakan period.

Image:5&6- Signifying the Nayakan Lifestyle through their Architecture and Culture.
During the Vijayanagara-Nayaka times different varieties of clothes in
attractive colours, designs and borders were favoured by the people. The
Nayakas of Madurai, dissatisfied with the quality of cloth woven by the
Kaikolar, invited the weavers from Telugu region (the Saurashtras) and settled
them in Madurai. Know for their silk weaving and flawless dyeing, Queen
Mangammal of the Nayakan Dynasty named them as Pattunulkaranas. They
lived in a separate street, close to the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal and were
exempted from the taxes on looms as a special gesture. During their rule, a tax
called Mulayam was levied on the handloom textiles. As time went on they
settled in other places like Trichy, Tanjavur, Paramakudi, Palayamkottai, Kottar,
Kumbakonam, Salem, etc.

In the Manual of the Madura district, the Pattunulkaranas are described as:

"A caste of Surat silk-weavers,

whose ancestors were induced to settle in
Madura by one of the earlier Nayakan kings,
or in response to an invitation from Tirumalai Nayak,
and who have thriven so well that they now
form by far the most numerous of all
the castes resident in the town of Madura.
They are very skillful and industrious workmen,
and many of them have become wealthy.
They keep altogether aloof from other castes,
and live independently of general society,
speaking a foreign tongue, and preserving
intact the customs of the land of their origin.
They are easily distinguished in appearance from
Tamils, being of a light yellowish colour, and having
 handsomer and more intelligent features.
They are called Chettis or merchants by Tamils."

Of course, this community has made a great contribution to the literary and
cultural heritage of South. It also contributed to the education and economy of
the region. No doubt the Madurai Saurashtras played a notable part in the
growth and prosperity of the city.

Regarding their migration and contribution A.J. Saunders in the book- “The
Saurashtra community in Madura, South India” American journal of Sociology
comments:

"The Saurashtras were driven by persecution

from their ancestral home, and after many
wanderings found a hospitable kingdom which
allowed them freedom and an opportu11lty
to live their own life, to follow their own
occupation and religion, and in so doing they
have not only increased in numbers, affluence,
and influence, but they have also contributed
largely to the wealth and progress of their
patron city"

From the above mentioned points one can safely arrive at a conclusion that the
Saurashtras converted Madurai into one of the greatest weaving centers of
Tamil Nadu.
Tracing back the Saurashtran Culture and Custom with their tied up
migration

From the view point of an outsider the community may be seen as a

homogenous one. However, in reality many subdivisions exist among them at
various levels.

The Saurashtras may be divided into three sectors on a religious basis:

(1) Pure Vaishnavites, who wear the vertical Vaishnavite mark, and call
themselves Vadagalais or northeners;
(2) Those who are Smarthas, who wear horizontal marks;
(3) Madhvas who wear gopi (Sandal paste) · as· their- sect mark~

All the above three divisions intermarry and intertwine, and the religious
difference does not create a distinction in the caste.

A Madurai Saurashtra Sabha document says that the Saurashtras classify their
ancestors as originally belonging to the two lines of Thiriyarisham and
Pancharisham descent groups. They are further sub-divided into Gotru (Gotra).
Each Gotra consists of different Ghaeru Navum (Family names). The entire
community consists of 64 Gotras but only 36 of them are found in Madurai.
Marriage between boys and girls of common Gotra are prohibited.

Traditional Social Organization of Saurashtras

Saurashtras have been traditionally an orthodox and closely knit community.

They are essentially northern in their customs, manners and social structure.
Habitually, joint family was a social and economic unit for them. They respected
and encouraged large joint family because of the nature of occupation they
were pursuing. The occupation of weaving needed the co-operative efforts of
many persons. Moreover, the pattern of joint family helped them transmit their
traditional culture to the younger generations. The main social customs among
the Saurashtras consist of Six social ceremonies in the life of a person.

(1) The naming ceremony;

(2) The sacred thread ceremony;
(3) Puberty;
(4) Marriage;
(5) The attainment of the age of sixty;
(6) The funeral rites.

The rites that are performed following the birth of a child are known as
Jathakarma. The naming ceremony in particular is known as Namakaranam. The
main aim of performing these birth ceremonies is to purify and to safeguard the
child from diseases. These rituals are believed to check the ill-effects of
planetary movement. The above rites were carried out on the eleventh day
after the birth of the child. Grandfather's name was much preferred for a male
child and the name of a female deity was suggested for female child. However,
they commonly used Vaishnavaite names as many of the Saurashtras in
Madurai belong to the Vaishnavaite group.

The Vaduhom ceremony (Sacred Thread ceremony) of Saurashtras resembles

the Upanayanam ceremony of Brahmins. This ceremony is exceedingly
important among them. This is performed between seven and thirteen years. In
rare cases when the sacred thread ceremony was not held in the young ages, it
would be performed at the time of marriage. The goal of this ceremony was to
highlight their Brahminical status. During this ceremony there was much feasting
and entertainment which lasted for four days.
Among the Saurashtrans, attaining puberty was the greatest event in a girl's life.
They performed a pre-puberty marriage like Brahmins. Ucida Norihiko, the oral
literature of the Saurashtras describes the event as follows. "The puberty
celebration was performed in an isolated room meant for menstrual women
and used exclusively by women folk. They felt free to talk of sex during this
celebration. They sang erotic songs to impart to the girl the sex education
necessary for the marital life." They have long given up open celebration of the
event Now-a-days talking about sex is regarded as very indecent probably due
to influence of Western prudery.

Death rituals are termed as Abarakkirigai or Andhiyaeshti in the Saurashtran

community. Andhiyaeshti means the last or final fire. These rituals are carried out
by the eldest son of the deseased. In case of no son, the relatives carry out the
last rites. Kartha is the name given to the one who carries out this rite. The
performance of the rite signifies the belief that the life is continuous and does
not end by one's death. Further, the deceased are believed to reach the level
of the deities. The period of mourning lasts for ten days, but it is repeated every
year in the form of Sraddha ceremonies.

Among all the festivals, marriage is an occasion when the Saurashtras used to
have much more fun and fair. The wedding ceremony lasted 11 days with as
many as 36 rituals. All these rituals were conducted by the Saurashtran priests
who were a separate clan in the community.

The Saurashtras have their own marital arrangements. Before a marriage is fixed,
a long negotiation takes place between the parents of both partners. Being
traditional orthodox Hindus they are very much particular in matching the
horoscope of the couple. A man may claim his maternal uncle's daughter as- his
wife, and polygamy is permitted. Girls get married at an early age when she
was a mere child of four or five. The sons were married at any time between the
ages of fifteen and thirty years. But most of the girls were married between the
ages of ten and twelve, or about the time of puberty. Marriage within common
Gotra was strictly prohibited among them.

The Saurashtrian migration can be understood from their unique custom during
the marriage ceremony called Bhovlas. It covers the various stages of their
emigration from Saurashtra till Madurai.
A day prior to Saurashtran's marriage the bride groom's party visits the bride's
party and tells them that they are from Saurashtra, who left their home for
Devagiri so as to escape from the onslaught of Muhammad Ghazini. After
staying there for some period of time, they travelled further towards
Vijayanagara, from where they moved and settled in Tamil Nadu as per the
invitation of the Nayaka king of Madurai. The bridegroom's party then asks the
brides' party the same question and receive the same reply.

Traditionally, within the Saurashtra household all the members worked together
and were economically very active. Although both men and women worked
together, the eldest male member of the house was the head of the household
who distributed work to junior family members. This does not mean that the
Saurashtra wives were always subordinate to their husbands. The women of this
community too shared in decision-making in all important matters of the
households.

Rituals and Beliefs of Saurashtras

The Saurashtras are of a religious bent of mind and they value morality and high
character. The chief divinity of the Madurai Saurashtras is The Venkateshwara of
Tirupati. They have their own community temple called Prasanna
Venkateshwara Perumal where they conduct a very important festival. They
celebrate Kolattam and Ramanavami with great enthusiasm, and observe
Deepawali, Vaikunta Ekadasi as important religious days.

Though they claim that they are Saurashtra Brahmans, their customs and
traditions differ from the traditional pattern and bear a close resemblance to
those of Tamils. Only some orthodox well-to-do merchant families stick to their
older customs till date.

Social Division among Saurashtras

Occupationally the Saurashtras in Madurai may be classified broadly as

weavers, traders and white collar employees of whom the majority of them are
weavers. The weavers and traders are mutually interdependent with each other.
The traders are well placed but the weavers are a socially and economically
disadvantaged section within the community at present. It is upon the hard work
of the weavers that the trading class has emerged.
Among the Saurashtras there exists a regional level variation also. The Madurai-
based Saurashtras consider themselves superior to others of their kind. They did
not exchange marriage alliances with outsiders. This is mainly because the
Madurai Saurashtras were quick in making progress in trade and industry due to
collective mobilization, Sanskritisation and relatively high level of education.
They have made use of all the opportunities available in the town.

There is a strong evidence to show that the Saurashtras are experts in weaving.
Since they are skilled in silk weaving they are known as Pattunulkaranas in Tamil
Nadu. Besides weaving they are masters in dyeing, spinning and printing etc.
Before the synthetic chemicals came into use they used vegetable dyes for the
purpose of dyeing. The textile products of this community are valued not only for
their utility but also for their artistic excellence and tradition. But now a majority
of them concentrate more on producing products of art-silk and cotton
varieties. The famous saris of Kodambakkam and Chinnala Patti varieties are
made by them. The principal reason to switch over to cotton weaving from silk
weaving is said to be partly due to the lack of adequate support from the
government and partly due to the changes in public consumption.

Indulging into the glorious past

Saunders who has seen the community in a socio-historical perspective writes:

“Madura· is the most important weaving centre

in Southern India. It is a cottage or handloom
industry, and is almost exclusively a Saurashtra
industry. The fabrics which they weave are
better woven and of more varied designs
than those of any other place, and their
products are exported in large quantities to
Madras and elsewhere. Their white cloth
made from European yarn and ornamented
with borders of gold and silver threads are
especially famous. This community is the
only group in the district which manufactures
all silk goods, as distinct from those containing
admixture of silk ornamented with silk borders."

Now this community as a whole lacks the traditional features of skill in weaving.
The Saurashtras produced various types of cloth for the requirements of the
temple, the Royal household and the common people. They were closely
associated with Madurai Meenakshi Temple, from where they got orders in bulk
for making special cloths. This temple during the rule of Pandya and Nayak kings
played a very influential part in the general progress of these silk weavers. The
rulers also greatly admired their work and occasionally provided them with lands
and gifts as incentives. The skill of the weavers was also praised by many of the
Tamil poets. Their occupation was respected and they were placed high in
society. There was considerable prosperity among them during the·16th; 17th
and 18th centuries. But unfortunately Saurashtras could not enjoy their status
and income for a long time. Several external and internal factors have forced
many of them to give up weaving and take up new occupations suitable to
them. Especially, the technological and political changes that took place in the
19th century changed them a lot.

Present- Lost in track

“The loom will fall silent after our lifetime” as said by one of the weavers in the
present days’ community.
Once situated beside the Kings palace, a part of the weavers is currently
chocked up within the dismantled Pathu-thoon Theru, while the remaining
settlement has moved to a village called Nilayur near Thiruparamkundram.
Fondly known as the Kaithari Nagar, it accommodates around 500 houses
where all the residents still practice the art.
Image 7- Making the Paavu on streets- early morning activity.
Image 8- Saree being weaved in a Thari.

“I have a passion for weaving and have been weaving since I was 18, but I do
not want my children to follow it. I will be the last weaver in my family.”
He has to toil for 12 to 14 hours a day for two days to weave a sari which fetches
Rs.600 as wages, while his friends, who quit weaving to take up painting and
daily wage work, earn double his wage for eight hours of labor, he points out.

Of course, some positive as well as negative developments are taking place as

far as the weaving industry is concerned. On the positive side, the Central and
the State governments are taking special efforts to preserve the handloom
products as well as to improve the welfare of weavers. As a result, the weavers'
co-operative societies are established, and weavers' colonies are being
constructed, and various concessions to weavers are granted. Special
Handloom Boards are set up to look after the policy matter and occasionally
sample surveys are being conducted to find out the problems of
implementation. This has made a tremendous impact on the social and
economic life of weavers. But on the negative side, the fast development of mill
technology, poor demand for handloom products and changes in the
preferences of public have caused poverty and unemployment among some
sections of the weavers. The principal reason underlying the danger posed to
the handloom industry by the presence of the mill and the power loom industries
is that it is possible to manufacture products similar to - indeed often of better
quality than – that produced on the handloom at a lower cost. This is made
possible through the use of advanced machinery and expanded division of
labour which contributes to higher labor productivity and lowered costs in the
mill and the power loom sector.

Most of the weavers in the selected centers are reported to be in debt from
time to time for their basic needs of life. No single category of weavers could be
pointed to be better off than the others in this respect. Several economic
surveys conducted in Tamil Nadu have also shown that the handloom industry
has experienced a retarded growth. The loss of court patronage, drastic
changes in the dressing habits of well-to-do classes, lack of capacity of the
industry to adapt itself to the change in requirements, and the prevalence of a
demoralizing system of middlemen, have also led to a steady dec1ine of the
handloom industry.

There is a social stratification even among the weavers. These strata include the
independent weavers, apprentice weavers, co-operative weavers and daily
wage weavers. The independent weavers are self-sufficient; many of whom in
spite of their limited resources have become master weavers. The daily wage
weavers seldom rise above the poverty line and they are always in debt. With
the establishment of the co-operative societies, many weavers were released
from the clutches of master weavers and attained economic independence.
The Madurai Saurashtra Sabha has also brought about many reforms for the
weavers of the community. The economic condition of Saurashtra weavers in
Madurai is much better compared to those of other places or any other
weaving community in the state at present. Even in the past, these weavers
fared better than the others.

Image 9&10- An old man weaving saree; with his wife.

Professor K.R.R. Sastry, of the Madurai Saurashtra community made an

economic study of the community, where he also appreciated the trading
techniques of the community.

"In Madurai town the Saurashtras, a community of dyers and weavers who had
migrated from Gujarat, formed almost a third of the population and dominated
the trade and manufacture of cotton products. In the 20th century, in the wake
of declining weaving profession, many traders tried a number of alternatives for
their younger generation and some found fresh prospects of livelihood in
modern type of business."

Future?

For nearly 4 centuries now they have been living in Madurai and other towns in
Tamil Nadu. Not only weaving works but also all sorts of works they are doing
there. Today schools, colleges, Mills and other institutions are run by them. In
spite of this, many people are still working as weavers and remain poor.
Few possible reasons accountable for the fading of such glory might be the
change in interests of the public- us, being influenced by the western culture
way too much and forgetting our roots; Lack of awareness by these
communities on the Government aiding policies; Diminished values of the
culture and practice by the younger generations of these community. It should
be a privilege for our generation to value such practices and embrace them-
rather than considering it as an embarrassment- as, it signifies our identity and
authenticity.

References:

1. Indian History of Medieval Period

2. Saurashtra Nation and Saurashtra Community, an Article by Sri. N.S.
Krishnamachari in the Golden Jubilee Souvenir of Sourashtra High School,
Madurai, Tamil Nadu Magazine.
3. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/14037/9/09_chapter%20
3.pdf
4. https://www.boloji.com/articles/759/the-unwritten-history-of-the-
saurashtrians-of-south-india
5. http://www.academia.edu/9748815/Migration_of_the_people_of_Saurashtr
a_Lata_towards_South_after_the_fall_of_the
6. https://sapovadia.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/sauarshtra.pdf