Nayadis – An accursed lot from the Malabar of Yore

The Nayadi has always remained a constant reminder of the still prevalent caste rigidity in Kerala. I recall the visits to our ancestral home at Palghat and to this day, the guttural howls of the invisible Nayadi, begging for alms, resonate in the deep recesses of my mind. We would hear the plaintive cry announcing his arrival, the Nayadi would then run and hide in the bushes near our homestead, waiting for his alms. A servant from the kitchen would be tasked to deposit some gruel, rice, and other grains into his bowl, which she would quickly do and hasten back to the kitchen. He would trudge away, to the next homestead, a little distance away, to continue the begging rounds. It would repeat the next day, and the day after, for the Nayadi was not permitted to do anything else, all he could do was beg. Tragically, even after many from the lower castes managed to blur the caste borders and come up in this modern world, the Nayadi still remained at the bottom rung or even below it, as always, wallowing in the muck.

Swami Vivekananda visiting Kerala, after meeting Dr Palpu in 1892, compared it to a “lunatic asylum'' because of the all prevalent and oppressive caste system existing since the early medieval. I had written about this earlier (see link). He added - What inference would you draw except that these Malabaris are all lunatics, their homes so many lunatic asylums, and that they are to be treated with derision by every race in India until they mend their manners and know better. A district collector of Malabar TB Russel concurred - Nowhere in India, perhaps nowhere in the world, are the distinctions of class insisted upon so stringently as in Malabar. If one admires her aristocratic traditions, it is at the same time permissible to criticize her innate snobbery. Namputiri, Nayar, Tiyan, Cheruman, Nayadi, one has but to mention the names to realize how intolerant the one class is of the next below it and how that class keeps up the traditions by its intolerance of the next, until at last we get to the unfortunate Nayadi who has nobody but animals to look down upon.

Getting back to Palghat and our childhood - We children would still rush out despite dire warnings from the elders not to, for the Nayadi was not just untouchable, but also one you should not look at. Almost always there would be nobody around the gate, and he would be hiding. We would get admonished severely, and ordered never to repeat the attempt. Later after the coast was clear, the Nayadi would come and pick up his bowl. One day I did see the chap, he was no different from anybody else. A bit darker from all the wandering around in the sun and rather disheveled in looks & attire (a single tattered towel round the waist) that was it. If you did wonder if I suffered from any ill luck after seeing him, let me assure you, none at all...

Now how and why did the Nayadis become an untouchable and an un-seeable community? Let’s find out a bit about them, drawing from the seminal anthropological research conducted by Dr A. Aiyappan, over eight decades ago. Interestingly while some anthropologists believe them to be a regular hill tribe, hunters by nature, many a legend connect their origin to outcaste Namboothiri’s who intermixed with hill settlers, eons ago.

Let’s, therefore, start to check out some of those legends, by going to a Malabar which Dr Aiyappan describes using a proverb- Malabar was a heaven for the Brahmins, but a hell for others – where at the turn of the 20th century, the weight of caste tyranny on the lower castes was the severest. It was a time where the motto of the native rulers was primarily to protect the Brahmins and the cows, but leave all others to flounder and wallow, in their dirt.

Most early references point out that they were hunters and even though a pollution distance had to be kept between them and the upper castes, they did accompany them for hunts deep in the jungles of Malabar, closest to the hills. One of the first Europeans to work with them effectively was the eminent Thomas Baber who used them as runners and trackers, for his hunts. Welsh writing about them (but terming them Nairee - I.e., Naidee) – explain they hardly wore any clothes, had no houses, and spoke an unintelligible dialect. He names two Nayadis named Kelu and Kannan who accompanied Baber as bushmen in those jungle hunts. Francis Buchanan one of the earliest to mention them said - A wretched tribe of this kind buffeted and abused by everyone, subsisting on the labour of the industrious is a disgrace to any country; and both compassion and justice demand that they should be compelled to gain a livelihood by honest industry and be elevated somewhat more nearly to the rank of men.

In 1931, there were just about 600 Nayadis in Malabar, one among the 16 hill tribes and loosely grouped as one of the four Nattu Neechanmaar, the others being Parayas, Pulayas and Ulladans. Over time, the Ulladans and the Nayadis got mixed up in studies, though they are quite different and keep apart from each other, never inter-dining or inter-marrying. They fall below the Cherumars in the caste hierarchy and used to add the word Molayan (Muttappan for Izhuvas, Thampuran for Nairs) to the Cheruman’s name as a mark of respect, while calling them. The Nayadis eat food cooked by Cherumars, but not by the Parayas since Parayas eat carrion or meat of dead animals. The Keralolpatti also terms the Nayadis as Chandalas, but this is incorrect - for a Chandala is the offspring, where the mother is of a higher caste than the father. The lower castes of Malabar do not meet this definition and cannot, therefore, be termed Chandalas, though that is how they were termed. Some historic mentions say the name comes from ‘dog (naya) eaters’ which is quite incorrect for they do not eat dogs, while others connect it to Nayattu or hunting. Rat catching, quite important in Palghat due to paddy cultivation, is a profitable occupation for the Nayadis. Rats are caught from the mounds or nadavarambu’s separating the fields, quite critical before the harvests.

Almost all stories of their origin point to Nambudiri outcastes. There is the story of the Namboothiri marrying the Malayan girl and the resulting progeny becoming the Nayadis. Another relates to a Namboothiri who would not bathe in the pond with his caste brethren, resulting in them outcaste-ing him, and one mentioning a Namboothiri lost and hungry in the forest, eating a mango which had been half-eaten by a monkey, resulting in his ex-communication – all resulting in them founding the Nayadi tribe. Another curious story mentions that an excommunicated Namboothiri in one legend was asked to stand on one leg to expiate his sins and for that reason, many Nayadis can be seen standing on one leg! Then also the legend of a few Namboothiri’s who were expert archers (in the past they too bore arms, not just Kshatriyas) and killed a number of animals wantonly, after which the society excommunicated them, and thus came about the Nayadi tribe of hunters! Finally, there is the mention that the Ulladan tribe was connected to a Namboodiri girl who had once been excommunicated for adultery. While all of these are extant, the general opinion is that they were one of the aborigine peoples from the Western Ghats. Perhaps there is some truth about Namboodiri exiles intermingling with these tribes, for the rest of their lives. Of course, one may ask why upper-caste intermingling did not improve the linguistic and other abilities of the entire community, for which I do not have a satisfactory answer. But it is also felt that the Nayadis by virtue of their eating habits are considered the Brahmins among chandalas, and that the term illam used for their houses, signifies some higher caste connections!

The story of Palghat Iyers is also connected to the Nayadis, a very interesting tale narrated by the eminent LS Rajagopalan. As the story goes, the Palghat Raja is enamored seeing a pretty Nayadi girl and desires her. The minister sets up a physical tryst at a distant hunting lodge between the Nayadi and the king on condition that the room is pitch dark, that they do not speak, and goes on to surreptitiously arrange for the king’s wife to be in position (not the Nayadi girl), so as to avoid terrible repercussions.  The king has a satisfactory session and the following day, the minister explains what happened. But the king feels terribly guilty saying that in his own mind, he had the physical liaison with the Nayadi girl (the mental feeling was in his opinion more important) and so he did not any longer have the right to enter the Hemambika temple again, before sitting on the throne, like he did traditionally every day. Word spread that the king would not enter the temple, and eventually, the Namboothiri priests protest and left Palghat en-masse. That apparently was the reason why the Raja and the minister invited Iyers from Tanjore to come and take care of the priestly work. Thus, came about the PI migration to Palghat.

An interesting case in 1802 is narrated at the Namboothiri’s site where two Namboothiri lads under trial for a caste issue decided to approach their high priests to get to a verdict. The decision was that they could either become Chakiars, or prove their innocence through the oil ordeal. The younger opted to be a Chakiar, but the elder one was ready for the trial, even though failure would mean becoming an out-caste Nayadi, quite humiliating in those days. During the Kaimukkal, Narayanan Nambuthiripad’s palm did not get burnt, though some nearby persons did get burns as he shook his hand after removing the silver ox replica from the boiling ghee. Thus, he proved his innocence and avoided being ex-communicated. So, it is quite clear that the outcasted Namboothiri could end up as a Nayadi and I guess you can now understand the absolute fear and terror, a person from the upper castes had when it came to ex-communication and outcaste-ing.

Going back to pre-British times, we can note from one Keralolpatti, that hunting is the profession allotted by Sankara to the Nayadis, though as time went by, they hardly hunted on their own and served as beaters in hunting parties organized by upper castes. It is mentioned that their skill as beaters and trackers was excellent and that they manufacture top-class hunter’s ropes. On can even note that their hunting songs induced sleep in wild boars and other game animals. The Malaidaivam protected them from carnivorous wild animals like the tigers and the Nayadi’s usually worshipped Sasta or Ayyappan (Aiyanar). An old record adds – The distribution of the meat of the game killed is a formal matter and has to be done in the manner traditionally prescribed. In the Walluvanad taluk, the head of the animal is given to the villagers, one of the hindquarters to the Nayadis, the other to the Nayar chief of the locality, one of the sides to the man who shot the animal first, the other to the person who shot it second, if a second shot was needed. Some meat is also given to the carpenter and blacksmith of the village. What remains is given to the other people who partook in the hunt. The urpalli (a place in the jungle duly consecrated to the hunting deity Ayyan or Ayyappan) was the place where by custom, the game must be broken up, as above.

As time went by and the caste lines became even more rigid, the Nayadis found menial work in Moplah and Christian homes, out of necessity. In Valluvanad, the Thindal Para (Pollution rock) half a mile away from the village, could not be crossed by the Nayadi. If at all you saw one or were polluted, you had a tough time - you should bathe in seven streams and seven tanks, and then let out a few drops of blood from a little finger! Just imagine, the Nayadi had to maintain 74-124’, the Cheruman 64’, the Izhuvan or Tiya 32’ and the Nairs 7’ from a Nambuthiri in those days, to avoid pollution! The Nayadi could not use roads used by others or bathe in a pond used by others, lest it lose its purificatory power! The Pulapidi tradition, connected to them, as related to stealing high caste babies and girls (duly noted by Barbosa) during a certain month in the year, is a topic which I will take up, separately.

Now seen mostly around Palghat (there were also a few in old Travancore), they have little work to do other than make ropes and other minor artifacts for sale, but begging is usually their mainstay. They lived in their illams – mostly hovels, with their Mannu (stone objects for worship) and small joint families in tow. Most anthropologists note their free and easy communication across generations, without strains of age and unnecessary respect. A document of 1924 accounted that they cover their nakedness by tying around the waist strings of leaves and plants. They even wrote about the fact that Nayadi husbands and wives (Nayadichi’s) went together to a toddy shop to drink. They had a Moota Nayadi to take care of law, order, and administration. In the old times, the Nayadis were spread across 18 nadus and the Moota Nayadi, was a hereditary head ruling over them. Interestingly, Nayadis of yore buried their dead (but elderly dead are sometimes cremated) and their marriage ceremony was more like a formal business transaction. They believe in the existence of the spirits of the dead and in some places the community elder is called a Samutiri (like the Zamorin). As we noted previously, they worshiped the Malai deivam, their elders (Muthappan), Bhagavati and Ayappan (Shastan or Chattan). In the old times, they were also credited with the knowledge of black magic.

Special days are fixed for giving charity to the Nayadis as we can take note—Saturdays and Wednesdays in the Palghat taluk, Fridays in other parts of Malabar. In addition to these, there are also special days such as the twelfth days of both the waxing and waning phases of the moon, and important festive days such as the Onam Vishu etc. When it comes to begging which was their main trade, we can see that he stands at a great distance from each house to which he goes and cries out ‘Tamprane, Tamprane’ (Oh Lord, Oh! Lord) in his loud voice till one of the inmates hears him and brings something for him; it may be a couple of handfuls of husked or unhusked rice, while he remains hiding. The Nayadis remember the asterisms under which all the important men and women of their particular villages were born and have a wonderful memory of them. When a child is born, they enquire and make mental notes of its name, the star under which it was born, etc. In the following year they remember to visit the house and standing at the usual distance cry out, “Today is the birthday of so-and-so. May the little tampran live long.”

Of greater importance economically to the Nayadis are the gifts which are given them to ward off death. Such gifts arc known as kala-danam, Kala being the god of death. The hour of death is supposed to be presided over by Gulika, the son of Saturn and the object of the offerings made to the Nayadis is to avoid death by placating Gulika, Saturn, and other demons.

Joseph Mullens writing about the Missions in S India states - A humane gentleman, of the name of Conolly, deeply sympathized with the miserable condition of the Nayadis, in the forests beyond Ponnani. Mr. Conolly applied to the Basel Mission for assistance around 1850, and Missionary Fritz was sent to the chief town of Malabar, and a native catechist stationed among the Nayadis. These poor people rank in the community even below purchased slaves. They live only in the jungle, like wild animals, they sleep in the branches of trees, and at the most only build the poorest hut for themselves. They are looked upon by other branches of the community with the greatest contempt. If a Brahmin comes in their way, they must move off at least sixteen paces; and they must never dare to touch any one of a superior caste. Mr. Conolly formed a plan for drawing some of this degraded class within the bounds of civilization. He built them (at Kodakal) houses, set apart some ground for them, and gave them fields to cultivate. The Government after a time relinquished this effort, and the Basel missionaries took it up. They persevered in spite of the almost hopeless apathy and idleness of their protégés, and at last two or three were baptized. The Mussulmans, however, some three years back, made up their minds to proselytize the little colony. Suddenly the whole of the people left, with the exception of the three converts, and were received into the Moplah community. Quite a few of them subsequently became capped or Toppiyitta Nayadis.

As time went by, reclamation and rehabilitation schemes by successive governments helped the small community survive and develop, albeit slowly. Colonies at Kunnamkulam, Olavakkot, Kuzhalmannam, Manjeri and Chaliyam resettled them with some other lower castes. At Kuzhalmannam however, the other lower-caste communities refused to mingle with the Nayadis and finally one Mr Carleston who formed the ‘Carleston Nayadi home’ at Kuzhalmannam - Palghat, issued a proclamation in 1932 which formalized some rights for them, for the very first time.

The Right of the Nayadis. Not being certain that the recent Government Order establishing the rights of the Nayadis has been brought to the notice of all the public, we hereby make it known to everyone:  The Nayadis have as much right of using public roads, market places and other public buildings as any other castes, and anyone who interferes with their right will be liable for criminal action.

Along the way many social reformers took note of them, though nobody did more than Dr A Aiyappan, who penned his seminal study about them, visiting each and every Nayadi settlement and home in Malabar. Earlier we saw how TH Baber tried to do some service to them, employing a few as runners in his hunts, then we saw how HV Conolly tried to help them by creating a settlement close to Calicut, but that experiment failed when these Nayadis were wooed into the fold of Islam. The story of the Tiyya doctor, Dewan Bahadur Dr K Krishnan who was appointed to Palghat may be recalled by some, where the upper castes of Palghat strenuously objected to his appointment as a government apothecary, and how he later worked tirelessly for the Nayadis pf Palghat.

Gandhiji had this to say (Jan 10th 1934 when he visited Kuzhalmannam -Palghat) - "Early in the morning, I entered Malabar—with due deference to our friends who call themselves sanatanists—the land of iniquities. As I was passing by familiar places, the face of a solitary Nayadi, whom I had seen during the previous visit, rose before my eyes. It was about ten or eleven in the morning when, in the midst of a discussion about untouchability, and unapproachability and invisibility, all forms of which are found in no part of the world except in Malabar, a shrill voice was heard. Those who were talking to me said, 'We can show you a live Nayadi.' The public road was not for him. Unshod he was walking across the fields with a noiseless tread. I went out with my friends and saw the Nayadi. I requested him to come and talk to me. Evidently, he was frightened and he did not know when a blow would descend upon him.

The previous 1927 visit to Palghat diary record mentioned Gandhi saying - Within an hour after we reached Palghat, Mr. C. Rajagopalachari came to me and asked me whether I was hearing any strange sounds. I told him, yes. And he straightway asked me whether I knew what it was. He told me that that was the voice of a Nayadi. On hearing that he was within a stone's throw I hastened out to see who this man could be, who was making all that sound. He was not walking along the road, but he was at some distance from the hedge that guarded the road. I asked him to come near and he came near but not at the roadside of the hedge and told me that he dared not come on the roadside.

Tremblingly he talked to me. I told him that the public road was as much for him as for me. He exclaimed, 'It cannot be so; I may not walk on the public road.' I close that scene and ask the sanatanists or anybody else to show me the authority in defense of this inhuman conduct. You will find me smiling with you, laughing with you, and cracking jokes with you, but you may also know that, behind all these jokes and smiles and laughs, the face of the Nayadi and that scene will keep haunting me throughout my tour in Malabar.

He added though, the solemn message - "I have come to Malabar to speak out of the very depths of my soul. There are many things in Malabar over which, as you know, I have gone into raptures. You have here scenery which is second to none in the world. Man, if he behaves himself, can live an easy life in Malabar. Woman in Malabar is the freest in India. All the women I have seen in Malabar have a majesty which has commanded my respect. But there is nothing to be proud of in the Malabar untouchability. It is the vilest thing on earth. I want you to wipe out this shame of untouchability from Malabar. If you can do it, the whole of India naturally will follow; and you can do it if you will. I have entered Malabar in high hope. It is for you to fulfill it or frustrate it. Only write down this prophecy of mine in your hearts that, if untouchability as we practice it today lives, Hinduism perishes”.

It was around 1930 that a young Nayadi of the Olavakkot colony, Teyyan by name was appointed as an 'attender' in the court of the District Munsif of Palghat and went on to do well. Needless to mention that he had a very tough time and was almost always shunned by others at the court. Nevertheless, other Nayadis followed his example, gave up begging and got into government jobs.  Today even though there is some amount of acceptance, you will still come across Nayadi beggars, and most of the 2,000 -5,000 large community is struggling to get along, fighting with marginalization, alcoholism, and what not. Sadly, it may take centuries before they are fully integrated into the larger community.

No writing about the Nayadi community would surpass the lovely novel (based on real incidents), titled Nooru Simhasanangal (One Hundred Thrones) penned by B Jeyamohan, who retells powerfully, the story of a Nayadi Civil services officer named Kappan and his travails. The administrative officer who comes up in life, is later well established in society, becomes a family man, but has a turbulent relationship with his unbalanced mother who refuses to leave begging, her lowly traditions and fears society. The short read will stir your conscience without doubt and introduce you to the yawning disparity between the Nayadi community and the rest of nation. It is available online and I would encourage anyone who can read Malayalam, to read it. It is most of all, a study in humanity, if not anything else, and will remain deeply etched in your mind, for a long time.

Thank you Jeymohan, for writing it.

References
Social and physical anthropology of the Nayadis of Malabar - A. Aiyappan (Dec 1937)
Prachina Kauthuma traditions of south India: letters from L. S. Rajagopalan, 1985-1988 - Wayne Howard
Mahatma - Volume 3 [1930-1934]- D. G. Tendulkar
Continuing untouchability: the case of Nayadis of Kerala – K Rajan
Nooru Simhasananagal – B Jeymohan (a novel without copyright)

Nooru Simhasanangal – Audiobook (if you can understand, but do not read Malayalam)
Episode 1 
Episode 2 
Episode 3 
Episode 4 

Videos
A documentary
Their dances 
Their music