Tamil Brahmins

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Tamil Brahmins are Tamil-speaking Brahmins from the state of Tamil Nadu, Indiaof Aryan race.

Generally well educated, they are successful in various occupations around the world. Flagbearers of traditional Tamil culture, their contributions to Tamil arts and literature have been immense. They live a simple lifestyle and are vegetarians. Tamil Brahmins are comprised of two communities: Iyers and Iyengars. Iyers are Smarta Brahmins who follow the Advaita philosophy of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Iyengars are Srivaishnava Brahmins who follow the Vishishtadvaita philosophy of Sri Ramanujacharya. Intermarriage between the two communities was less in the past, but over the last fifty years, has increased significantly.

In a state ruled by atheists, Tamil Brahmins have been facing an uphill task of retaining their traditional values. The local govenment has kept them out of educational institutions in the last thirty years through exhorbitant quotas for the "backward" communities. As a result, they form a significant proportion of the Tamil diaspora in many Western countries, as well as the rest of India.

Recently they have been physical attacks on them in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu with their places of worships being vandalized.