Nambiar (Nair subcaste)
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Nambiar in the context of art forms like Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam and similar cultural things refers to the Hindu community in the state of Kerala, India, belonging to the Ambalavasi community, which were generally assigned to various temple duties. This community is mostly concentrated in central and southern Kerala.
The Sanskrit name of Nambiar is Pānivāda. 'pāni' means hands and 'vāda' comes from the verb 'vādanam' meaning playing; altogether meaning the one who plays with hands, since Nambiars are assigned to play the holy drum "Mizhavu" , which they play with their hands only. Nambiars are assigned to play the drum "Mizhavu" in ritualistic temple performances like Koodiyattam and koothu in Koothambalams inside the temples. The nambiars who play Mizhavu are known as Mizhavu Nambiars and their ladies are called Nangyarammas. While Nambiars were allowed to play Mizhavu, Nangyarammas performes lady charecters in Koodiyattam along with Chakyar. They are connected to Chakyars, who performs Koodiyattam and Koothu.
Ambalavsi nambiars are traditionally Sanskrit scholars. The famous Malayalam satire poet Kunchan Nambiar who is believed to be the sanskrit poet Rama Pānivāda belongs to this caste. The chief contribution of Kunchan Nambiar is the invention and popularization of a new performing art known as Thullal.
There is another group of ambalabvasi nambiars called Thiyyadi Nambiars. The adjectival word Thiyyadi is used to denote that they are the performers of an artform called Ayyappan Tīyāttu. Their ladies are known as Marumakalammas.
