Pandarathil

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Pandarathil is a surname of Malayalam-speaking Namboodiri Brahmins of South-west India. It was originally a honorific title conferred on a few aristocratic families by the Maharaja of erstwhile Travancore in recognition of their special services as vassals of the ruling monarch.

They are on the same level as Namboodiris, Bhattathiris etc., though some use it to claim superiority of some sort. All of them were large land holding families and a good part of Malayalanadu was owned by them. They even had the power to collect land tax from the people of the area.

A noted member of this community is Mr. Neelakandaru Pandarathil, a former leader and activist of the Communist Party of India. He was also a five-time member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Other Pandarathil families include Vanjipuzha, Edamana, Edayavanam, Punnaritta, Vakkavanjipuzha, Karaman, Kulakkada etc, all of which belong to Chengannur gramam (village), the southernmost among the 64 which, according to tradition, were established by Sage Parasurama.

Pandarathil families are also found in the central part of Kerala in Trichur district, Engandiyur and Puvathur.

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