The Azhvanchery Thamprakkal or Azhvanchery Samrat is the title of the senior-most male member of the Brahmin (Namboothiri) feudal lords of Azhvanchery Mana, in Athavanad, present-day Malappuram district, Kerala state, South India. The Azhvanchery Thamprakkal owned a bulk of land in Athavanad: The name Athavanad is derived from them: Azhvanchery Thamprakkal vazhum Nad. The Azhvanchery Thamprakkal is often considered as the supreme religious head of the Namboodiri Brahmins of Kerala and for every Raja to be formally crowned, his blessings were required.
The ancestral home of the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, who is even today held in high esteem and religious sanctity, is in Athavanad.
Azhvanchery Thamprakkal were a great patron of mathematics and astronomy. In the famous Brahmandapuranam by poet Thunchath Ezhuthachan, Azhvanchery Thamprakkal had been mentioned as Netranarayanan. Thunchath Ezhuthachan wrote that he composed Brahmandapuranam under the instruction of the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal.
Legend has it that the title of Thamprakkal which literally means Emperor (having originated from the Sanskrit Samrat and later corrupted into Thampran) came to be used to refer to the Brahmins of Azhvanchery Mana family after one day, while returning from a coronation ceremony with a golden cow, the Thamprakkal was stopped on the road by a low caste member who stated that the right to take dead cows rested with his caste and not with Brahmins. On this affront being offered, the Thamprakkal sprinkled some water on the golden cow and brought it to life. The low caste man exclaimed "You are indeed a Thamprakkal" and since then the title has stayed with the family.
The Thamprakkal has four privileges within the Namboodiri caste and otherwise:
The opinion of the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal was considered supreme in deciding matters relating to religion, caste, society etc. The family otherwise are Adhyan Namboodiris and use the surname of Namboodiripad.
The present-day Azhvanchery Thamprakkal is Azhvanchery Krishnan Thamprakkal succeeding his father, Raman Thamprakkal (1927–2011). The holy idol of Sree Ganapathi worshiped by Azhvancherry Thamprakal is at Chettikulangara Devi temple, Mavelikkara. Centuries ago, the then Thamprakal gifted the holy idol to the Yogeeswara of Chettikulangara temple.