The Ettara Yogam or the Council of Eight and a Half was a body of Trustees of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple which is the richest and most well endowed temples in the world now (wealth estimation is going on as of yesterday, 1st Aug 2011),situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Travancore and religiously most important to the Maharajahs of Travancore.
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The Ettara Yogam was formed in the year 15th century.[1] and it is presided over by the Swamiyars of Naduvil Madhom or Munchira Madhom to this day. In Malayali Brahmins, Potty families -south of changanassery in travancore are designated as pottis and they in north of changanassery (pottis-malayala Brahmins)are designated as namboothiries usually. Seven potti families and a representative from a Nair family initially who assumed the role of the Temple protector. Besides these trustees, who had one vote each in deciding the matters of the Temple management, the Maharajah of Venad as it was known then had a half vote, rendering the ruler of the land thereby almost powerless in deciding the affairs of the Devaswom of Padmanabhapuram. The Head of the nair family is known as Karanavar. The Karanavar of the nair palliyadi family is a member of Ettara Yogam of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple (only Nair representative). The present Karanavar or nair member is Srikarnam Palliyadi A.E. Ramakrishna Kurup of Azhakath Bungalow, Adoor. The fact that the Maharajah was powerless in the Temple affairs was very important because the temple possessed vast landed areas and wealth, which owing to his nominal position, gave immense power to the eight members and their confederates. It is also because the sovereign had only half a vote that the council came be known as that of "Eight and a Half".
The trusteeship of the Ettara Yogam was passed hereditarily and the member families were represented by the oldest male member therein. These Potty families and the sole Nair noble family were:[2]
Still the thanthri dakshina is given to tharananallur by these pottifamilies after the festival twice every year( still it is not the thiruvithankur raja but the ettarayogam potties give thanthridakshina to tharananelloor in a ritual after the aarattu.)
The Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple possessed vast landed areas over which the ruler of Travancore had no control whatsoever. These lands were divided into eight adhikarems or districts and over each of these districts as a governor was placed a Nair noble family, all with the title of Pillai. Hence they came to be known as the Ettuveetil Pillamar or the Lords of the Eight Houses. The confederacy of these Pillamar was eventually destroyed in the 18th century by Maharajah Marthanda Varma after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy against the Royal house. The Pillamar were organised into a confederacy in the 15th century.[3]
Owing to the large amount of power vested in their hands, the Ettara Yogam and their associates the Ettuveetil Pillamar became highly arrogant towards the Royal family. When Maharajah Aditya Varma wished to build himself a palace at Trivandrum, even outside the jurisdiction of the Ettuveetil Pillamar or the Ettara Yogam, he was not permitted to do so. The Yogam and Pillamar conspired against the royal house and several murders and other acts of atrocity were committed owing to the powerlessness of the sovereign. Eventually Maharajah Marthanda Varma decided to put an end to their power and destroyed the Pillamar. Two families of the Yogam were banished from Travancore while the rest were permitted nominal rights in the Temple. After Marthanda Varma the temple came under the control of the Maharajahs of Travancore and the power of the Yogam was ended.[4]
The Travancore State Manual By T.K.Velupillai