Dikshitar
- For individuals with the surname, see Dikshit
| Dīkṣitar | |
|---|---|
| தீக்ஷிதர் | |
 1909 photograph depicting the traditional Dīkṣitar munkuḍumi, alternately known as pūrvaśikhā, and in English, a forelock | |
| Classification | Pancha Dravida |
| Veda | Ṛgveda (Āśvalāyana recension) Yajurveda (Baudhāyana recension) |
| Religions | Srouta Shaiva Siddhanta ,Vedic Shaivism |
| Languages | Sanskrit (scriptural) , Tamil (vernacular),Telugu (vernacular) |
| Country | India |
| Original state | Tamil Nadu |
| Ethnicity | Indo Aryan |
| Related groups | Iyer Brahmin, Nambūdiri Brahmin, Śōḻiya Brahmin |
| Kingdom (original) | Chola Empire |
Dīkṣitars (Tamil: தீக்ஷிதர்) or Thillai Vazh Anthaanar are a Vedic Shaiva Brahmin servitor community of Tamil Nadu who are based mainly in the town of Chidambaram; they were originally the ritual arbiters of imperial legitimacy in the Chola Empire, ritually crowning successive monarchs. Smartha(especially the Vadamas), Sri Vaishnava and other brahmins in South India also carry the surname Dikshitars, but are different then Chidambaram Dishitar.[1]
They are an exclusive group of Brahmans learned in the Vedas and Yagnas(sacrifices) who also serve as the hereditary trustees of the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram. They are also called Thillai Muvayiravar or the Three Thousand of Thillai[2] Every Dikshitar once he is married becomes as of right a trustee and archaka of the Nataraja temple. A practice unique to the community is that the priests wear the tuft of hair in front of the head similar to the Nambuthiri Brahmans of Kerala.[3]
References
- ^ Mahadevan, T. P. (2016). On the Southern Recension of the Mahābhārata, Brahman Migrations, and Brāhmī Paleography. Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, 15(2), 1-146.
- ^ B. Natarajan (1974). The city of the cosmic dance: Chidambaram, Volume 2 of Southern art series. Orient Longman. p. 128.
- ^ Viravanallur Gopalier Ramakrishna Ayyar (1946). The Economy of a South Indian Temple: (Sankara Parvati Prize Essay of the Madras University). Annamalai University. p. 50.
See also
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