Nambudiri
thumb|A traditional Nambudiri Mana thumb|1883 sketch depicting a Nambūdiri man with the traditional sikha|pūrvaśikhā, or forelock
Article
16 sectionsContents
- History
- Origin
- Early history
- Modern history
- Demographics
- Religious customs
- Vedic learning
- Agnicayana
- Domestic culture
- Attire
- Marriage customs
- Koodiyattam (artform)
- Notable people
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|A traditional Nambudiri Mana thumb|1883 sketch depicting a Nambūdiri man with the traditional sikha|pūrvaśikhā, or forelock
The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Namboothiri, Namboodri, Namboori, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal elite. Headed by the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal Samrāṭ, the Nambudiris were the highest ranking caste in Kerala. They owned a large portion of the land in Malabar District, and together with the Nair monarchs of Kerala, the Nambudiris formed the landed aristocracy known as the Jenmimar, until the Kerala Land Reforms starting in 1957.