In India injustice on lower caste by Brahmins is well known since centuries but victimization of some traditions , which otherwise will be treated as sin was imposed upon people , including Kshtriya is lesser known fact.
This article is about one of such Tradition.Its about South Indian Women and marriage tradition.
Hinduism is a way of life.
It has rich culture and tradition.
But some traditions are imposed upon by religious authorities for self benefit.
One of such tradition is Sambandham
SAMBANDHAM means Marriage , or in fact Sexual Relationship, with married woman.
Let's see what's Sambandham and how it started.
In Kerala in Malbar region including kozhikode,kochi,and Travancore,all agricultural land was belong to this Namboothiri Brahmins since centuries and all other communities including kshatriya were treated as shudra.These communities were named as NAIR.These Nairs were dependent on Namboothiri brahmin for food and money.Today these nair includes Menon ,Nambiar ,Pillai ,Kurup ,Nayars, Thampi, Panickar,Unnithan etc.
According to Mythological story based on malyalam treaties called Keralolpathy and sanskrit work Kerala mahatmya ,Kerala was created by the legendary hero Parshurama,who is supposed to have hurled his battle-axe from Gokarn to Cape comorin and claimed from the sea all the land in between.He is then said to have awarded this new region to Brahmins,after which he summoned deva,gandharva and rakshasa women for pleasure of these men.The Nairs ,were the descendants of these nymphs.
But later these Namboothiri Brahmins who owns all land devised a method wherein ONLY the eldest son was permitted to marry with Namboothiri brahmin girl.This was intended to maintain the integrity of ancestral property and prevent it being divided among too many descendants.
The rest of the sons will be in "Sambandham" with married women of the lower cast including Kshatriya and these Sambandham children will not be Namboodiri brahmin.
SAMBANDHAM
Sambandham is tradition of marriage or sexual relationship with a married Nair woman.Other than elder son all sons will visit any Nair married woman of his choice who is living with her parents and brother.He will present her a wedding shawl called pudava(white saree with golden border) and a nair girl will give him Thamboola(betel leaf and areca nut).Then they will go to bedroom and that Namboothiri brahmin will have sex with her at night and next morning he will go back.If he wish he can stay for 2/3 days or he can come for sex anytime he wish to have.
Nair woman who actually is married with a Nair husband can have Sambandham with any number of Namboothiri brahmin. And when she is pregnant and delivered child ,that child will be Nair and not Namboothiri brahmin.She will be honoured if she has Sambandham with as many as may be a dozen men.Nair woman with Sambandham will get money,food and honour by Namboothiri brahmin.
In this case children will be with mother and her parents.Her married husband will be living with his parents and taking care of his sisters children.This system is called MATRILINEAL where woman is incharge of a house and she will get property of parents .
Untouchability
This Namboothiri brahmin who comes for traditional Sambandham or actually sex with a Nair woman at night, will not touch her otherwise outside of her house.Nairs has to keep distance of 6 ft from Namboothiri brahmin and other low caste will be at 72 feet away.All low caste woman has to expose breast in public and not to cover leg below knee.
If any woman want to cover her breast she has to pay tax because exposing breast was like giving respect to Nimboothiri brahmin.
Here one thing to be noted that we blame foreigners for low costume but it's actually a tradition and culture of India in Kerala.
This is painting of princess of royal Travancore family,Bharani Thirunal Parvathi Bayi by famous painter Raja Ravi Varma
Conversion
Nangeli was not the only woman who was fed up of these Namboothiri brahmins but many low caste hindus were unhappy .During 18th century Tipu Sultan took advantage of this unsatisfied hindus and converted them to muslim religion.
Also during khilafat movement in malbar region muslims took advantage and many brahmins were converted to muslim by force because all land belongs to Namboothiri brahmin and now most of population of malbar area belong to muslims.
During British raj many converted to christianity.Those who were untouchable before conversion had to keep distance of 72 feet but after conversion to christianity he can sit with this Namboothiri brahmin.
Kerala is state of India where only 55% population is hindu and rest is either muslim or christian and credit goes to Namboothiri brahmins.
Antharjanam
Namboothiri brahmin women are called Antharjanam ,which means the one who lives indoors.They lived a strange secluded life.The antharjanam allowed only praying and cooking in the kitchen.If she has to go out to some temple or relatives ,she has to cover even her face with palm leaf umbrella and be accompanied by a maid.This was just to keep their woman virgin.They could not wear gold jewellary instead could wear silver or brass jewellery.
Because of the reason that only elder son can marry Namboothiri woman and all other son will be in sambandham with Nair and low class woman , many Namboothiri girls were unmarried or had to marry old Namboothiri husband whose wives are dead.Also due to marriage with old Namboothiri there were many young widows who could not remarry.Their lives were sad and if by chance they had sex with any Nair or low caste man she has to undergo procedure of Smarthvicharam.
Antarjanam Devaki Nilayamgode wrote book named 'Antharjanam' in malyaly (which is translated in english) when she was aged 75.She begins the book like this
"I am 75 year old antharjanam from Nilayamgode Illam.....Achan(Father) was 68 when i was born....I do not remember Achan.....
“Antharjanams have always been a source of great fascination in popular imagination. To an outsider, they were living exotica. Cocooned in luxury, shielded from public view, always escorted by an entourage of obsequious attendants and endlessly enjoying a hedonistic life full of festivals and elaborate feasts, these upper-caste women appeared to lead a charmed existence. What most people never realised was that the antharjanams awe-inspiring exclusivity concealed the cruellest form of patriarchal oppression that robbed them not only of independence and education but even the simplest and most innocent of joys.”
Extract from Book Antharjanams
Smarthvicharam
Extract from Caravan magazine written by writer Manu Pillai of his book THE IVORY OF THRONES
http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/what-end-kerala-matrilineal-society
Golvalkar Guruji of RSS on Sambandham
According to extract of article of Shamsul Islam ,columnist and retired professor of DU
Golwalkar: How The Breed Of Kerala Hindus Was Improved By Namboodiri Brahmins
Changes in Sambandham in Kerala[edit]
Other views
Note : All information given in above article is based on various sources like Blogs ,wikipedia,
Articles ,News ,Books Extract .
This article is about one of such Tradition.Its about South Indian Women and marriage tradition.
Hinduism is a way of life.
It has rich culture and tradition.
But some traditions are imposed upon by religious authorities for self benefit.
One of such tradition is Sambandham
SAMBANDHAM means Marriage , or in fact Sexual Relationship, with married woman.
In hinduism, Sambandham with more than one person of a married woman was a tradition of marriage system till 20th century since years.
In God's own country Kerala.
Which was created by Lord Parshurama .
A country of Namboothiri BrahmAn Shankaracharya ,who revived hinduism in India.
This tradition/culture of Sambandham was started by these Namboodiri BrahmIns.
Which was created by Lord Parshurama .
A country of Namboothiri BrahmAn Shankaracharya ,who revived hinduism in India.
This tradition/culture of Sambandham was started by these Namboodiri BrahmIns.
The early Namboothiri settlements developed rapidly, and the Namboothiris expanded all over Kerala, in such a way that by the 10th or 11th century AD, they could claim ownership over a large part of its arable lands, as well as a dominant role in its social and political institutions.Ref: Namboothiri website trust
Let's see what's Sambandham and how it started.
In Kerala in Malbar region including kozhikode,kochi,and Travancore,all agricultural land was belong to this Namboothiri Brahmins since centuries and all other communities including kshatriya were treated as shudra.These communities were named as NAIR.These Nairs were dependent on Namboothiri brahmin for food and money.Today these nair includes Menon ,Nambiar ,Pillai ,Kurup ,Nayars, Thampi, Panickar,Unnithan etc.
 |
| Namboothiri Brahmin |
According to Mythological story based on malyalam treaties called Keralolpathy and sanskrit work Kerala mahatmya ,Kerala was created by the legendary hero Parshurama,who is supposed to have hurled his battle-axe from Gokarn to Cape comorin and claimed from the sea all the land in between.He is then said to have awarded this new region to Brahmins,after which he summoned deva,gandharva and rakshasa women for pleasure of these men.The Nairs ,were the descendants of these nymphs.
But later these Namboothiri Brahmins who owns all land devised a method wherein ONLY the eldest son was permitted to marry with Namboothiri brahmin girl.This was intended to maintain the integrity of ancestral property and prevent it being divided among too many descendants.
The rest of the sons will be in "Sambandham" with married women of the lower cast including Kshatriya and these Sambandham children will not be Namboodiri brahmin.
 |
| Namboothiri Brahmin Family |
SAMBANDHAM
Sambandham is tradition of marriage or sexual relationship with a married Nair woman.Other than elder son all sons will visit any Nair married woman of his choice who is living with her parents and brother.He will present her a wedding shawl called pudava(white saree with golden border) and a nair girl will give him Thamboola(betel leaf and areca nut).Then they will go to bedroom and that Namboothiri brahmin will have sex with her at night and next morning he will go back.If he wish he can stay for 2/3 days or he can come for sex anytime he wish to have.
Nair woman who actually is married with a Nair husband can have Sambandham with any number of Namboothiri brahmin. And when she is pregnant and delivered child ,that child will be Nair and not Namboothiri brahmin.She will be honoured if she has Sambandham with as many as may be a dozen men.Nair woman with Sambandham will get money,food and honour by Namboothiri brahmin.
In this case children will be with mother and her parents.Her married husband will be living with his parents and taking care of his sisters children.This system is called MATRILINEAL where woman is incharge of a house and she will get property of parents .
Untouchability
This Namboothiri brahmin who comes for traditional Sambandham or actually sex with a Nair woman at night, will not touch her otherwise outside of her house.Nairs has to keep distance of 6 ft from Namboothiri brahmin and other low caste will be at 72 feet away.All low caste woman has to expose breast in public and not to cover leg below knee.
 |
| NAIR GIRL |
Nangeli was a Ezhava woman who lived in the early 19th century at Cherthala in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore in India. She questioned the mulakkaram (breast tax) system that existed during that time, by which women of lower caste were required to pay a tax to cover their bosom in public. She refused to either uncover her bosom or pay the breast tax. When the pravathiyar (village officer) of Travancore asked her to pay tax, she chopped off her breasts and presented them in a plantain leaf to him.[1] She died the same day due to loss of blood.
Also indicating protest of the breast tax, her husband jumped into her funeral pyre , committing suicide. Following the death of Nangeli, the breast tax system was annulled in Travancore. The place she lived came to be known later as Mulachiparambu (meaning land of the breasted woman).[1]
Novelist Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's grandson Raj Nair announced a Malayalam movie Mulachi (meaning breasted woman) based on Nangeli's story. It was reported that he was in talks with Angelina Jolie to do the lead role in the movie.[2]Ref; Wikipedia
Here one thing to be noted that we blame foreigners for low costume but it's actually a tradition and culture of India in Kerala.
 |
Conversion
Nangeli was not the only woman who was fed up of these Namboothiri brahmins but many low caste hindus were unhappy .During 18th century Tipu Sultan took advantage of this unsatisfied hindus and converted them to muslim religion.
Also during khilafat movement in malbar region muslims took advantage and many brahmins were converted to muslim by force because all land belongs to Namboothiri brahmin and now most of population of malbar area belong to muslims.
During British raj many converted to christianity.Those who were untouchable before conversion had to keep distance of 72 feet but after conversion to christianity he can sit with this Namboothiri brahmin.
Kerala is state of India where only 55% population is hindu and rest is either muslim or christian and credit goes to Namboothiri brahmins.
Antharjanam
Namboothiri brahmin women are called Antharjanam ,which means the one who lives indoors.They lived a strange secluded life.The antharjanam allowed only praying and cooking in the kitchen.If she has to go out to some temple or relatives ,she has to cover even her face with palm leaf umbrella and be accompanied by a maid.This was just to keep their woman virgin.They could not wear gold jewellary instead could wear silver or brass jewellery.
Because of the reason that only elder son can marry Namboothiri woman and all other son will be in sambandham with Nair and low class woman , many Namboothiri girls were unmarried or had to marry old Namboothiri husband whose wives are dead.Also due to marriage with old Namboothiri there were many young widows who could not remarry.Their lives were sad and if by chance they had sex with any Nair or low caste man she has to undergo procedure of Smarthvicharam.
 |
| Devaki Nilayamgode |
"I am 75 year old antharjanam from Nilayamgode Illam.....Achan(Father) was 68 when i was born....I do not remember Achan.....
“Antharjanams have always been a source of great fascination in popular imagination. To an outsider, they were living exotica. Cocooned in luxury, shielded from public view, always escorted by an entourage of obsequious attendants and endlessly enjoying a hedonistic life full of festivals and elaborate feasts, these upper-caste women appeared to lead a charmed existence. What most people never realised was that the antharjanams awe-inspiring exclusivity concealed the cruellest form of patriarchal oppression that robbed them not only of independence and education but even the simplest and most innocent of joys.”Extract from Book Antharjanams
Smarthvicharam
Smarthavicharam or Smaartha Vichaaram, was the ritualistic trial of a Nambudiri woman and fellow male adulterers who were accused of illegitimate sexual relations.[1] If the accused women was found guilty, she and the men found involved with her (known as jaaran) were excommunicated or ostracized (Bhrashtu) andbanished.[2] The permission of Maharaja (king) was necessary for the conduct of smarthavicharam.[3]
Source ; Wikipedia
If Namboothiri brahmin woman is accused of having relation with any male other than husband , she has to go 6 step trial.
1 . Dasi Vicharam ---Enquiry of Dasi with whom she go out of house.
2 . Anchampurayilackal---She will be isolated to a special cell and inform king about case.
3 . Questioning the Antharjanam---4 lawyers and a smarthan(judge) sent by King will conduct a trial which could be for hours or even days until the woman accepts all allegations.She has to tell the name of men involved.
4 . Swaroopamchollal-----King would be informed about men involved
5 . Dehavichedam------Accused men and woman will be boycotted from society
6 . Shudhabhojanam-----If accused found innocent then trial team shares meal after trial.
Trial of Kuriyedath Thathri[edit]
The most sensational Smarthavicharam was the one in 1905 that involved Kuriyedath Thathri, the wife of Chemmanthatta Kuriyedathu Raman Namboodiri of Mukundapuram Taluk. Thathri had been married off at an early age to the sixty-year-old Raman Namboodiri. The trial lasted for six months.[6] The verdict was pronounced on the night of July 13, 1905, indicting Thathri and the other accused men.[4] Some sources say that there were 65 accused men (jaaran) and she was asked to name them and substantiate it by narrating their body marks. The accused were men of high caste, influential and reputed in the society. Thatri's paramours included 30 Namboothiris, 10 Iyers, 13 Ambalavaasis and 11 Nairs.[7] From the accounts of people who recount the tale, the Raja of Cochin stopped the trial since his name was next on her list.[6]
Source ; Wikipedia
Two great saints Narayana Guru and Swami Vivekananda have mentioned this thing. Even Swami Vivekananda said Kerala is a “lunatic asylum”. He wrote in a letter to Pandit Shankarlal of Khetri, from BOMBAY, in 20th September, 1892 – “To what a ludicrous state are we brought! If a Bhângi comes to anybody as a Bhangi, he would be shunned as the plague; but no sooner does he get a cupful of water poured upon his head with some mutterings of prayers by a Pâdri, and get a coat on his back, no matter how threadbare, and come into the room of the most orthodox Hindu — I don't see the man who then dare refuse him a chair and a hearty shake of the hands! Irony can go no further. And come and see what they, the Pâdris, are doing here in the Dakshin** . They are converting the lower classes by lakhs; and in Travancore, the most priestridden country in India — where every bit of land is owned by the Brahmins, and the females, even of the royal family, hold it as high honor to live in concubinage with the Brahmins, nearly one-fourth has become Christian!.”
In another lecture “The future of India” he said - “Was there ever a sillier thing before in the world than what I saw in Malabar country? The poor Pariah is not allowed to pass through the same street as the high-caste man, but if he changes his name to a hodge-podge English name, it is all right; or to a Mohammedan name, it is all right. What inference would you draw except that these Malabaris are all lunatics, their homes so many lunatic asylums, and that they are to be treated with derision by every race in India until they mend their manners and know better. Shame upon them that such wicked and diabolical customs are allowed; their own children are allowed to die of starvation, but as soon as they take up some other religion they are well fed. There ought to be no more fight between the castes.”
In another lecture “The future of India” he said - “Was there ever a sillier thing before in the world than what I saw in Malabar country? The poor Pariah is not allowed to pass through the same street as the high-caste man, but if he changes his name to a hodge-podge English name, it is all right; or to a Mohammedan name, it is all right. What inference would you draw except that these Malabaris are all lunatics, their homes so many lunatic asylums, and that they are to be treated with derision by every race in India until they mend their manners and know better. Shame upon them that such wicked and diabolical customs are allowed; their own children are allowed to die of starvation, but as soon as they take up some other religion they are well fed. There ought to be no more fight between the castes.”
Extract from Caravan magazine written by writer Manu Pillai of his book THE IVORY OF THRONES
To take the Travancore royal family as a case, for instance, husbands were always “Koil Tampurans,” known as the “twice-born” Kshatriyas. They were, necessarily, fathered by Brahmins. Every Maharajah, in other words, had a Brahmin for a grandfather and a Nair for a grandson, both of whom were commoners; the Nair’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather came from different rungs of the social hierarchy. The procedure to enter into a sambandham was rather easy and simply involved the man handing the woman a piece of cloth before an oil lamp. In fact, when Sir Mountstuart Grant-Duff was Governor of Madras, he once met a lady from Travancore and the talk somehow came to the topic of textiles. He “innocently said that he would like to send her a cloth from Madras as a specimen of the handiwork executed there” to which the lady blushed and quickly responded that while she was “much obliged,” she was “quite satisfied with her present husband.”
http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/what-end-kerala-matrilineal-society
Golvalkar Guruji of RSS on Sambandham
According to extract of article of Shamsul Islam ,columnist and retired professor of DU
Golwalkar: How The Breed Of Kerala Hindus Was Improved By Namboodiri Brahmins
"Today experiments in cross-breeding are made only on animals. But the courage to make such experiments on human beings is not shown even by the so-called modern scientist of today. If some human cross-breeding is seen today it is the result not of scientific experiments but of carnal lust. Now let us see the experiments our ancestors made in this sphere. In an effort to better the human species through cross-breeding the Namboodri Brahamanas of the North were settled in Kerala and a rule was laid down that the eldest son of a Namboodri family could marry only the daughter of Vaishya, Kashtriya or Shudra communities of Kerala. Another still more courageous rule was that the first off-spring of a married woman of any class must be fathered by a Namboodri Brahman and then she could beget children by her husband. Today this experiment will be called adultery but it was not so, as it was limited to the first child."[M. S. Golwalkar cited in Organizer, January 2, 1961, p. 5.]http://www.countercurrents.org/islam020915.htm
Changes in Sambandham in Kerala[edit]
The Malabar Marriage Act 1896 was a failed attempt to legitimise sambandham. Similar legislation in the southern parts of the region followed much later, namely, the Travancore Nair Act of 1912 and 1925, and the Cochin Nair Act of 1920.
Namboothiri Yogakshema Mahasabha, a revolutionary group of Namboodiris founded in 1908, from 1919 agitated for all Namboodiris to marry within their own community. The Sabha declared the marriages of younger brothers from within the community as official, irrespective of whether the elder brothers were married or not. They decided to boycott Sambandhams.
This revolutionary meeting deciding this was held in "Bharatheebhooshanam" at Thrissur on 25th Medam 1094 (1919 A.D.)The Madras Namboothiri Act of 1933 confirmed this change. In the same year, the Madras Marumakkathayam Act was passed, by which Sambandham was acknowledged as a regular marriage, conferring on the children rights of inheritance and property as held by children whose parents were both Namboodiris. The declaration and these Acts led to a sudden decline in the number of Sambandham marriages; this practice ended shortly (in about ten years).
Namboothiri Brahmin Today
Due to marriage tradition of Sambandham Nair children increased and Namboothiri brahmins decreased.Today Namboothiri is just 0.188% of kerala population and they are very poor because communist party of India at keral state government distributed land owned by Namboothiri.But even today only Namboothiri brahmins can enter sanctum sanctorum and other brahmins will take care of temple.They have big home but dont have money to repair or color.
Other views
According to Raakhee Nair ,devout hindu NAIR woman in her blog
Nair community has about 140+ sub castes and upper caste Nair were warrior and work at army of king.Nair men never stayed faithful to their married wives and Nair women were wealthy and enjoyed a high status in society. They did not really need financial backing from anyone. So there was no need for them to give up their bodies to men in exchange for financial favors. If a Nair woman chose to let a man into her bed-chamber, it was because she desired him.
This fact is further strengthened by looking a little closer at the architecture of ancient Nair family homes. Almost all houses had bedrooms with two doors-one that opened into the house and the other that opened to the outside. It is said that the latter were used by both men and women of the house to let in their secret lovers. So, the concept of a child belonging to the father's family was immaterial. Because, shameful though it may be, the fiery Nair women often slept with more than one man. And being the fearless daughter of a warrior herself, she did not consider it necessary to discuss the fatherhood of her child with the world.
LAST WORDS
Sambandham was started as a tradition for benefit of Namboothiri Brahmins and in hinduism their are still many traditions परंपरा which we some time name as culture संस्कृती are mainly for benefit of those who made it in the name of religion.We hindus follow all the tradition as pride.Nobody questions why any tradition exists at least out of curiosity and not as rebellion.
During daytime untouchable and at night can sleep with a woman for pleasure is huge ACROCITY. And untouchable when person is hindu and after converted to christianity shake-hand with him is really hypocritical.
In hinduism for marriage to be perform brahmin is must.It's a tradition.Why ?Nobody knows.In Kerala today also marriage is just 10 minutes ceremony and it's without brahmin.Its all about giving pudava to bride.
 |
| Bride holding Pudava in hand |
Woman sleeping with many men of her choice was never a taboo thing since centuries till last 100 years and She was head of family and she could nurture and bring up her children whose father is either a Nair in army or a brahmin and it doesn't matter ever.
So the children were given the maternal family name. They had practically no ties with their father or his family. They belonged to their mother's family. In their father's family, they were outsiders. All these infidelity issues changed gradually with the onset of social policing. But the tradition of family name still remains the same. Today, a Nair child may have his father's name as his surname. But when he is asked for his family name, it is his mother's family name that belongs to him and not his father's.
KUDOS TO A Beautiful NAIR WOMEN !!!
In Kerala and some part of south India still matrilineal system exist wherein daughter gets property of parents.
Note : All information given in above article is based on various sources like Blogs ,wikipedia,
Articles ,News ,Books Extract .
