>Narky Blert at 08:11, 24 January 2021

2021-01-24T08:11:57Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
:''For individuals with the surname, see [[Dikshit]]''
{{Infobox caste
| caste_name = Dīkṣitar
| caste_name_in_local = தீக்ஷிதர்
| image = Dikshitar.JPG
| caption = 1909 photograph depicting the traditional Dīkṣitar ''munkuḍumi'', alternately known as ''pūrvaśikhā'', and in English, a forelock
| varna = Brahmin
| jati =
| classification = [[Pancha Dravida]]
| gotra =
| veda = [[Ṛgveda]] ([[Āśvalāyana|Āśvalāyana recension]]) [[Yajurveda]] ([[Baudhayana|Baudhāyana recension]])
| kula_daivat =
| kula_devi =
| guru =
| mantra =
| nishan =
| devak =
| religions = [[Hinduism]], [[Vedic]][[Shaivism]]
| languages = [[Sanskrit]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| country = India
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| populated_states =
| region =
| India_migration =
| population =
| family_names =
| feudal_title =
| heraldic_title =
| lineage =
| color =
| throne =
| victory_weapon =
| notable_members =
| subdivisions =
| related = [[Iyer|Iyer Brahmin]], [[Nambudiri|Nambūdiri Brahmin]], [[Sholiyar|Śōḻiya Brahmin]]
| historical_grouping =
| status =
| other_reservation =
| original_kingdom = [[Chola Empire]]
| other_kingdom =
| official_website =
| footnotes =
}}

'''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]]. [[Smartha]] (especially the [[Vadamas]]), [[Sri Vaishnava]] and other brahmins in South India also carry the surname Dikshitars, but are different from the Chidambaram Dishitar.<ref>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.</ref>

They are an exclusive group of Brahmins learned in the Vedas and ''Yagnas'' (sacrifices) who also serve as the hereditary trustees of the [[Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram|Nataraja temple]] in [[Chidambaram]]. They are also called ''Thillai Muvayiravar'' or the ''Three Thousand of Thillai''<ref>{{cite book|author=B. Natarajan|title=The city of the cosmic dance: Chidambaram, Volume 2 of Southern art series|publisher=Orient Longman|year=1974|page=128}}</ref> Every Dikshitar once he is married becomes as of right a trustee and ''archaka'' of the [[Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram|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 [[Nambudiri|Nambuthiri]] Brahmans of [[Kerala]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Viravanallur Gopalier Ramakrishna Ayyar|title=The Economy of a South Indian Temple: (Sankara Parvati Prize Essay of the Madras University)|publisher=Annamalai University|year=1946|page=50}}</ref>

==History==
The Dikshithars might be traced back to the first line of Brahmanas who migrated to South India from the north, this migration happened as the result of the increasing spread of [[Jainism]] and [[Buddhism]] in the North.The establishment of [[Mauryan]], [[Satavahana]] and [[Kadamba dynasty|Kadamba]] rule in South India also necessitated the movement of Brahmans into the new regions because these kingdom required trained ritualists.
They are mentioned in the 12th century work, the [[Periyapuranam]] of [[Sekkizhar]]. They were originally the ritual arbiters of imperial legitimacy in the [[Chola Empire]], ritually crowning successive monarchs. This honour was reserved only for rulers belonging to the Chola dynasty. When [[Kutruva Nayanar]], a chieftain of Kalandai became very powerful as a result of his conquests, he requested the 3000 of Tillai to crown him as king of the [[Chola]] country but they declined saying that they would only crown a Chola and instead fled to the [[Chera]] country to escape his wrath.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tamil social history, Volume 1|author=N. Subrahmanian, Shu Hikosaka, G. John Samuel, P. Thiagarajan, Institute of Asian Studies (Madras, India)|publisher=Institute of Asian Studies, 1997|page=299}}</ref>

{{Cquote|<center>In order that he who conquered the world (Kutruvar) may not be bereft of a royal crown he requested the crowning services of the ancient three thousand servitor priests at Chidambaram (Thillai). Thereupon the priests refused the same saying that they are entitled to perform the ceremony only to the most deserving of the ancient clan of Sembiyars (Cholas). Having said this, they quit their dwelling to reach the hill country (Kerala) of the ancient Chera king.</center> - Periyapuranam}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Dikshit]]

[[Category:Tamil Brahmins]]

{{India-ethno-stub}}

Dikshitar - Revision history

>Narky Blert at 08:11, 24 January 2021