Dravida Brahmins of telugu state -migrants from Tamil Nadu

 

Dravida  Brahmins   of telugu state -migrants from  Tamil Nadu

Compiled  by

P.R.Ramachander 

        Among the  telugu speaking people of   Andhra Pradesh  there are two important sects  , Vaidiki  and Niyogi ,Amongf them Vaidikis are  considered as scholars of Veda,They have sub divisions.One of them is Dravidulu.  It is believed that  they are migrants from  Tamil Nadu

 Sri Kanchi paramacharya had said about  the dravidulu sect of Telugu Brahmins.

“The Chola rulers of the Telugu country and the Colas of Tanjavur were related by marriage. Rajaraja Cola (Narendra) reigned in Tanjavur; it was he who built the Brhadisvara temple. Kulottunga Cola who belonged to the family of the grandson of a king of Vengi ruled as a member of the Cola dynasty of Tanjavur. Once he visited the Cola kingdom and on his return took some 500 Brahmins with him to promote Vedic learning in Vengi. The "Dravidalu" of Andhra Pradesh are the descendants of these Brahmins.

The names of all these Brahmins and their gotras are mentioned in the copper-plate inscription together with the subjects in which they were proficient and duties they had to perform. The landed property allotted to each is referred to, so also the names of the donors and of the recipients. The Brahmins from Tamil Nadu had to teach the Vedas and sastras. That is why gifts of lands were made to them.”

     They have not only migrated  but merged with  Andhra  Pradesh  .They speak  pure telugu , follow the cusine  of Andhra Pradesh   and have  matrimonial  alliances  with  other Telugu Brahmins.  Dravida is the word  used for Tamil Nadu in Andhra  Pradesh(Adhi Sankara  has also used it in Saundarya Lahari)

       They themselves have  several groups and one of them  interestingly is Aarama  Dravidas  or Thotta Dravidas (Dravidas of the garden) . There are several  well known people among them