The original residents of Tamil Nadu, Karkathar is a Hindu caste and has a very interesting history to note. They are the immigrants of Gangetic plains who eventually spread all across the regions of Tamil Nadu. They were existent during the dynasties of satakam, Chola and Pandya.
Since the ancient Tamil had no caste system, they got divided during the later centuries and started living as a whole community. Soon after the advent of Aryans, there were many Tamil communities which originated and represented the land. The Sangam age is evident in the origin of pan vellala tribe which is interchangeably called Karkathar caste.
The origin of Karkathar caste
The term Karkathar Caste is originally derived from the Tamil word kar – rain and kathal – protection. The agricultural community of the ancient time was mainly responsible for harvesting the best out of the agricultural produce specifically during the rainy times. Broadly speaking, Members were mainly farmers who served kings and royal personalities of the 20th and previous centuries. They were also participants in the military and governance in the later stages.
Karkathar Caste now
In the current time period, the community belongs to a middle-class agricultural society. Most of the people carrying the caste surname live in the areas of Cholanad. Without any major evolution, the society kept existing and remained spirited in the matter of cultural rights. The South Indian caste members always played an important role when it came to handling the society and giving personal contributions.
Karkathar history and culture
Karkathar caste is sometimes extended as Karai- kattar. The prehistoric legends have their mention in the Puranas where Shiva and Parvati blessed the caste members to work on the soil and reap success. It is their inherited duty to perform agricultural activities and worship Lord Shiva.
With passage of time, Karkathar migrated to other parts of South and settled there. They mainly chose Madurai and continued to occupy the blessings of Shiva and Parvati with their evolution. The heirs with the title Karkathar are also known to be the ‘protectors of the cloud’. They are known to be the farmers who use steel blades to work instead of the regular wood plough. The protectors of their ancestors have a capacity to make any soil cultivable. They are terrific farmers who have a strong political history and cultural backgrounds.
Final words
Even though the majority of the community members are involved in handling the age-old agricultural tasks, yet many members have chosen a path of education and betterment. The backward caste of Hindus, enjoys plenty of perks from the government of India. The minorities welfare department provides mammoth opportunities to the community members so that they receive jobs and education without any trouble. Also, many fulfilling arrangements for the agriculturalists are provided by the Indian government. Earlier, karkathar used to only depend on rain for their cultivation. Somehow, the current agricultural practices ensure that they have a smoother farming process and do not have to depend on rain only to enhance output from their produce.