The Illuvar are a caste

Caste

Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 of people from Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

 or Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. They are also known as Iluvar, Ezhuvar, Ezhuva, Izhuva, Illathar

Traditionally, the Illuvars have been Ayurveda

Ayurveda

Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...

 vaidyars (doctors), farmers, cultivators and traders. Some are also involved in texile manufacturing, liquor business and toddy tapping. In Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

, they are variously known as Edigas

Edigas

Edig@s is an Electronic Data Interchange standard for the buying, selling, transporting and storage of gas. It is derived from the UN EDIFACT standard, of which it is an official subset. Edig@s is used almost exclusively in Europe, particularly France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and...

, Goud

Goud

The Goud are caste found mostly in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Maharastra. Gouds were involved in soma development in ancient days.-Origin:...

, Srisayans, or Setti Balijas.

Ezhuva or Ezhuvar or Izhuva are also from same community, but more closer to Kerala's Ezhava

Ezhava

The Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...

 caste in language and culture. These people are also found in Palakkad

Palakkad

Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...

 district of Kerala; they speak a mixture of Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 and Malayalam.

The caste in Tamil Nadu has following names as per the OBC

OBC

OBC is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, including:*OBC , the DJ/Rapper duo consisting of NowWeJankin and Tweed Blazer*OBC secret society, a secret society at the University of North Carolina at Asheville...

 list of Tamil Nadu central government

• Ezhuva
• Illuvar
• Ezhuvar
• Illathar
• Illathu Pillaimar
  Illathu Pillaimar
  Illathu Pillaimar or Ezhavar is a social group from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Illathu Pillaimar caste includes sub-castes of Ezhavar, Illathar, Sirugudi Vellalar and Panikkar.-Notables:...
  
  
• Sirukudi Vellalar

See also

• Billava
  Billava
  The Billava, or Ilava people make up one of the largest Hindu communities of the Tulu ethnic group in India. They are also found in the Kannada-speaking Kundapura region of Karnataka and some parts of Kerala, including Kasaragod district...
  
   A Tulu community
• Goud
  Goud
  The Goud are caste found mostly in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Maharastra. Gouds were involved in soma development in ancient days.-Origin:...
  
  , A Telugu
  Telugu people
  The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
  
   community
• Ediga or Idiga
  Idiga
  Idiga or Ediga is a Hindu community of people concentrated in south central areas of Karnataka. Idigas are involved in soma and Ayurvedic medicine developers in ancient days who are classified as Somavanshi Kshatriyas. In some parts of Karanataka they also called deevaru which means islanders...
  
   A kannada community. Also called Deevaru in karanataka.
• Ezhava
  Ezhava
  The Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...
  
   A Malayalam community
• Durave Srilankan Ezhava community speaks simhala
• Illathu Pillaimar
  Illathu Pillaimar
  Illathu Pillaimar or Ezhavar is a social group from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Illathu Pillaimar caste includes sub-castes of Ezhavar, Illathar, Sirugudi Vellalar and Panikkar.-Notables:...
  
  community in Tamil Nadu