Padamangalam Nair is one of the subcastes belonging to the Nair

Nair

Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...

 community in Kerala. They were migrants 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...

 who were embraced into the Nair community. They are confined to a few localities in Travancore, and until recently there was a distinctive difference in regard to dress and ornaments between the Padamangalam / Tamil Padam

Tamil Padam Nair

Tamil Padam Nair is one of the subcastes belonging to the Nair community in Kerala. This class of Nairs, as the name indicates, were migrants from Tamil Nadu who were embraced into the Nair community. Most of them belonged to the Maravar community which composed the Maravar Pada or secondary army...

 and the ordinary Nāyars.

Caste status

The occupation of the Padamangalakkar is temple service, such as carrying lamps during processions. Most of the present day Padamangalakkar are thought to be the descendants of Kerala Iyers and Nanchinad Vellalas

Vellalar

Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...

. They claim that they were appointed by Parasurama to serve in temples.

Demographics

Padamangalakkar numbered 6,175 in Travancore during the 1901 Census, comprising around 1% of the total Nair population. The current population might be lower, as they tend to assimilate themselves in to the higher ranking Illam

Illathu Nair

Illathu Nair is one of the subcastes of the Nair community among Keralites. They are mostly found in the Travancore and Cochin areas. Illathu Nairs were considered highest in the Nair hierarchy in Travancore. Purification rites by the Maarans and priestly service from the Elayatus distinguished the...

 and Swaroopam

Swaroopathil Nair

Swaroopathil Nairs or Charna Nairs were one of the subcastes belonging to the Nair community in Kerala. They were warriors of Samanta Kshatriya Royal Households known as Swaroopams. This subcaste is found only in Travancore...

castes.