Thenkalai
Therkku in the
Tamil language means South.
Tamil Nadu has always had a larger proportion of worshippers of
Shiva, one of the three leading deities of the
Hindu religion. When a number of temples were constructed in and around places like Thanjavur, Kumbakkonam and Srirangam amongst others, dedicated to Lord
Vishnu, a number of
Brahmins migrated to these temple towns. Brahmins (as in
Iyengars) who worshipped Lord Vishnu and migrated to these temple towns from the South of India were consequently called
Thenkalai Iyengars or Iyengars from the South. Thenkalai iyengars follow
Manavala Mamunigal.
Thenkalai are generally lesser in number as compared to vadakalai. Although the distinction is getting smaller, inter-kalai marriage is still out of question in certain orthodox families. Each of the vishnu temple has a "kalai" associated with it too.
*
Vadakalai Vs Thenkalai*
Tamil Brahmins
