Madakkavil

Madakkavil is the name of a prominent Tharavadu based at Guruvayoor, in the south Indian state of Kerala. The family of Kiriyathil (warrior) Nairs has a long and illustrious history linking it to the famous Kochu Guruvayoorappan temple.

The clan
Members of the Madakkavil clan can be found all across India and the world. More than 20 different families affix the name 'Madakkavil' to their name. All these families are related to each other by blood. Members of this clan marry other Nair families of similar stature. There is no known history of this family ever following the Sambandam custom of marrying their daughters into Namboothiri families. Until a generation ago, in keeping with the traditions of the Nair community, the Madakkavil Tharavadu followed the marumakkathayam system of matrilineal descent. However, this system has now largely been set aside by the families which come under this Tharavadu. They have de facto become patrilineal.

History
The name "Madakkavil" was conferred on the clan as an honorific by the Zamorin of Calicut. It commemorates an act of conspicuous service to the temple at Guruvayoor and to the state.

In the late 18th century, Tipu Sultan attacked Guruvayoor with the intention of looting the temple which was one of the richest in South India. Guruvayoor and the surrounding areas were part of the realm of the Zamorin of Calicut. . This is when the Zamorin gave the title "Madakkavil" to this Tharavadu. 'Madakkavil' in the Malayalam language means a small structure under water.

Special privileges
As a mark of honour for faving saved the idol and for fighting Tipu, this Tharavadu was accorded a special hereditary status by the Guruvayoorappan temple. As a special honour, any one woman belonging to this Tharavadu has to go to the temple every day, take bath in the temple pond, wear wet clothes (as a symbol of ritual purity), go to a special room allotted inside the temple, boil milk, make curds out of it, and offer the curd for the Uccha Puja of the deity. Furthermore, the Guruvayoorappan temple sends food to the Tharavadu every day of the year, along with a nominal amount of money. The tradition continues till date.

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