# Dikshitar > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dikshitar > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dikshitar.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dikshitar > Source revision: 1354006173 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Vedic Shaiva Brahmin servitor community of Tamil Nadu, India For people with the family name Dikshitar, see [Dikshit](/source/Dikshit). Dīkṣitar 1909 photograph depicting the traditional Dīkṣitar munkuḍumi, alternately known as pūrvaśikhā, and in English, a forelock Classification Pancha Dravida Veda Ṛgveda (Āśvalāyana recension) Yajurveda (Baudhāyana recension) Religions Hinduism, Vedic Shaivism Languages Sanskrit, Tamil Country India Original state Tamil Nadu Related groups Iyer Brahmin, Nambūdiri Brahmin, Śōḻiya Brahmin Kingdom (original) Chola Empire **Dīkṣitars** or **[Thillai](/source/Thillai) Vazh Anthaanar** are a [Vedic](/source/Vedas) [Shaiva](/source/Shaivism) [Brahmin](/source/Brahmin) servitor community of [Tamil Nadu](/source/Tamil_Nadu), India, who are based mainly in the town of [Chidambaram](/source/Chidambaram). [Smartha](/source/Smartha) (especially the [Vadamas](/source/Vadama)), [Sri Vaishnava](/source/Sri_Vaishnavism) and other Brahmins in South India also carry the surname Dikshitars, but are different from the Chidambaram Dikshitar.[1] They are an exclusive group of Brahmins learned in the Vedas and *[yagnas](/source/Yajna)* (sacrifices) who also serve as the hereditary trustees of the [Nataraja temple](/source/Nataraja_Temple%2C_Chidambaram) in [Chidambaram](/source/Chidambaram). They are also called *Thillai Muvayiravar* or the *Three Thousand of Thillai*.[2] Every Dikshitar once he is married becomes as of right a trustee and *[archaka](/source/Archaka)* of the Nataraja temple. A practice unique to the community is that the priests wear the tuft of hair in front of the head similar to the [Nambuthiri](/source/Nambudiri) Brahmans of [Kerala](/source/Kerala).[3] ## History The Dikshithars might be traced back to the first line of Brahmanas who migrated to South India from the north, this migration happened as the result of the increasing spread of [Jainism](/source/Jainism) and [Buddhism](/source/Buddhism) in the North.The establishment of [Mauryan](/source/Maurya_Empire), [Satavahana](/source/Satavahana_dynasty) and [Kadamba](/source/Kadamba_dynasty) rule in South India also necessitated the movement of Brahmans into the new regions because these kingdom required trained ritualists. They are mentioned in the 12th century work, the [Periyapuranam](/source/Periyapuranam) of [Sekkizhar](/source/Sekkizhar). They were originally the ritual arbiters of imperial legitimacy in the [Chola Empire](/source/Chola_Empire), ritually crowning successive monarchs. This honour was reserved only for rulers belonging to the [Chola dynasty](/source/Chola_dynasty). When [Kutruva Nayanar](/source/Kutruva_Nayanar), a chieftain of Kalandai became very powerful as a result of his conquests, he requested the 3000 of Tillai to crown him as king of the [Chola](/source/Chola) country but they declined saying that they would only crown a Chola and instead fled to the [Chera](/source/Chera) country to escape his wrath.[4] In order that he who conquered the world ([Kutruvar](/source/Kutruvar)) may not be bereft of a royal crown he requested the crowning services of the ancient three thousand servitor priests at [Chidambaram](/source/Chidambaram) ([Thillai](/source/Thillai)). Thereupon the priests refused the same saying that they are entitled to perform the ceremony only to the most deserving of the ancient clan of [Sembiyars](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sembiyar&action=edit&redlink=1) ([Cholas](/source/Cholas)). Having said this, they quit their dwelling to reach the hill country ([Kerala](/source/Kerala)) of the ancient [Chera](/source/Chera) king. - [Periyapuranam](/source/Periyapuranam) It is also of interest to note that [Kulottunga Chola I](/source/Kulottunga_Chola_I), during his rule, introduced priests from [Vengi](/source/Vengi), his original homeland, to perpetuate the myth of the *Tillai three thousand* in order to legitimize his royal and priestly power.[5] ## See also - [Dikshit](/source/Dikshit), a Hindu family name ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Mahadevan, T. P. (2016). On the Southern Recension of the Mahābhārata, Brahman Migrations, and Brāhmī Paleography. Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, 15(2), 1-146. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [B. Natarajan](/source/B._Natarajan) (1974). *The city of the cosmic dance: Chidambaram, Volume 2 of Southern art series*. [Orient Longman](/source/Orient_Longman). p. 128. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Viravanallur Gopalier Ramakrishna Ayyar (1946). *The Economy of a South Indian Temple: (Sankara Parvati Prize Essay of the Madras University)*. [Annamalai University](/source/Annamalai_University). p. 50. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** N. Subrahmanian, Shu Hikosaka, G. John Samuel, P. Thiagarajan, Institute of Asian Studies (Madras, India). *Tamil social history, Volume 1*. Institute of Asian Studies, 1997. p. 299.{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Ghose, Rajeshwari (1996). *The Tyagaraja Cult in Tamilnadu: A Study in Conflict and Accommodation*. [Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited](/source/Motilal_Banarsidass_Publishers_Private_Limited). p. 288. This article about an Indian ethnicity or social group is a stub. 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