My early childhood was spent in a Brahmin locality in Madurai. I studied in a school run by RSS sympathizers where except for the drawing master all the other teachers were Brahmins. In the evening after the school hours they conducted drill classes for Brahmins boys by RSS volunteers.

I had many Brahmin friends. But even in the 1950s the Brahmin families with whom I moved never discriminated me. I ran freely to their kitchens and sang songs during Navarathiri festival.

But what fascinated me was the distinct differences between Iyers and Iyengars. I found Iyers had more distinct Aryan features than Iyengars. If both are Brahmins why this difference ? On most occasions if you can say that a person is a Brahmin BY APPEARANCE he will be most probably an Iyer. Many Iyengars sported a moustache whereas Iyers strictly avoided moustaches. The fair complexion was also more bestowed for Iyers and Iyengars were not. In fact only when an Iyengar says that he is a Brahmin you come to know that.

This observation created a pet theory in me that iyengars may not be “pure” Brahmins apart from the saiva – vaishnava divide.

I mean there could have been more non-aryan mix in the case of Iyengars. In fact most iyengars looked like non-brahmins.

Armed with this knowledge (?) when I grew up I questioned my close Brahmin friends. But no one gave me a satisfactory answer and many said that they noticed the physical differences only after I mentioned them. The young brahmin girls were more averse to Iyengars than the boys. Kamba, an Iyer girl(I don’t know her real name) the daughter of an advocate told me once “Velgean, I will marry you - but not an Iyengar! “ Instead of taking it as a compliment, it irritated me because my best friend in those days was Rangarajan an Iyengar boy. I asked Kamba – why ?. But she told me they are inferior. Why inferior ? she had no answer for that.

Now as an old man I know the main difference is their belief. Saivam and Vaishnavam - existed as 2 distinct religions before a common word “Hindu” borrowed from Persian language was attributed to them collectively.

However the Brahmin and non-brahmin look between Iyers and Iyengars respectively still haunts me.

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