User:Saravanan786

Mudaliar (Tamil: முதலியார்), or Mudali, is a surname used mostly, though not exclusively, by the Vellalar communities of the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and in Sri Lanka. Their mother-tongue is Tamil.

The meaning of the Tamil word "Mudali" is "first person" and was originally used as a title during the Chola period to denote men occupying top positions in the army or bureaucracy.

The customs of Mudaliars are similar to the customs and traditions of most other Tamil communities. Mudaliars are predominantly Saivites and patronize Tamil. Most Mudaliar communities are non-vegetarian though some, notably the Thondaimandala Mudaliars, are traditionally vegetarian. The caste-based classification of Mudaliars vary from region to region. Some such as the Thondaimandala Saiva Vellalar and Thondaimandala Kondaikkati Vellalar are among the Forward castes, while others are classified as Backward castes.

While Mudaliars are generally native to southern India, due to recent migrations, there also significant numbers of people with the surname Mudaliar or Moodley in the countries of Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa.

Written by : G.Saravanan Mudaliyar From - Mumbai

mudaliyar.saravanan@gmail.com