From: narayana@oracorp.com (K. T. Narayana)
Subject: On AP Brahmins: the 6000 Niyogis
Followup-To: soc.culture.indian.telugu 
Organization: ORA Corporation, Ithaca, New York
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:28:33 GMT

Here is another follow up mail that I have received which
contains some interesting information about the 6000 Niyogi
Brahmins of AP.

...kt
-------------------------------------------------------------
 I have some information on niyogis - a special class called
 6000 niyogis. I cannot give a historical account, because i
 know only from what the elders say.

 Pourohityam can be performed by any brahmins, whether a niyogi
 or vaidiki. but usually it is performed outside the family as
 a profession only by the vaidikis, especially, the rituals associated
 with karma (death rites) etc. But the exception is worshipping services such
 as mahanyas rudrabhishekam etc. These are also performed by niyogis, even
 outside family circle.

 The story of 6000 niyogi sect goes like this: A niyogi
 brahmin karanam(village officer) was appreciated by a king and
 the king asks the brahmin to wish for anything he wants. The brahmin
 asks for the raja-mudrika for ONE day. The king grants the wish.
 The brahmin grants agraharams (some thing like a village or colony) 
 to about 6000 niyogi brahmins, appointing them as karanams, using the 
 raja-mudrika in a single day( ek-din-ka-sultana!). These families have been
 working as patwaris for all the generations, till NTR abolished
 the karanam posts.  Because of the clan being associated with
 the ruling  functions, although only on a village scale, other
 brahmin sects looked at them with suspicision and started calling
 them as 6000 sect.  Having niyogi-nikku (slang for pride). Even 
 today people still have such notions that they as a group are still
 with the pride.

 The classification of niyogis as saivites is grossly wrong. 
 There are two independent sets of classification of brahmins.
 I am talking only about major classes of AP. One classification
 classes them into vaidikis and niyogis according to the professional
 nature as described above. (although u may find some exceptions
 in villages that u may not find vaidiki family a niyogi may be attending
 to them). The other classification is of faith: saivites, vaishnavites
 and smarthas. The vaishnavites are believers in vishnu and saivaites in siva,
 although, the groups are not as fanatic as in rest of south india, and they
 do mix. and they do marry from the other groups although less frequently.
 smarthas are belivers in:

 sivaya vishnu rupaaya, siva ruupaya vishnave,
 sivascha hrudayam vishnur.. vishnoscha hrudayagam sivaha,
 yatha siva mayoor vishnum.. yevam vishnu maya sivaha.
 ...

 siva' form is vishnu and vishnu's form is siva.
 siva's heart is vishnu and vishnu's form is siva ...et cetera.

 Today with exposure to various schools of philosophy.. within India
 like shankara's, ramanujacharya's etc... common indian, brahmin or
 otherwise tends to be smartha.

 I think I did not add confusion to your understanding.

 I wish you a very happy, joyous, prosperous, successful and above all
 a satisfying new year.

 regards
 g sree ramana gopal
 .