24 Manai Telugu Chettiars community is a social group that are classed as Vasiyas and found largely in the Southern Indian states of Tamilnadu (i.e. Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Dindugul, Erode, Kambam, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Salem, Theni, Thirupur, and north Dharmapuri and krishnagiri district), Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. They are considered traditional traders. Modern day 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar community is predominantly the trader community diversified into Business, Industry, and petty trade. Several members of the community are very wealthy businessmen, but most are small traders. The total (24 Manai Telugu chetty) population around one crore plus in south India.
The 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar immigrants, who migrated into Tamil Nadu during the pre-colonial period, underwent various cultural diversities, met difficulties in the patterns of linguistic assimilation, adjustment and other adaptive processes. Bilingualism (Telugu and Tamil) was found tedious among the immigrant households (successive generation children) and they failed to speak Telugu language at home and gained proficiency in Tamil.
The 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar community is called so because it consists of 24 Manais or houses (similar to a gotra). There are various sub castes, sub-sects or clans among the 24 Manai Telugu Chettiars and they are identified with different names:
This community is also known by different names like 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar, 24 Manai Telugu Chetty, 24 Manai Telugu Shetty, 24 Mane Telugu Chettiar, 24 Mane Telugu Chetty, 24 Mane Telugu Shetty, Gonichetty, Goniga, Gonigamane, Janapachetty, Janapan, Janapar, Janapasetty, Janapashetty, Sadhu Chetty, Sadhu Chetty, Sadhu Setty, Sadhu Shetty, Sadu Setty, Salapar, Salaparu, Sanapar, Sanaparu, Telugu Chettiar, Telugu Chetty, Telugu Setty, Telugu Shetty, Telungu Chettiar, Telungu Chetty and Telungupatti Chetty.
Now 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar community is struggling to find its roots in Andhra Pradesh, the land of their origin. Our fathers and grandfathers failed to sustain the Telugu way of life that their ancestors brought with them. Now youngsters of the 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar community consolidated through various forums are very eager to make constant attempts to identify, adopt and reinforce the Telugu identity i.e, social customs and traditions. This blog (or any forum with similar motive) must offer the universal platform for the Telugu Diaspora at large and 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar as the main focus to document information on:
1. To document the history, Identity in caste systems, social, economic, educational, cultural and linguistic aspects of 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar (origins, destinations, population figures etc).
2. To document the 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar Manai / Veedu (Gothrams), organizations, Kuladeivam temples, community rituals, fairs and festivals, matrimonials and people associated.
3. To classify by states, regions, cities, towns and villages and document the Networks and Linkages between the 24 Manai Telugu Chettiars engaged in political, business, occupational and professionals avenues).
4. To help the old Telugu chettiars members to trace their roots and to make them pride in understanding and speaking elementary Telugu.
5. Making the site a resourceful platform for information on 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar.
