Iyers (Tamil:) (also spelt as Ayyar, Aiyar, Ayer, or Aiyer) are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Brahmins. Most Iyers are followers of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara and adhere to the Smarta tradition. [1] This is in contrast to the Iyengar community, who are adherents of Sri Vaishnavism.

This is a list of Iyers. Iyers are Hindu Brahmins of Tamil origin who are Smarthas or followers of the Smritis. [1] They mostly believe in the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Sankara. [2] [3] [4] Prior to the 1800s, almost all prominent members of this community hailed from religious or literary spheres. [5]

Tamil Brahmins are divided into two major denominations: Iyers, who follow the Smarta tradition, and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. Iyers are Shrauta - Smarta Brahmins, whose members follow the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara.

Yes, Iyengars are an ofshoot of the Iyers. But Iyer didn't originally mean Smartha Brahmana. Iyer originally just denoted people of the highest jati (subcaste) of the Brahmana varna (caste). Then after the time of Adi Shankaracharya the Smartha philosophy became popular among Iyers.

The Iyer and Iyengar are two different castes of Hindu Brahmins of Tamil origin. Iyers are followers of Adi Sankara who founded the Advaita philosophy, whereas Iyengars are followers of Sri Ramanuja who propounded the philosophy of Visishtaadvaita.

Iyers were responsible for establishing a strong growth foundation in India and are the mainstream community of the country.

In this article, we delve into the differences between Iyer and Iyengar communities, shedding light on their origins, practices, and beliefs. The Iyer and Iyengar communities trace their lineage back to the same ancestral origins in ancient India.

In the earliest known work dealing with grammar in Tamil - tholkappiyam (meaning old epic), the meaning of 'iyya' is given as 'a learned individual'. Iyers were initially confined to Tamil Nadu. Though the majority of them chose to stay in Tamil Nadu itself, some of them migrated to neighboring states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Iyer (pronounced [aiʝar]) (Tamil: ஐயர், Kannada: ಅಯ್ಯರ್, Malayalam: അയ്യർ) (also spelt as Ayyar, Aiyar, Ayer or Aiyer) is the title given to the caste of Hindu Brahmin communities of Tamil origin. Most Iyers are followers of the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara.[4][5][6][7][8][9...

Iyers generally lead orthodox lives and adhere steadfastly to their customs and traditions. When he performs his Sandhya or salutes an elder, an Iyer mentions his lineage or gotra and his law giver (Apastamba or Bodhayana) in addition to his name.