Nattukottai Chettiars are a people of Indian origin, well known for their financial dealings and hospitality. They are followers of the Hindu religion and worship the Shiva and Muruga deities of the Hindu faith. They belong to a very prolific Business Community, who in olden days moved out of India to foreign lands like Burma, Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, Singapore & Vietnam (Saigon) and spread their Culture in those lands.
The Nattukotai Chettiars hail from a place called Chettinad, in South India, an area situated in the South-Eastern region of Tamil Nadu approximately 35 Kms to the west of the coastal line of Bay of Bengal in the district of Sivagangai. It during its initial stages consist of 96 villages but now due to the movement of people out of certain villages, has diminished to about 75 villages, in the near past.
Chettinad has well planned towns provided with well defined roadways, reservoirs to store and supply water to the town, a planned market place, temples and everything, providing the basic needs of people
Chettinad happens to be a dry land with no proper rain which was a major set back for the area. As such due to non availability of any mode of living, people were forced to leave Chettinad to various of parts of the State in search of their living.
Devakottai & Karaikudi are two major towns in that region consisting of what is called Maximum Pullies*.
Nattukottai Chettiars are basically Bankers who lend money at nominal interest. They are considered as the Pioneers of Modern Banking. They are the first to introduce what is called as " Pattru (debit), Varavu (credit), Selavu (expenditure), Laabam (profit), Nashtam (loss) " which are all, collectively, known as " Iynthogai (trial balance). "
In a particular Nattukottai Chettiar family Appachi (Father)is considered as the Kartha for all the activities assisted by his Sons. Attha (Mother) looks after the family affairs including the day to day activities of the Vidu (House) in consultation with her Kanavar (husband).
The Nagarathar society is divided into Koil Vazhi Nagarthar consisting of Nine Koil (Temple). This division in the society is for the purpose of chosing their alliance and nothing else. Bride and the Bridegroom cannot be from the same Koil as they are considered to belong to the same family and treated as Annan-Thangai (Brother-Sister ).
The Nine Koil are as follows :
Out of these nine Koil Illaiyathangudi, Mathur & Vairavankoil have further Pirivu (Divisions) in their respective Koil.
In Illaiyathangudi and Mathur Koils the people are permitted to have alliances among the Pirivus and not like the other Koils who are not permitted to have alliances within their Koil. This is because if all these 14 pirivu people move out of their Koil in search of Brides and Bridegrooms it would difficult to find themselves one, hence the exemption.
In Sri Lanka the Nattukottai Chettiars are found carrying out their businesses of money lending, pawn brokering and gold jewelry in Sea Street, Pettah where they have been the main business community since a long period of time.
