Seerpadar

Seerpadar
Chola princess Seerpada Devi
Religions	Shaivism
Languages	Tamil

Seerpadar (also written as Cirpatar or Seerpadam) is a Tamil caste found in the coastal regions of Eastern Province in Sri Lanka.[1] They are traditionally involved in agriculture.[2] They are chiefly found in the Veeramunai, Mandur, Thuraineelavanai, Kalmunai, Kurumanveli and Periye Kallar regions in the Batticaloa and Ampara District.[1][3]

History

Early history

Statue of Chola queen Seerpada Devi holding a statue of Ganesha, captured in Veeramunai, Amparai.

The Seerpadar caste derive their name and origin from a Chola queen known as Seerpada Devi, chronicled in inscriptions, copper plates and local poems.[4] According to them, their origin stems from the union of Seerpada Devi and the prince Sittathurai (also known as Balasimhan), the son of king Ukkirasinghan (legendary founder of Jaffna Kingdom).[1] The caste has been recorded in colonial records as being involved in cultivating activities and warriors. [2][4]

Seerpadar's Inscriptions

• Veeramunai ceppedu
• Thirukkovil ceppedu
• Kokkaticholai ceppedu
• Thuraineelavanai ceppedu
• Thirukonamalai ceppedu

Notable people

• T. Kalaiarasan

Others

• Veeramunai
• Kanchikudicharu

References

1. Raghavan, M. D. (1971). Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction. Kalai Nilayam. pp. 109–112.
2. McGilvray, Dennis B. (7 May 2008). Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. Duke University Press. pp. 41, 376. ISBN 978-0-8223-4161-1.
3. Whitaker, Mark P. (2007). Learning politics from Sivaram: the life and death of a revolutionary Tamil journalist in Sri Lanka. Pluto Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7453-2353-4.
4. Whitaker, Mark P. (1 January 1999). Amiable Incoherence: Manipulating Histories and Modernities in a Batticaloa Tamil Hindu Temple. V.U. University Press. pp. 117, 127. ISBN 978-90-5383-644-6.