Iyengar
ஐயங்கார் | |
|---|---|
A 19th century illustration of an Iyengar man | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | |
| Languages | |
| Tamil (Iyengar Tamil), Sanskrit (liturgical) | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism (Sri Vaishnavism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tamil Brahmins, Tamils |
Iyengars (also spelt Ayyangar or Aiyengar, pronounced [ɐjːɐŋɡaːr]) are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, whose members follow Sri Vaishnavism and the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. Iyengars are divided into two denominations, the Vadakalai and the Tenkalai and live mostly in the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The community belongs to the Pancha Dravida Brahmana classification of Brahmins in India.