Transient Communities: A Search for Identity through Ethnicity (page 11)

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Chettiars from all over chennai come to take part in this festival. The ceremonial procession is from coral Merchant street to the Theradi, in the Therku Mada street of Thiruvottriyur. Masi magam ther thiruvizha is a collective festival. It generates a system of ritual transactions between the Nagarathar community, the priest, deity and people other than their community. By participating in this annual festival, their recognition and their social identity are ritually sanctioned. During this festival, when the street is cleaned, kolams (traditional art drawn with dots) are put in front of the buildings where in Chettiars live. Chettiars conglomerate in huge number, distribute and share sweets and provide annadanam to all who participate in the procession. The street- a connecting link space gets its heterogeneity and is articulated as a ritual space. The otherwise commercial street space becomes a ritual path during this procession. Lord Muruga stays in Thiruvottriyur Nagara Viduthi for four days for the pilgrims' darshan. At the end of the fourth day of this festival, the chariots are brought back in procession from the Thiruvotriyurtheradi, opposite to the Nagara Viduthi, to the ther mandapam in the coral Merchant street with all rituals done to it. Customs and rituals suchas these provide a community identity in a society that is heterogeneous.

Conclusion: In accordance with K S Nair's discussion on the concept of ethnicity and ethnic groups, it is clearly demonstrated by the case of the transient Chettiar community in the process of migration have interpreted the ideology of the viduthi in accordance with the Context of the new place of residence. The presence of various Chettiar clan groups through the establishment of Viduthis on the coral Merchant street in Chennai exhibit all attributes of a migrant group in a totally new setting affirming the need of migrant based communities to establish a collective presence.
 (Continues...)

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